Limestone CHC Meetings

The Limestone County Historical Commission held its regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. on June 2, 2026 at the Limestone County Courthouse.  Members present were Bubba McDonald, Linda Ferris, Bill Ferris, Linda Jordan, Peggy Billingsley, Rachel Newman, Sarah McReynolds, Charles McDaniel, and William Reagan.

Mr. Reagan shared that the County Clerk’s office sold four of the Arcadia books for the CHC.

Mrs. Jordan shared that the next First Families ceremony would be on June 23 during the Commissioners Court meeting, which starts at 9:00 a.m. Ten certificates will be presented during the ceremony.

Mr. Reagan shared that the Limestone CHC received the Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Historical Commission for its work in 2025. The award will be presented to CHC members by County Judge Duncan during the Commissioners Court meeting on June 23.

Members conducted an evaluation of the Mexia Cemetery Tour that the CHC hosted on May 9. Twenty-seven individuals attended the event and provided many positive comments. Mr. Reagan reported that he left copies of the cemetery tour map at the Gibbs Library in Mexia, the Mexia Chamber of Commerce, the Limestone County Clerk’s office, and the Mexia City Hall so the map would be available for individuals wishing to do a self-guided tour. Mr. McDonald volunteered to place some of the maps at the Courthouse Annex in Mexia, Mr. McDaniel volunteered to place some at the Groesbeck Library, and Mrs. McReynolds volunteered to place some at funeral homes in Mexia and Groesbeck.

It was decided to develop a cemetery tour for the Tehuacana Cemetery that could be held during October. Mr. & Mrs. Ferris agreed to generate a list of people buried in the cemetery who could possibly be included on the tour.

Members discussed possible ways that the CHC could help the Limestone County Historical Museum. It was agreed that the CHC could help the museum purchase a computer. The museum just completed the renovation of its archival space in Mexia and would like to start transferring items needing to be archived from the museum building in Groesbeck, but a computer is needed to catalog all items before they can be archived. These items will eventually also be included in an online searchable database for researchers to access. Mr. Reagan agreed to speak with the museum board to determine what type of computer is needed, as well as the estimated cost.

Mr. Reagan, who is also on the county museum board, asked if the CHC members would be interested in completing the museum’s volunteer form, which all were willing to do. He also asked CHC members to take copies of the form to share with others who might be interested in volunteering. As the museum transitions from Groesbeck to Mexia in about a year, the need for volunteers will increase.

The next meeting of the Limestone CHC will be on July 7 at 6:00 p.m. at the Limestone County Historical Museum Archives located at 104 N. Kaufman Street in Mexia.

The Limestone County Historical Commission held its regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. on May 5, 2026 at the Limestone County Courthouse.  Members present were Bubba McDonald, Linda Ferris, Bill Ferris, Linda Jordan, Peggy Billingsley, Rachel Newman, and William Reagan.

Members discussed final plans for the Mexia City Cemetery tour scheduled for May 9 from 10:00 to 12:00. Mrs. Ferris mentioned that two people from the Tehuacana Heritage Society had volunteered to help, and Mr. Reagan said one person from the county museum board was also interested in helping. Mrs. Newman added that John Stubbs was willing to help if needed. Mr. Reagan reported that Flatt Stationers printed 400 cemetery maps and 25 flyers, which cost $95.00. Mr. Reagan distributed folders containing copies of the cemetery biographies for each part of the tour. It was agreed to be at the cemetery at 9:00 to set up.

Mr. Reagan shared that he was still unable to work on the HTC application for the Mexia Cemetery or visit the Phifer Cemetery to assess its condition. Mr. McDonald gave a report on the condition of the Honest Ridge Cemetery.

Mr. Reagan reported that Flatt’s no longer had the template for the First Families certificate. Clint Flatt said he would create a new one.

Mr. Reagan shared that edits to the marker text for the Cindy Walker historical marker were submitted to the THC. He added that he had not heard anything from the THC concerning the replacement marker for the Mt. Calm Cemetery. Mrs. Ferris stated that the second version Loop 442 marker text has not been received.

Mrs. Ferris and Mr. Reagan gave a report on the Preservation Texas Stakeholders meeting, which was attended by representatives of local museums and historic sites.

Mrs. Ferris shared her copy of the Green Book and mentioned that she had located several of the sites in Mexia.

The next meeting of the Limestone CHC will be on June 2 at 6:00 p.m. at the Limestone County Courthouse.

