Santa was on hand to give out candy canes and hear small visitors’ wishes on December 11^th at the Muleshoe Heritage Center Christmas Open House.  Thanks to a number of volunteer bakers, there were plenty of cookies to go around.   The Heritage Center had several opened buildings for tours, and food trucks provided a variety of eats.

Many willing workers made the open house a big success.  The Muleshoe Art Club decorated the Depot and provided cookies.  Gary Morris brought a horse and drove Santa’s buggy through the parade and all the way to the Heritage Center.  The high school art teacher, Alyssa Lopez, had her students paint candy cane decorations, and home economics teacher, Val McCamish, brought students to set up Christmas trees in the Janes House and other locations.  Chris Mardis and some students handled the large, outdoor displays.  Heather Hancock and Dani Heathington created the flyer to advertise the well-attended open house.  Greyson Rennels filmed the Santa visits.

The Muleshoe Heritage Center is a respected historic preservation organization, the second largest on the High Plains, behind Lubbock’s Ranching Heritage Center.  Over the years, many volunteer citizens and donors have worked tirelessly to create the Muleshoe Heritage Center and grow its footprint with added buildings and restoration projects.  Numerous students from the Student and Community Action Club have contributed their time to decorate the buildings each Christmas and to help with events.

Some of the dedicated citizens who have brought the Heritage Center to life are: Jean Allison and her students who started the whole process, Chris and Gina Mardis, Sammie Simpson, Ray and Donna West, Kenneth and Darlene Henry, Joe Bob and Sheila Stevenson, Vivian White, Maurine Hooten, Pat Watson, and other citizen volunteers too numerous to list.  It has taken a village to establish this historic site and a township of people who love the history of this area to keep it.

Current Heritage Center Foundation board members include: Kenneth and Darlene Henry, Sheila Stevenson, Scott Miller, Jesse Montiel, Ann Johnson, Vickie Burch, and Rhonda Myers, who was a member of the original student class founders.  Board members are making arrangements to re-open the Muleshoe Heritage Thrift Shop at the south end of Main Street.  This facility, generously supported by volunteer workers, has been an integral part of the financing of the Heritage Center renovations and maintenance.  It will open soon with new upgrades to serve both the community and the Heritage Center.