~MUSEUM-LEPANTO U.S.A
BY
JA RUE BRADFORD~

The plan to have a museum began in 1979. A group of about fifteen interested people from Lepanto met and decided on the present name because most articles shipped into town bore only to "Lepanto,USA."


A "CHRISTMAS TOUR OF HOMES" was held to raise funds.....
Five homes were on this tour-- MARSHALL HOME (Gertrude M. Cantrell) circa 1910, MARCOM BROS. HOME (Annette Dalton) 1912, H. S. PORTIS, Owner Melinda Hannah, completed in 1912, MRS E. L. SMITH home, owner M. G. Smith, circa 1925,and the DAN AND JULIET PORTIS home, circa 1941.


The first officers were President-JaRue Bradford
Vice President-Lynda Cross
Secretary - Kay Richardson
Treasurer - Sue Chambers


The papers for us as a non-profit organization were  obtained by
  Burk Dabney that year.  In  1980 we received the old 1915 bank building from Dan and Juliet Portis for our museum, which is located on Main Street today.  Our museum is housed in a very historical two story building of which we have gradually opened up and added many exhibits proudly displaying our heritage.


 

The Museum has sponsored many fund raising events to get where it
is now, and many friends of the museum have been contributors--from mule races to beauty pageants. Two large contributors enabled us to open up the upstairs--Franklin Wade and Dora Morris. Franklin is the son of Mr. and Mrs. H.C. Wade and attended Lepanto schools. Dora Morris and husband operated the Thomas and Morris Department Store in Lepanto for many years. The effort  has been to make Lepanto, with a population of 2,033, have a unique museum for its people.

Since 1984, we have sponsored the annual TERRAPIN DERBY FESTIVAL AND PARADE,only to turn that over to the Lepanto Fire Department in 1999.

Our grand opening in 1981 brought people from all over the country, and they still come to view our general store, doctor's office, blacksmith shop, Indian collection and photography room of old photos. The construction and planning was done by Lepanto High School boys in the FFA with Malcolm Patterson, instructor. They won two awards for this.

H.C. Bradford did the interior design and stairway upstairs to give us room for Civil War, WWI,WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm memorabilia exhibited there. Lepanto High School pictures, trophies and events are on display there as well as vintage machines. Two rooms are on display in their originality of the 1925 era.

Come Visit! We are open anytime by request.
We are open by volunteers on Wednesdays and Fridays from:
1:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.
YOU WILL ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE!

MUSEUM/LEPANTO USA
CONTINUED..CLICK 'NEXT'