The Limestone County Historical Commission held its regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. on April 7, 2026 at the Limestone County Courthouse.  Members present were Linda Ferris, Bill Ferris, Linda Jordan, Peggy Billingsley, Rachel Newman, and William Reagan.

Members discussed the Mexia City Cemetery tour of notable individuals buried in the cemetery. At the last meeting, May 9 from 10:00 to 12:00 was set as the time for the tour. In addition to the in-person tour, copies of the tour map will be available later for people to do self-guided tours. Mr. Reagan reported that Flatt’s Stationers in Mexia gave him a quote for printing the cemetery tour map. Mrs. Jordan made a motion to have Flatt’s print 400 copies of the tour map and to reimburse Mr. Reagan for purchasing the copy paper. Mrs. Billingsley seconded the motion, which passed by unanimous vote. It was also agreed to have 25 flyers printed. Mrs. Newman volunteered to number the marker flags that will be placed next to each tombstone on the tour to help participants find them easier. It was also agreed to provide bottled water for cemetery tour participants. Mrs. Newman volunteered to be at the cemetery entrance to hand out tour maps and bottled water. Members divided the cemetery into several areas. Each area will be manned by a volunteer to assist tour participants. Volunteers will also have printed copies of the biographies of the individuals buried within their assigned areas.

Mrs. Jordan asked if anyone had checked with Flatt’s about whether they still had the First Families certificate template. Mr. Reagan agreed to check when he has the printing jobs done.

Mr. Reagan shared that Bubba McDonald visited the Honest Ridge Cemetery and had taken photos showing fallen limbs that need to be removed. It was agreed to discuss it with Mr. McDonald at the next meeting.

Mr. Reagan shared that the revised historical marker texts for Loop 442 in Tehuacana and Cindy Walker have not been completed by the Texas Historical Commission. He added that there has been no new marker applications submitted.

Mr. Ferris gave a report on the window repair workshop hosted by Preservation Texas at Louisiana Hall in Tehuacana that he attended. He added that Preservation Texas had recently put a new roof on the old barracks on the Trinity/Westminster campus. Mrs. Ferris shared that preservation Texas is also interested in purchasing the vacant store building in downtown Tehuacana.

Mrs. Jordan reported that the next First Families ceremony has been tentatively scheduled for June 23 during the commissioners’ court meeting.

Mr. Reagan shared an email from Nano Calderon, Texas Historical Commission History Programs, informing the CHC of the training opportunities and available resources that are related to surveying historic properties. He also asked if the CHC would be willing to help locate properties in Mexia that were listed in the Green Book.

Mr. Reagan also reported that someone with ancestors in the Phifer Cemetery had contacted the CHC wanting help restoring the cemetery and making it a historic landmark. Mr. Reagan said that he sent a reply stating that the CHC would visit the cemetery to assess its condition but may not have the resources to clean it. He also replied that the CHC would be more than willing to help with completing the application for the Historic Texas Cemetery designation.

Mrs. Billingsley shared that the Plummer Cemetery will have a special program by Retired Texas Rangers honoring L. T. M. Plummer, one of the earliest Texas Rangers and Limestone County settler, on May 30 at 11:00.

The next meeting of the Limestone CHC will be on May 5 at the Limestone County Courthouse.

The Limestone County Historical Commission held its regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. on March 3, 2026 at the Limestone County Historical Museum Archives in Mexia.  Members present were Linda Ferris, Bill Ferris, Bubba McDonald, Linda Jordan, Peggy Billingsley, and William Reagan. Also in attendance were board members of the Limestone County Historical Museum Association, Teresa Penny and Debbie McCall.

Mrs. Penny gave a presentation related to the museum’s archives. She stated that the museum’s new archival space will allow the museum to properly house and preserve the museum’s collections,   create a centralized and organized archive department, provide structured access to historical records, and implement professional archival standards. The first step will be to remove materials from storage at the museum’s current site, rehouse them in archival-quality, acid-free containers and boxes, organizing the collections according to archival best practices, and stabilize fragile documents and photographs. A digital catalog system will be utilized to catalog each item or collection and to create searchable records. Finding aids will be developed that will include the historical backgrounds of collections, scope and content notes, series descriptions and box and folder inventories. They will allow scholars, genealogists, and historians to determine what the museum has before requesting materials. In conclusion, she stated that the museum’s archives will become a professionally organized historical repository, a research-friendly environment, a preservation-centered program, a digitally searchable resource, and a trusted steward of local history.

