William E. Greenwood, President
Don Jones, Vice President
Marsha Jones, Treasurer
JoEllyn Gahan, Secretary
Shirley Pierson, General Manager
Membership Chairman
Shirley Pierson, Hume-Carnegie Museum President
Alan Russell, Union Depot Museum President
David Boelk
William Gish
Don Jones
Del Knowlton
Shirley Pierson
Leonard Schaller
Verona Whitmore
Wayne Whitmore
Richard Zimmerman
Shirley Pierson, Curator
Ray Tutaj, Depot Master
Diane McCully & Audrey Lawrence, Acquisitions
The Mendota Museum & Historical Society was formed as a not-for-profit corporation by Mr. Horace D. Hume in May of 1993. The original officers were Horace D. Hume, President; Marsha Jones, Vice President and Treasurer; and Michelle Babin, Secretary.
Mr. Hume, seeing the need for a larger and updated public library building for his adopted hometown, donated funds to construct a new home for the Graves Public Library, freeing up the 1904 Carnegie library building. Mr. Hume contributed additional funds to restore this beautiful building and fulfill his vision to use this structure to create a museum dedicated to the history of the Mendota Area.
Mr. Hume expanded the Board of Directors in 1995 and an organization was developed which drew up a strategic plan. This document provided for the development of the Hume-Carnegie Museum, the Union Depot Railroad Museum and the Breaking the Prairie Museum-dedicated to the agricultural history of the area. The guiding force for the activities of the society were to be driven by the following mission statement.
Vision 2000
Mendota's Mission is to create services, entertainment, and
hometown pride for a turn of the century environment that results in the area
becoming an attractive community for quality living, retirement, and shopping.
The Hume-Carnegie Museum opened in August of 1996. The Union Depot Railroad Museum opened in August of 1997. The Breaking the Prairie Museum's first building, the Mathesius Brothers' Barn was completed in 2002. The Country Chapel was completed in 2004.
The MMHS is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. Financial contributions from Mr. Hume, the City of Mendota, many individuals and organizations have come together with artifacts, memories, and volunteers to create this wonderful museum complex.
The mission of the MMHS is educational - to preserve and interpret the
history of the Mendota area. The Hume-Carnegie Museum exhibits the area's
people, industry, and commerce. The Union Depot Railroad Museum showcases the
area's railroad history. The Breaking the Prairie Agricultural Museum
commemorates the area's agricultural heritage.
Revised April 8, 2002