Distinguished Service Award to go to historical society

The Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society is soon to be honored for its years of dedication to preserving the heritage of Callaway County.

The organization will receive the Distinguished Service Award at the 2013 Kingdom of Callaway Supper on March 12 at William Woods University.

"We decided that they should have it because (the historical society) provides a good deal of history for Callaway County," explained Gene Hamilton, chairperson of the Service Award Committee. "The historical society provides a great deal of service to the community in terms of our heritage, in terms of preserving the past."

First organized in 1960, the Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society opened a museum in the Tuttle House in 1973 before moving to its current location at 513 Court St. in 1998.

According to a brief history of the organization provided by executive director Nancy Lewis, the many services provided by the historical society include archiving more than 8,000 photos, preparing more than 2,000 probate records for microfilming by the state archives, hosting Fulton third graders for a lesson on local history and most recently creating a local display for a traveling Smithsonian exhibit at the National Churchill Museum. The organization also helps visitors with genealogical research.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.