On behalf of the CHC, Mrs. Jordan made a presentation to Mrs. McCall and Mrs. Penny with the donation of a small booklet to the museum. It was printed in December 1944 and contains a list of all officers and servicemen of the 1829^th Service Unit that were stationed at the German Prisoner of War Camp in Mexia.

Mr. Reagan shared that Mrs. Ferris submitted edits for the proposed text for the Loop 442 historical marker that will be placed in Tehuacana, which he sent on the Texas Historical Commission for review.

Mr. Reagan also reported that the Mt. Calm Cemetery submitted an application for the replacement of the cemetery’s historical marker, which was vandalized several years ago.

Mr. Reagan shared that he submitted the CHC’s 2025 annual report to the Texas Historical Commission as required by law.

Mr. Reagan reported that a property owner who owns land next to the Honest Ridge Cemetery cleared the fence line around part of the cemetery to install a new fence. He also said that there were some dead trees in the cemetery that could damage tombstones if they fell. Mr. McDonald volunteered to visit the cemetery to assess the situation.

Mr. Reagan shared an email from a Ken Burns producer in which he said that they are working on a new documentary titled “Emancipation to Exodus.” He requested photos of David Medlock, Jr., an African American who served in the Texas Legislature during Reconstruction, old AME churches, and landscape views of Limestone County.

Mr. Reagan reported that Brazos Electric Power Cooperative is proposing a 138-foot communication tower in Limestone County near old Union. They are required to have the CHC review the proposed project to make sure there are no local historic or archeological sites that will be threatened. It was agreed that there were none.

Mrs. Ferris reported that she gave a copy of the Mexia Cemetery Tour brochure to John Stubbs and that she visited the City of Mexia office to inquire about deed records for the cemetery. The city did not have any. Mr. Reagan said he would visit the county clerk’s office to search for them.  

Members agreed that the in-person tour of notable individuals in the Mexia Cemetery will be held on May 9 from 10 to 12. To prepare for the event, copies of the brochure, which contain a cemetery map and QR codes linking each individual with an online biography, will need to be printed. It was agreed that the marker flags, which will be used to mark the graves of the individuals on the tour, should be numbered to correspond with the map. It was also agreed to have some type of refreshments and to seek volunteers to help with the event.

Mrs. Ferris shared that Preservation Texas is sponsoring a window repair workshop in Tehuacana at Louisiana Hall and that Mr. Ferris will be participating. She added that the Bluebonnet Festival in Tehuacana will be on April 11.

Mrs. Jordan reported that the next First Families ceremony has been scheduled for June 23 during the commissioners’ court meeting.

The next meeting of the Limestone CHC will be on April 7 at the Limestone County Courthouse.

The Limestone County Historical Commission held its regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. on February 3, 2026 at the Limestone County Courthouse.  Members present were Linda Ferris, Bill Ferris, Bubba McDonald, Linda Jordan, Charles McDaniel, Peggy Billingsley, Rachel Newman, Sarah McReynolds, and William Reagan.

Mr. Reagan called the meeting to order and verified that a quorum was present.

The minutes of the January meeting were presented.  Mr. Ferris made a motion to accept the minutes, and Mr. McDaniel seconded. The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Members discussed the Mexia Cemetery tour of notable individuals. Since the last meeting, no edits had been made to the draft of the brochure/map that will be used for the tour, but Mr. Reagan shared a few changes to the tour’s website. An in-person event at the cemetery to introduce the tour is tentatively planned for May. The tour will then be available by using the brochure and the website. Mrs. Ferris reported that she had spoken with John Stubbs who said the cemetery board was good with anything the CHC wanted to do concerning the cemetery tour.

Members discussed completing the Historic Texas Cemetery application for the Mexia Cemetery. Deed records for the cemetery are needed. Mr. Reagan reported that he has already located most of them but will need to search for the remaining. Mrs. Ferris shared that she asked Mr. Stubbs about when the current fencing was erected, which is needed for the application. He will try to find that information.

Mr. Reagan shared copies of three interpretive plaques about the county’s remaining historic truss bridges that were developed by the Texas Department of Transportation. These were the result of discussions between the Limestone CHC and TxDOT after it was determined that two of the bridges were scheduled for replacement. The two bridges are available for adoption by a non-profit, but as of yet have not been. The CHC will determine when and where the plaques will be displayed.

