Zaner Robison Historical Museum at Royse City

 

The museum collection is intended to preserve, protect and promote Royse City area history from the early settlers through the economic boom of the thirties, to the year 1960. 

 Zaner Robison Benetin has been a central figure in the life of Royse City for many years.  She was a founding member of the Royse City Chamber of Commerce, the Breakfast Rotary and other civic groups. She was instrumental in bringing culture and progress to the area.  You'll still see her smiling face every Friday at Texas Leadership Bank, although she is 93 years young.

 

In 1990, Zaner was presented with the Texas Press Association Golden 50 Award, in recognition of 50 years service to journalism.  As Zaner tells it:

"You had to meet certain requirements to open a newspaper," Zaner noted. "You had to have 240 subscribers before you could get a permit. We went to the town homecoming that year, and that's where we got our list."

She has fond memories of her newsgathering days in an area populated by about 700 people (counting cats and dogs).

Her experience spans the time of handset type through hot metal and finally to offset. She began with handset type at her newspaper in Caddo Mills and could set two-and-a-half galleys. Throwing it back in was the part she hated. But she lived through the hot metal days of three Linotypes at Royse City.

The couple kept the newspapers for ten years and then sold to Southern Newspapers of Baytown. Bob was beloved in the community, and it was a sad day when he died on January 20, 1975.

Zaner remarried on December 27, 1979, to John Benetin.  Zaner was called back into the newspaper business by U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall to assist him with his newspaper, the Lakeside American. 

 

Determined to keep a newspaper in Royse City, Zaner helped the Greenville Herald Banner start the Royse City Leader in 1982 in her living room. They ceased publication in December 1986. Zaner went on to write a column, "About Town," in the Royse City of a local paper.

 

The Museum Board of Directors (Trustees) were recently appointed by the City Council, and have begun the task of ratifying the Bylaws, and setting up guidelines for acquisitions. The Board meets the third Tuesday of each month at 10 am and welcomes input from the community.

 

"We are starting a Friends of the Museum to help construct the exhibits. If you are interested in being part of this exciting group, please call me."  The office at the Museum is open from 12 to 4 PM Friday and Saturday. Call Annie Cornelius at (972) 635-7438.

 

 

 

Is It Tax Deductible?

The Zaner Robison Historical Museum of Royse City anticipates it will acquire approximately 85 percent of its artifact collection through public donations. The curatorial staff supervises the acquisition of artifacts. A wish list of objects the museum is seeking to acquire often appears on this Web site.

To donate an object, please contact the museum at 972-635-7438 or curator@roysecitymuseum.com. Describe the object in detail .

 

The curator will consider the following questions:

• Was the object made or used in Texas?
• What is the object's historical significance?
• Is there documentation (written or oral) on the object?
•• Does the object duplicate or support the existing collection?

If the object is accepted, the curator, as part of Collections Management , will send you a deed of gift form. This legal document certifies that the object is yours to donate and that you agree to assign all rights associated with the object to the museum. When you sign and return the deed of gift, the object becomes part of the collection of the museum. 

Is my donation tax deductible?

Yes. You can use the signed deed of gift as an acknowledgment of your donation to the Zaner Robison Historical Museum. (The museum does not provide appraisals.) The IRS requires that you include Form 8283—available from your accountant or the IRS—with your tax return if the value of your contribution is more than $500.

 

From 2008 through 2010, the Museum will be asking for items on loan while they build their collection. If you have an item too precious to give away,