Our Purpose

Encouraged by Richardson lawyer and amateur historian Clifford Huffhines, J.W. Campbell, Jr., and others, the Richardson Historical Society was founded in April 1970 by a group of civic-minded Richardson residents who were animated to organize by the city's upcoming centennial in 1973. In 1994, the name was changed to Richardson Historical & Genealogical Society, to reflect the closely-associated twin interests of the group's members.

The purpose of the society, as stated in its constitution, is "to bring together those people interested in history, and especially in the history of the Richardson area."

The society's constitution also states:

"The society's major function will be to discover and collect any material which may help to establish or illustrate the history of the area: its exploration, settlement, development, and activities in peace and in war; its progress in population, wealth, education, arts, science, agriculture, manufactures, trade, and transportation. It will collect printed material such as histories, genealogies, biographies, descriptions, gazetteers, directories, newspapers, pamphlets, catalogs, circulars, handbills, programs, and posters; manuscript material such as letters, diaries, journals, memoranda, reminiscences, rosters, service records, account books, charts, surveys, and field books; and museum material such as pictures, photographs, paintings, portraits, scenes, aboriginal relics, and material abject illustrative of life, conditions, events, and activities of the past and the present."

"The society will provide for the preservation of such material and for its accessibility, as far as may be feasible, to all who wish to examine or study it, to cooperate with officials in ensuring the preservation and accessibility of the records and archives of the county end of its cities, towns, villages, and institutions, and to undertake the preservation of historic buildings, monuments, and markers."

"The society will disseminate historical information and arouse interest in the past by publishing historical material in the news­ papers or otherwise; by holding meetings with pageants, addresses, lectures, papers, and discussion; by marking historic buildings, sites, and trails; and by using the media of radio and television to awaken public interest."

"The society will co-operate with the state historical society (state historical commission, or state department of archives and history) to collect and preserve materials of state-wide significance so that these materials can be made available to students and scholars."