FORT WORTH, Texas (Sep. 23, 2011)
Tarrant County College will mark the opening of its new District Archives with an Open House Friday, Sept. 30, from 3 to 6 p.m. at TCC’s Northeast Campus, 828 W. Harwood Rd. in Hurst. The District Archives house local historic material in its Special Collections and TCC’s institutional records of permanent and historical value.
A dedication will be from 4 to 5 p.m. in the J. Ardis Bell Library Heritage Room. Special collections and exhibits will be featured and new archivist Tom Kellam will be introduced. Kellam, a Fort Worth native, worked more than 20 years as senior archivist and librarian in the Genealogy and Local History Department of the Fort Worth Public Library. Kellam has a master’s degree in history with a certificate in archival administration and a master’s in library science.
Author Dominick Cirincione and former TCC faculty member J’Nell Pate will be present for a book signing of Texas Sesquicentennial Wagon Train. The book tells the story of the six-month wagon train trip that started in Sulphur Springs and ended in Fort Worth July 3, 1986, after following a jagged 3,000-mile circle around the state that brought it within about 100 miles of every town or city in Texas. Some 10,000 riders from 27 states traveled at least a part of the way during trip. Cirincione primarily traveled with the train on weekends and took most of the photographs in the book. Pate wrote the text based on her research of news clippings.
A program, exhibits and tour will introduce the Heritage Room Collections which were recently catalogued thanks in part to a National Historical Publications and Records Commission grant. Established in 1975 as part of the Bicentennial Celebrations, materials in the Heritage Room are now available for research by appointment.
Refreshments will be served and door prizes will be available. Guests are asked to RSVP by Wednesday, Sept. 28, to Ceara Mapes at 817-515-4996 or ceara.mapes@tccd.edu.
Media Contact: 817-515-5212