About The Society

OUR MISSION: The Johnston County Historical Society has an ongoing commitment to historical and cultural preservation.

The Johnston County Historical Society is located in the restored Wm. H. Harris Building/Bank of the Chickasaw Nation, built in 1903.
The facility includes a gift shop, Victorian Tea Room, Genealogy Research library
Bank of the Chickasaws gallery, on the National Historic Register.
Two upstairs galleries with historic Johnston County relics and artifacts, including a dentist office, optometrist office, drug store, WWII display, early day furniture and clothing, kitchen display.

The Bank gallery includes the extensive 63 piece Julia Carter Welch collection of southwest and northeast Indian pottery and baskets. Julia Carter Welch was the daughter of Charles David Carter, (a Chickasaw/Cherokee, b. 1868 Boggy Depot- d. 1929) who served as U. S. Congressman for 29 years. Carter county was named for their family after they moved there in 1892. Julia is the niece of Vinita Ream (Vinnie b. 1873 Boggy Depot) for whom Vinita Oklahoma is named. She has 3 sculptures on display in the D.C. capital rotunda Hall of Fame.

The "society" opened in October, 2009, an auxilary museum at the Tishomingo Wildlife Refuge, Washita Farm Heritage Center, in partnership with the TREES organization, (www.treesok.org) the Chickasaw Nation, and the Wildlife Refuge. The museum is housed in a restored building, which was the former home of a "share-cropper" for the historic Fred Chapman' s Washita Farm. The building serves as a museum and welcome center for the Wildlife refuge and is located just north of the Refuge headquarters.

The gift shop has antique photo postcards, locally made Indian jewelry, booklets about county towns and historic sites, the complete collection of history books about Johnston County by county historian Ed Gill, (b. 1908 Milburn) who served as county school supt., state representative, Chief Administrator of the V.A., Muskogee. A complete list of books and booklets available for purchase by contacting any of the following officers.

President: Mary Jane Nelson redrabbit@wildblue.net

Vice President: Mary Jo Massey mjmassey1@yahoo.com

Treasurer: James Bauman ninabauman@wildblue.net

Secretary: Donna Pope americanbeautyinst@sbcglobal.net

Business hours contact:
Janice Fairchild, Wed - Sat, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 580-371-0254