Terrell Heritage Museum

06/12/2026

🍷⚡ FLASH SALE ALERT ⚡🍷

The countdown is on for the next Heritage Night Market & Wine Walk, and we're celebrating with a special Flash Sale!

🎟 Wine Walk Wristbands are just $20 now through Friday, June 19 at NOON!

Join us for an unforgettable evening of:
🍷 Wine tastings at participating downtown businesses
🎶 Live music from 6 PM – 9 PM
🛍 Local vendors and shopping
✨ An evening of wine, shopping, and community

📅 Saturday, June 20
🕔 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 Historic Downtown Terrell

⚠️ This special pricing ends Friday, June 19 at 12:00 PM, so don't wait!

👉 Get your wristbands here:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/heritage-night-market-and-wine-walk-summer

Must be 21+ | Valid photo ID required at wristband pickup

Gather your friends and join us for one of Downtown Terrell's favorite summer evenings! 🍷✨

06/11/2026

Mark Your Calendars!

The next Heritage Night Market & Wine Walk is coming to downtown Terrell on Friday, June 20th from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM!

Spend the evening exploring downtown while enjoying:
Local craft and artisan vendors
Delicious food vendors
Live music throughout the event
Wine tastings at participating downtown businesses
Shopping, community, and summer fun

Wine Walk tickets are just $30 and include 8 wine tastings, plus access to our Wine Walk Bingo game for a chance to win prizes and discounts on future events!

Be sure to keep an eye on our page over the next few days—you never know when a flash sale might pop up and give you the chance to grab your tickets at a discounted price!

Whether you're looking for a fun date night, a girls' night out, or just an excuse to enjoy a beautiful evening downtown, there's something for everyone at the Heritage Night Market & Wine Walk.

Every event helps support the restoration of Terrell's historic Carnegie Library, ensuring this treasured landmark can continue serving our community for generations to come.

We can't wait to see you downtown on June 20th! 🍷✨

Purchase Tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/heritage-night-market-and-wine-walk-summer

06/10/2026

J. L. Brooks was one of the most influential figures in Terrell's early Black community. Born around 1867, Brooks began his career as a schoolteacher before moving to Terrell and entering the funeral profession by the early 1900s. For decades, he served local families as an undertaker, embalmer, and funeral director, becoming a trusted and respected community leader. Brooks was also a significant landowner in what is now the Breezy Hill neighborhood, where he helped shape the community and is credited with naming several streets after local Black churches.

Through his funeral home, his business ventures, and his commitment to serving others, J. L. Brooks left a lasting mark on Terrell. His legacy continued through his children, including Ruby P. Brooks, who became an educator and businesswoman, and through the generations of families whose lives he touched.

06/05/2026

06/05/2026

Did you know that the Terrell Heritage Museum has a collection of oral history interviews featuring local community leaders and longtime residents? These recordings are an invaluable resource for anyone interested in learning more about Terrell's rich history through the memories and experiences of the people who lived it.

Featured in this video is an interview with Ruby Brooks, daughter of J. L. Brooks, a prominent businessman and community leader who operated the Brooks-Thomas Funeral Home in Terrell for many years. The Brooks family played an important role in the development of the Breezy Hill community and left a lasting impact on the city.

Oral histories help preserve stories that often cannot be found in photographs, newspapers, or official records. They allow us to hear firsthand accounts of the people, places, and events that shaped our community. The museum regularly uses these interviews to better understand the history of Terrell, verify historical information, uncover new stories, and help develop exhibits that share our community's past with visitors.

Other interviews in our collection feature notable Terrell residents including Hendrika Van der Horst of the Van der Horst Corporation, Dr. Jack Evans of Southwestern Christian College, Irene Canelius Georges, and D. A. Thomas, among others.

The museum is currently working to digitize these interviews so they can be viewed online and made more accessible to the public. In the meantime, several of these oral histories are available to view on DVD through the Hulsey Public Library, or on VHS at the Museum.

06/04/2026

Sometimes a single letter can change the course of a community's history.

This letter, dated February 1903, was sent by James Bertram, private secretary to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, to Mrs. J. A. DeGaugh, president of Terrell's Carnegie Club. In it, Carnegie agreed to provide $10,000 for the construction of a public library in Terrell—a gift worth more than $350,000 today.

