Preserving History

The Gilbert Historical Museum, located on the southwest corner of Gilbert and Elliot, holds much meaning for the Mister's family. That building was the schoolhouse for all of Gilbert, K-12, when the Mister's parents were growing up here in Gilbert. In less than five minutes of visiting with the Mister's father, you can learn that he made his first overtures to the love of his life in 5th grade, in this building, as he wrote on his hand her initials and his initials enveloped by a heart, and then held it up for her to see. That must have been a pretty effective way of wooing her, as they've been married over 60 years now. But I digress; about the building...

As Gilbert's population grew, a new high school was constructed (the current administration building), and the corner building became the junior high, which was attended by the Mister's older brother. The new elementary school was built just west of the corner building, in the style of small cottages, and the corner building only housed 6th grade, which the Mister himself attended there. If you're curious about the progression of the schools from then on, it goes something like this: the "new" High School (current admin building) eventually became the junior high, and a truly new high school was built, which currently houses Mesquite Junior High. The elementary cottages are still an elementary school, and when the junior high went to its current location, another new high school was built on Elliot Road. Got it? From there on out, you're on your own, as Gilbert now has 4 high schools, with plans for a 5th.

But back to the building on the corner. It eventually became the Gilbert Historical Museum, storing artifacts and history from Gilbert's earliest days. The Mister's parents and extended family, along with many other early Gilbert families, have donated items as well as oral histories to the museum; and the Mister's mother is on the committee that is selecting a curator for the museum. So this editorial in the Republic struck a sympathetic chord with me:

Stepping into the Gilbert Historical Society museum can be like stepping into the past.The aging building at the southwestern corner of Gilbert and Elliot roads holds the beginnings of Gilbert. The town's earliest families have entrusted the Gilbert Historical Society with handwritten letters, clothing, photographs, antiques and other items, all handed down for generations.With Gilbert losing rural characteristics more and more every day, it is important that the town invest in the museum to protect these collections and assist the Historical Society in serving the community by fulfilling its mission to "provide educational opportunities and research materials for the general public by identifying, procuring, preserving and displaying artifacts which reflect Gilbert and the surrounding area's past and unique way of life."
This is why the Town Council made a wise decision two weeks ago when it approved $250,000 over the next five years to fund a full-time curator position and $50,000 for capital improvements at the museum. Although a gift to the Historical Society, the funds could go a long way toward strengthening the bridge between the past and the future for the people of Gilbert.

Read the whole article; or better yet, go check out the museum yourself, and take some kids with you.