On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order Number 3 in Galveston, Texas, which began "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free." African Americans in Diboll have joined with communities all over Texas in celebrating and commemorating this...

The History Center will be closed in observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, 2020.

May 8, 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of VE Day - Victory in Europe - at the end of World War II.  The Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of the German forces on May 8, 1945, bringing an end to the war in Europe. Lufkin's Al Vinson, who had announced the Normandy landings on D-Day in...

May 1, 2020 COVID-19 Operations Update After careful consideration of Governor Abbott’s guidelines, all History Center staff returned to the building on May 1 to continue serving our patrons and researchers and fulfill the Center’s mission. Staff are maintaining appropriate social distancing, monitoring health, and continuing to clean and sanitize their workspaces and public...

Covid-19 Continued Precautions:  Effective March 31, we have made arrangements for History Center staff to work primarily from home while the Center remains closed to the public. Individual staff will be in the office on select days to conduct routine office business and to use facilities not accessible from home. During this time, we are...

In light of the Covid-19 virus situation, The History Center is taking recommended safety precautions and is making the following changes as of Monday, March 16, until further notice. We will remain open to staff only, and will be closed to the public. All research visits and tours will be cancelled and rescheduled. We will otherwise...

The History Center will be closed on Monday, January 20, 2020 in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.  Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, January 21.

Starting on January 2, 2020, The History Center's new hours of operation will be Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm.  The Center will be open on Saturdays by appointment, with two weeks notice.  Please contact staff in order to set up a Saturday appointment.   We look forward to continuing to serve...

The History Center will be closed on December 24-26, 2019 for the Christmas holidays.  Regular hours will resume for Friday, December 27 and Monday, December 30, 2019.  The Center will also be closed on December 31, 2019 and January 1, 2019, resuming regular hours on Thursday, January 2, 2019. The staff and board of The History Center wishes all of our researchers...

The History Center will be closed for the the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29, 2019.  The Center will reopen for normal business hours on Saturday, November 30 at 9:00 a.m.   The staff of The History Center wishes all of our visitor, researchers, and friends a safe and happy holiday.  We...