While Carnegie's name would ultimately be placed above the door, the library would not have been possible without the efforts of local citizens. Mrs. DeGaugh and the members of the Carnegie Club, along with other women's civic organizations, spent years advocating for and fundraising to bring a public library to Terrell. Their determination helped secure the funding that made the Carnegie Library a reality. Later that year, on September 20, 1903, the library's cornerstone was laid on property donated by the Elks Lodge. Just six months later, on March 15, 1904, the library officially opened its doors to the public.

More than 120 years later, this letter stands as a testament to the power of community action.

06/03/2026

Sometimes the stories of our past are preserved not in photographs, but in the words of those who came before us.

This typed history of the Terrell Carnegie Library was written by Mrs. J. O. Livingston, who became head librarian in 1957. In it, she recounts the efforts of the local women's clubs that helped raise funds and advocate for a public library in Terrell, ultimately leading to the construction of the Carnegie Library in 1904.

Mrs. Livingston's account also preserves details about the cost of constructing the library, the members of the original library board, and the board serving at the time she wrote the history. Together, these names tell the story of generations of community leaders who believed in the importance of education, literacy, and public service.

More than a century later, this document serves as a reminder that the Carnegie Library was a true community achievement, built and sustained through the dedication of countless Terrell citizens.

Do you recognize any of the names mentioned in Mrs. Livingston's account? We'd love to hear your family connections and memories in the comments.

06/02/2026

In 1976, legendary Texas columnist Frank X. Tolbert paid a visit to Terrell and shared one of the more colorful stories from our community's past: the tale of Colonel E. H. R. Green.

If you've spent any time studying Terrell history, you've probably encountered Green's name. The son of financier Hetty Green—often called the "Witch of Wall Street"—he arrived in Terrell in 1893 to take charge of the Texas Midland Railroad. During his years here, he became one of the most talked-about figures in town.

Tolbert's column recounts Green's many adventures and eccentricities. He owned one of the first automobiles in the area, traveled in a luxurious private railcar named Mabel, maintained an apartment above the old Harris Opera House on Moore Avenue, and reportedly used a pet donkey to help identify oil drilling locations.

What makes this article so fascinating is that it captures how Green was remembered by local residents decades after his departure. To some, he was a railroad executive and businessman. To others, he was a millionaire eccentric with a private railcar, a famous mother, and a donkey-powered oil exploration strategy.

One thing is certain: Terrell has never lacked interesting characters.

Do you have a favorite E. H. R. Green story? Have you heard family stories about the Texas Midland Railroad, the Harris Opera House, or Green's years in Terrell? We'd love to hear them in the comments.

06/01/2026

This remarkable document is one of the earliest financial records we have from the Terrell Carnegie Library.

While the exact year is unknown, it was likely created around 1904–1905, shortly after the library opened, as it still shows a remaining balance from the original building fund. More than a financial report, it offers a snapshot of the people, businesses, and organizations that helped build and sustain one of Terrell’s most important civic institutions.

According to the report, the City of Terrell contributed $1,000 annually to support library operations — the equivalent of roughly $36,000–$38,000 today. The library also relied on donations from community stakeholders, including American National Bank (then known as First National Bank), the Social Science Club, the Daughters of the Confederacy, R. L. Warren, and J. B. Porter of the Porter Demonstration Farm, just to name a few!

Many of these names remain woven into the story of Terrell. R. L. Warren would later serve as a Texas State Senator from 1911–1915 and is remembered for the historic Warren Mansion on Griffith Avenue. J. B. Porter became one of the most influential agricultural figures in the region through his work at the Porter Demonstration Farm. The Social Science Club, one of the civic organizations that championed the construction and support of the library, is still active today, more than a century later, and continues its tradition of charitable work and community service in Terrell.

The report also records the salary of the library’s first librarian, Mrs. Addie E. Alexander, who earned $560 during her first year of service — the equivalent of approximately $20,000–$21,000 today.

What makes this document so fascinating is that it shows how the Carnegie Library was truly a community effort from the very beginning. Local government, civic clubs, businesses, and private citizens all invested in creating a place dedicated to education, learning, and public access to knowledge.

More than 120 years later, many of those family names, organizations, and businesses are still part of Terrell’s story — a reminder that the preservation of community history has always been a shared responsibility.

Do you recognize any of the names listed in this report? We would love to hear your family connections and stories.