Mrs. Jordan recommended several First Families applications for approval. Mrs. McReynolds made a motion to approve all of the applications, and Mr. McDaniel seconded the motion, which passed by unanimous vote. Members discussed scheduling the next First Families ceremony, and it was agreed that June would be a good time.

Members reviewed the proposed text for the Loop 442 in Tehuacana historical marker. Mrs. Ferris, one of the marker application sponsors, shared that marker committee in Tehuacana wanted to make changes and would submit them to the CHC chair as soon as possible.

Mrs. Ferris presented the treasurer’s report. The current balance is $8,478.75. Mrs. Jordan made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report. The motion was seconded by Mr. Ferris and passed by unanimous vote.

Mr. Reagan shared that the Christian Episcopal Church in Mexia wanted information about the Texas Historical Marker application process. The church is currently researching information for the narrative history. He shared the information with them including the marker application deadline of March 15.

The CHC was contacted by someone wanting to locate where her 3^rd great grandparents were buried. Mr. Reagan reported that he informed the individual that her ancestors were not listed in any of the cemetery surveys.

Mrs. Ferris shared that Evan Thompson, Executive Director of Preservation Texas, was thinking about establishing a dinner club membership as a fundraiser that would contribute to preserving the Trinity/Westminster campus. He proposes having members meet at Louisiana Hall in Tehuacana once a month to enjoy a chef-prepared meal and entertainment. The proposed start date would be the end of April. She also shared that Preservation Texas is having a special meeting in Tehuacana on October 3, which will include opening the campus to the public. It is possible the CHC could help.

Members reviewed and discussed the 2025 annual report, which has to be submitted to the Texas Historical Commission by March 6. CHC members had a total of 1,162 volunteer hours for the year. Two of the three required project descriptions were Cemetery Preservation and the Mexia Cemetery Tour. Members suggested that the third could be Promote Outreach.

Mr. Reagan shared that the Groesbeck Library is doing away with the genealogy/local history research area, but some of the materials will be donated to the county museum.

Mr. Reagan also shared that the renovations to the county museum’s archival space in Mexia is completed.

With no other business to conduct, the meeting was adjourned.

The next meeting of the Limestone CHC will be on March 3 in the Limestone County Historical Museum Archives in Mexia.

The Limestone County Historical Commission held its regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. on January 6, 2026 at the Limestone County Courthouse.  Members present were Linda Ferris, Bill Ferris, Bubba McDonald, Linda Jordan, Charles McDaniel, Peggy Billingsley, Rachel Newman, Sarah McReynolds, and William Reagan.

Members discussed the Mexia Cemetery tour. They reviewed the tour brochure, which was agreeable to everyone. Mr. Reagan said he would try to determine the cemetery’s date of establishment and add it to the brochure. Suggestions were made as to where the brochures could be placed for disbursement. These included funeral homes, libraries, chamber of commerce, county museum, and city hall. It was suggested that a date in May would be a good time to host an event at the cemetery to introduce the cemetery tour. Mrs. Ferris volunteered to speak with John Stubbs, cemetery board member, to get his thoughts on a date. She also agreed to ask about deed records and dates when the fences around the cemetery were erected, which is information that is needed to complete the application to have the Mexia Cemetery designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery by the Texas Historical Commission.  

Mrs. McReynolds shared that information about county veterans was found in the estate of Dolly Merryman, long-time CHC appointee, and that it would be given to the CHC. Mr. Reagan suggested that it was probably from a previous CHC project.

Members discussed the First Families applications that had been approved since the last presentation ceremony. Mrs. Jordan agreed to check on those applications so a new ceremony can be scheduled.

Mrs. Ferris gave an update on Preservations Texas’ work at the Trinity/Westminster campus. She said that they are currently dealing with a major water leak at Louisiana Hall. She added that she had previously set up a Go Fund Me account to raise money for the preservation of Tehuacana heritage, which raised over $4000. The funds were presented to Preservation Texas.

Mrs. Jordan reminded members about some notebooks containing Prairie Hill history that are located in the Prairie Hill Community Center. She said that an elderly lady who grew up in the community mentioned to her that she was concerned about the notebooks being preserved. CHC members are in favor of scanning them as a project.

Mr. Reagan shared that the CHC will soon receive the annual report form from the Texas Historical Commission, which will be due on March 6. He asked everyone to submit their volunteer hours for the year no later than the February meeting. Members discussed projects that could be included on the annual report.

The next meeting of the Limestone CHC will be on February 3 in the Limestone County Courtroom.