Cass County receives Distinguished Service Award

The Cass County CHC has been awarded a 2021 Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Historical Commission (THC).

This annual award affirms Cass County CHC appointees for managing well-rounded history and preservation-related programs that enrich Texas Communities. The Cass County Judge and Commissioners were honored to present the Distinguished Service Award to members of the Cass County CHC in Commissioners Court on August 23, 2022.

“Our preservation partners faced great challenges from the pandemic, but they redirected their efforts and ensured that history programming and preservation projects continued in communities across Texas,” said THC Executive Director Mark Wolfe. “The Cass County CHC has demonstrated remarkable resiliency and innovation, and we are happy to honor its extraordinary volunteers with the 2021 Distinguished Service Award.”

Texas CHCs provided more that 284,046 volunteer hours in 2021, which is an in-kind donation to the state valued at more than $8.5 million. CHC contributions in 2021 are remarkable given challenges presented by the pandemic.

The THC assists more than 200 CHCs through programs and services that preserve Texas’ heritage for the education, enjoyment, and economic benefit of present and future generations. The THC’s advisory role to CHCs is outlined in the Texas Local Government Code, the statue that enables county commissioner’s courts to establish CHCs. The volunteer appointees, as directed by county officials, initiate and conduct programs that preserve the historic and cultural resources of Texas.

The Cass County CHC worked on several projects in 2021 with a focus on preservation, education, and a celebration of history: They partnered with Collins Academy to deliver a 7-week summer camp for 12 area high school students who worked to install or rehabilitate native plant gardens; they worked with the Board of Trustees at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church to obtain a Texas Historic Cemetery designation for the cemetery located there; they provided over 53 hours of genealogical research assistance to many out-of-town people who are researching their Cass County roots.

For more information about CHCs in Texas, visit thc.texas. gov/chcoutreach or contact the History Programs Division at 512-463-5853.