Updated: 12/27/2011 
American Cotton Museum
Greenville, Texas
Description

The American Cotton Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the American cotton industry. Our exhibits explore the social history of cotton production in America through the days of sharecropping to modern production circa 1868 to current. We focus on sharecropping, ginners, and cotton compresses to the end product users- spinners, weavers and industrical workers.

Through the Frances Arnold Ellis Local History Galler, we are preserving thelocal history of Hund Conty inclusive of the local cotton industry. The Historic Ende-Gaillard House (c.1857) is part of our physical plant. We also maintain exhibits of lcoal citizens such as General Claire Chenault, Gussie Nell Davis, Monty Stratton, Jeanna Yeager, Fletcher Warren and Audie Murphy.

Out goal is to expand the scope of our exhibits to include all aspects of the cotton industry.

History

Founded in 1987 by the American Association of University Women, the American Cotton Museum (then the Hunt County Museum) rose from humble beginnings in rented downtown Greenville storefront to its modern ten acre phusical plant and buildings today valued at over half a million dollars.

In 1993 the museum's board of directores initiated a master plan that would transform the county museum into a national museum devoted to cotton, both to pay homage to the crop that made Hunt County excel above other areas in terms of agriculture, and also to attract wider audiences to the museum and its services. In 1994, the name was offically changed to the American Cotton Museum.

Land on Interstate Highway 30 (the second busies interstate in the nation) was purchased, and in 1995 construction began on the museums present 6800 square foot facility. Opened on October 1, 1996, the present site includes the museum building, a working cotton patch, a Victory Garden for children's programs, and the Ende-Gaillard House, the oldest house in Greenville.

Artifact Collections

The museum houses artifacts from 1870's - 1960's relating to the American Cotton industry, the Hunt County Photo archive from 1880 - present. The Audie Murphy collection, local Coca-Cola Bottling Company Collection, and the Fletcher Warren Collection. Mr Warren served in the Diplomatic Corps, was ambassodor to Turkey and other nations. We also house the Henson-Kickernick Lingerie Collection from the Henson-Kickernick Company. The collection contains a sample of every item of lingerie that they manufactured.

Research Collections

The resoureces are open by appointment only. Call for information

Programs

Lunch Break Special: A program free to the public at noon the first Tuesday of each month. Speakers from around the state come and speak on a variety of topics of historical interest. Check the museums's website for monthly updates.

Docent programs: Docents are trained and indoctrinated into our program semi-annually. Gallery tours are provided with large group tours and on request.

The American Cotton Museum cohosts with Texas A&M, Commerce and Collin County Community Collect, the Cotton History Symposium. The Symposium is a one day event held in April featuring experts from allo aspects of the cotton history and industry.

Cotton Jubilee is a two day event on the museum grounds on the third weekend of October involving the whole community in fun and adventure.

Reknown sculpture Gordon Thomas will be working on a larger than life size sculpture of Audie Murphy into the summer of 2001 on the exhibit floor of the Musuem.

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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

April 27 - April 29, 2025

Oregon Museum Association 2025 Conference

TBA

Independence, Oregon

Beginning in 2025, the OMA annual conference will be held in Spring rather than Fall

The conference this year is all about trying new things. We are hoping to organize the conference into the following four tracks: Collections Care, Leadership, Emergency Preparedness, and Tourism

Check our website for more details in early 2025

The OMA newsletter is emailed every month with updates on OMA events, museum news, other events, trainings, jobs, grants and more for the museum community in Oregon.

For more information, please email connect@oregonmuseums.org.

October 1 - October 4, 2025

Western Museums Association’s (WMA) 2025 Annual Meeting

TBA

Reno, Nevada

Save the Date for WMA 202

As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, join us to build relationships and soar higher than ever before. With the theme of ELEVATE, WMA 2025 will explore ways to lift up the experiences of cultural professionals and the communities they serve.

In Reno, Nevada, 4,400 feet above sea level, we will forward the progress of museums by looking to the future.

May 6 - May 9, 2025

2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) ANNUAL MEETING & MUSEUMEXPO

Los Angeles Convention Center

Los Angeles, California

AAM 2025 will focus on the theme, Museums & Trust.

Museums have long inspired high levels of public trust, surpassing news outlets, government organizations, researchers and scientists, corporations, and social media platforms. This consistent finding underscores our institutions’ unique position in society as stewards of knowledge, culture, science, and history—areas where credibility and reliability are paramount

In an era marked by mistrust and misinformation, museums have a rare ability to counterbalance the proliferation of false narratives and polarized perspectives. Using our trusted position, we can cultivate a more healthy, empathetic, and informed society.

But to do so, we must maintain our credibility proactively, embracing thoughtful, transparent, and collaborative practices that will defend against influences like bias, resource challenges, abuse of power, and social injustice

An Incredible MuseumExpo

AAM is again partnering this year with the Museum Store Association to host an incredible combined expo hall. Find the most innovative services, products, and solutions in the museum field. With 350 exhibitors, you are bound to find the right partner for your museum’s current challenges and opportunities.

May 5 - May 9, 2025

Museum Store Association FORWARD 2025 in LA

The Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Join MSA in LA

We’re excited about our next MSA FORWARD Conference & Expo in “The City of Angels” – Los Angeles, California in conjunction with the American Alliance of Museums

Join the Museum Store Association (MSA) and hundreds of nonprofit retail professionals for the 70th Annual MSA FORWARD Retail Conference & Expo, taking place May 5-9, 2025 at The Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California

Once again, MSA FORWARD will be held in conjunction with the 2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Annual Meeting & Expo

Learn best practices and new ideas for store merchandising, operations, marketing, and sale

Participate in dedicated networking events and create connections that will inspire new ideas

Meet with over 200 MSA vendors about your product needs

Hear from knowledgeable industry experts during session breakouts and keynote presentations

Network with AAM attendees and exhibitor

September 10 - September 13, 2025

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

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