Melissa Historical Society

10/13/2026

Reminder – Melissa Historical Society meets this Wednesday at 6:30pm at Hale Hall, next to Melissa Christian Church. Please be aware there is construction around Hale Hall. You can park in the parking lot behind the church at Central Street and Cooper Street. At the meeting, Janet Petersma will review with us her fascinating research on the 1921 Melissa tornado.
All are welcome! See you Wednesday!

10/09/2026

Discover the History of St. Paul Cemetery!
Melissa Historical Society , in collaboration with Melissa Public Library, invites you to learn more about one of Melissa’s important historic places and the people whose lives are part of its story.

Saturday, October 10 at 10:00 AM, join us for a walking tour of St. Paul Cemetery, including the history of the community that established the cemetery, the impact of the 1921 tornado, and some of the individuals and monuments that help tell its story.

We’ll also share the work done this year to restore historic cemetery monuments through a Collin County Historical Commission grant.

📍 St. Paul Cemetery
🗓️ Saturday, October 10
⏰ 10:00 AM

Come learn about the people, places and events that helped shape Melissa’s history.

Both events are free and open to the public.

We hope you’ll join us!

10/05/2026

Discover the History of St. Paul Cemetery

Melissa Historical Society , in collaboration with Melissa Public Library, invites you to learn more about one of Melissa’s important historic places and the people whose lives are part of its story.

📍 Wednesday, October 7 at 6:00 PM
Melissa Public Library
Join us for a presentation about St. Paul Cemetery, including the history of the community that established the cemetery, the impact of the 1921 tornado, and some of the individuals and monuments that help tell its story.

We’ll also share the work done this year to restore historic cemetery monuments through a Collin County Historical Commission grant.

This presentation is a great opportunity for anyone who would like to learn about the cemetery but may not be able to participate in a walking tour.

Then, on Saturday, October 10 at 10:00 AM, join us for a walking tour of St. Paul Cemetery as we take the stories from the presentation into the cemetery itself.

📍 St. Paul Cemetery
🗓️ Saturday, October 10
⏰ 10:00 AM

Come learn about the people, places and events that helped shape Melissa’s history.

Both events are free and open to the public.

We hope you’ll join us!

09/02/2026

Join us at Allen Heritage Guild for a presentation on the history of Weston by our member and friend, Mike Hill, Wednesday, September 2nd at 6:30pm in Allen. Details below!

Note that Melissa Historical Society will be meeting Wednesday, 9/9 at 6:30pm.

08/09/2026

📣 We'd Love Your Input!

The Melissa Historical Society is looking at making a change to our regular meeting schedule, and before we make anything official, we want to hear from our members and supporters!

Our current standing meeting is the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm. We've been asking members and supporters what they think about moving it to second Wednesdays at 6:30pm, and the feedback we've received so far has been very positive. We'd like to give everyone another opportunity to weigh in before the Board makes the change official.

Would the proposed new meeting date/time work better for you?

👍 Yes — I would be more likely to attend
❤️ Either works for me
💬 No — the current date works better for me
❓ Other — please comment or send us a message

We'd especially love to hear from people who would like to attend our meetings but haven't been able to because of the current schedule. Your feedback matters!

07/31/2026

Thank you to Melissa Magazine for sharing Melissa’s history!

06/26/2026

Thank you to Dennis Hogan, Melissa Public Library, and everyone who attended the H&TC Railway presentation last night! Very informative, interesting and well attended event! We have been receiving lots of positive feedback on the program.

Special thank you to Dennis for the generous donation of an official copy of an original H&TC map (1873) that the Texas Government Land Land Office (GLO) holds in its collection in Austin. The map was on display at the event yesterday. There is also a copy on display at the Anna Depot Anna Area Historical Preservation Society. When we have our copy framed, it will be made available for display for Melissa organizations. Thank you Dennis!

Photos:

H&TC Happenings Around Melissa newspaper clippings slide.

Shots of the presentation, including Dennis's most controversial slide: The naming of Melissa!

The Sideshow: Thad, Melissa Historical Society's tiniest member.

Program flyer

For more information you can comment below, send us a FB message or email us at [email protected]

06/25/2026

We’re excited about tonight’s presentation at 6pm! Ever wondered how Melissa got its name? Railroad Historian Dennis Hogan will share about that and all things H&TC Railway! Hope to see you there!

Reminder! Next week, Thursday, June 25th at 6pm at Melissa Public Library, railroad historian Dennis Hogan will be speaking on the Houston & Texas Central Railway. Come learn about Melissa's origin as an early 1870s Railroad Boom town!

Photo: Melissa RR Depot, taken shortly after the April 13, 1921 tornado that destroyed Melissa. Notice the overturned railcar on the right.