Historical Society Celebrates Museum's Grand Reopening

On May 1, the DeSoto County Historical Society celebrated the Grand Re-Opening of the John Morgan Ingraham House Museum at 300 N. Monroe Ave., with a ceremony and ribbon Cutting thanks to Chamber of Commerce Director Taylor Jones and Arcadia Main Street Director Pam Ames. The Museum had been temporarily closed while a new roof was installed, the siding repaired, and the building painted.

Society President Adrian Cline thanked Society Member Luke Wilson for entertaining before the program began and introduced the Society’s Vice President, Vernon Keen, who gave the invocation and benediction. Society Member Ron Jones, Sr., led the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Cline welcomed everyone. He said that the Society is “not just opening the doors of this building, we’re also celebrating the 250th anniversary of America. . . . History . . . is lived, built, and preserved by people who care deeply about their community. . . . this house will once again serve as a place of learning, storytelling, and connection.

“To everyone who contributed—whether through labor, donations, advocacy, or encouragement—we extend our deepest gratitude. You have helped ensure that the Ingraham House will continue to stand as a symbol of resilience, memory, and pride. And to all of you here today, thank you for joining us. Your presence affirms that history matters, that our stories matter, and that preserving them is a gift we give to the generations who follow.”

As a special guest speaker, Mayor Judy Wertz-Strickland, also a Society member, noted that she walked by the Ingraham House daily on her way to and from West Elementary School when she was a student. “This [house] is a part of history,” she said. “We need to preserve that. We need to take care of that.” She thanked everyone for attending the event as well as the Society for preserving the building.

Society Member Cindy McLeod Ely said that the Ingraham House was built for Robert Early Whidden in the late 1890s. John Morgan Ingraham purchased it in 1919 and lived there until his death in 1980. When John Reynolds was Society president, he negotiated the donation of the house by the Pipkin family, and Ely recognized Marguerite Pipkin Hankins and Tom Hankins as family representatives. Ely related that in 2002, restoration began on the house, and in 2004, Hurricane Charley damaged the house. Between 2006 and 2010, Kathleen Ingraham Kuhns, Mr. Ingraham’s granddaughter, wrote applications to the State Division of Historic Resources, and the Society received a total of $158,000.00 in grants to restore the House.

In 2010, her father Harold McLeod designed a replica of Mr. Ingraham’s Seed House to store the collection of Local Historian Howard Melton which the Society had purchased, and the Howard and Velma Melton Historical Research Library was opened to the public in 2012.

On Jan. 27, 2014, the Society celebrated the first grand opening of the Ingraham House Museum thanks “to the many Society members and community volunteers working together to make it happen.” Ely also “personally thanked” Carol Mahler: “the Museum and Research Library Coordinator [who] has researched and catalogued every item in this house, set up displays, and she also gives tours.” In addition, she appreciated Kathy Bryce, Elizabeth Kenney, and Karen Smoke for their many volunteer hours.

The Society is grateful to Linda Williams for organizing the ceremony and arranging for the DeSoto Correctional Institution (DCI) inmate work crew to clean up the Society’s property and mulch the flower beds plus add some new plants in addition to the plantings and mulching done by Carol Mahler. We appreciate all their work as well as assistance from DCI Assistant Warden William Bowden, Lt. Eddie Talley, and Corrections Officer Kevin McHargue.

For preparing and donating food the event, the Society thanks the following members: Kathy Apocada, Ruth Reynolds Dunn, Cindy Ely, Linda Keen, Carol Mahler, and Linda Williams. For helping with set up and clean up, the Society appreciates Pam Ames, Kathy Apodaca, Ruth Reynolds Dunn, Pastor of Arcadia Baptist Church Nathan Heinz, Marshal Quinn Jones, Ron Jones Sr., Linda Keen, Carol Mahler, Duffy O’Donnell, and Linda Williams. For cleaning the inside of the Museum, the Society is grateful to Cindy Ely, Nancy Erickson,
Elizabeth Kenney, Carol Mahler, and Milo Moreno.

For more information, please contact the Society at 863-266-5774 or
desotocountyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com or historicdesoto.org.