Williamson County currently has openings for membership in the Williamson County Historical Commission (WCHC). The WCHC is designated to coordinate and supervise historic preservation under the direction of the Williamson County Commissioners Court. The purpose of the WCHC is to preserve, protect, and promote history within the county.
Commission Chair Eloise Brackenridge recently reported to the Commissioners Court that enthusiastic progress has been made despite the current pandemic. The group meets monthly by teleconference, and the various committees are actively working. The Cemetery Committee continues its association with the Williamson County Cemetery Restoration Volunteers on keeping up 20 neglected or abandoned cemeteries on a rotating basis. Volunteers right, level and restore monuments and tombstones and clear brush and weeds, and in some cases, conduct actives such as re-laying the fifty-foot marble wall at a Rice’s Crossing cemetery. Information about Williamson County's cemeteries may be found on the WCHC website https://wilcohistory.org/
WCHC’s website contains a wide variety of entries. A few of the topics: historical markers, photos of pioneers, Chisholm Trail drives, old bridges, and the 13,000-year-old Gault archaeological site, consistently occupied during the pre-historic era and under current excavation. Also, the WCHC posts on the website oral histories which the Oral History Committee collects by recording the lives and stories of residents in the county.
The WCHC raises funds two ways -- selling memorial bricks in honor or memory of persons or organizations that are then placed at the Williamson County Courthouse and sponsoring historical presentations. The latest presentation featured the railroads that were essential in creating the towns of central Texas. In recognition of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, a presentation was done reenacting a conversation with a colorful Texas suffragette.
The WCHC is composed of at least seven Williamson County residents who have demonstrated an interest in the preservation of Williamson County’s historical heritage and preferably live in Williamson County. Individuals wishing to serve on the WCHC should fill out an application and submit it to their Williamson County precinct commissioner or the county judge. Voting members must be 18 years of age or older. Applications and a copy of the WCHC by-laws are available on the website www.wilco.org under Commissioners Court under Historical Commission Applications or at this link.
The County will be accepting applications for membership in the WCHC until the positions are filled. The applications will be reviewed, and the Commissioners Court members will be appointing individuals to the board as needed. Members are appointed by the Williamson County Commissioners Court and serve for two-year terms. The Commissioners Court also appoints people to fill expired positions.
For more information or to submit an application, contact the precinct commissioners’ offices or County Judge’s Office listed below.
County Judge Bill Gravell
710 S. Main Street, Ste. 101, Georgetown, TX 78626
512-943-1550
Precinct 1 Commissioner Terry Cook
1801 E. Old Settlers Blvd., Round Rock, TX 78664
512-244-8610
Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long
350 Discovery Blvd., Cedar Park, TX 78613
512-260-4280
Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey
3010 Williams Drive, Ste. 153, Georgetown, TX 78628
512-943-3370
Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles
3001 Joe DiMaggio Blvd., Unit 1300, Round Rock, TX 78665
512-943-3761