Dream fulfilled: Museum opens in Halls

The Halls Crossroads Historical Museum is open for public viewing at 7119 Afton Drive in the Birch Tree Plaza. Hours are 10-4 on Wednesdays and 2-5 on Sundays.

“We’re doing a series of soft openings,” said museum vice president Doris Smith. “The space is not large enough to accommodate one huge grand opening.” Then she mentioned something about a tent and fall (stay tuned).

Hubert LaRue

The museum is the legacy of Hubert Ray LaRue, a Halls native who collected artifacts and family histories for a lifetime. He photographed family portraits, carefully identifying those pictured. And he assembled these into notebooks, now on display at the museum.

He sought help to preserve the records after his passing. The Halls Crossroads Women’s League established a Preservation Committee to help. In cooperation with the Halls High Alumni Board of Directors, a project to digitize Hubert’s entire collection began. For six months in 2018, volunteers met at Hubert’s home twice a week until some 3,200 photos were digitized and an index was created.

Robin Holliday was key to getting the records on discs and into a video production which can be watched during open hours. The museum is a must-see for anyone who grew up in Halls. It is a tribute to Hubert LaRue and to committee members who worked for hours to organize and preserve his collection.

Hubert LaRue passed away on November 10, 2021, (our story is here). His wife, Susie, remains active with the museum where she serves as archivist. Faye Nelson Heydasch has 30 or so photos here.

The museum was established in February 2022 with the election of officers and a board of directors. The current officers and board are: Carol Bayless, president; Doris Smith, vice president; Terri Carr, secretary; Marian Sullivan, treasurer; and Shelba Murphy, parliamentarian. Board of directors: Mary Carroll, Bob Crye, Brenda Gratz, Robin Holliday, Susie LaRue, Jim McManus, Gordy Noe, Connie Sharpe, Carl Tindell and Chris Vandergriff.