The Collin County Historical Commission was created to help preserve and educate on the rich history of this county. Comprised of citizen volunteers from every part of the county, as appointed by the Commissioners Court, this commission's mission is to:

• Initiate and conduct programs and activities as may be suggested by the Commissioners' Court or the Texas Historical Commission for the preservation of the county's historical heritage
• To mark, interpret, preserve and accumulate information on the history and landmarks of Collin County
• To serve as an umbrella organization for all public and private historical and heritage groups operating in the county, in order to encourage, support and promote the activities of these groups

Programs

Some of the ongoing programs of the commission include:

• History Cruises: a chartered guided tour of historical sites around the county, with a stop for lunch at one of our landmark restaurants (small fee charged)
• Carry Along Collin: winner of the Texas Historical Commission’s Award of Excellence in Preserving History, this program is a self-guided exploration of the county's museums 'hosted' by Collin McKinney, our founding father, through a carry-along folder with questions about our county's history, the answers which may be discovered at specific venues; for grade school children participating with their parents (free, during the summer months)
• Historical Markers: solicit, review and approve county and state historical markers for local landmarks and sites, as well as coordinate the production and installation of such (cost of markers subsidized by commission, with remainder charged to applicant)
• Seminars and Workshops: provides continuing educational support to local historical groups and individuals by hosting several events throughout the year taught by guest subject matter experts on a broad range of topics addressing issues and needs; past topics included developing oral history programs, cemetery preservation, collections maintenance, etc. (free)
• Historical Assets Survey: ongoing inventory of all historical county sites, buildings, residences, cemeteries, etc. stored in a central database, to be made available to the public at a later date (free)
• Preservation Celebration: annual lunch conference honoring the efforts of local historical groups and individuals while providing an opportunity to interact and network with the county's historical preservation and education community (by invitation only)
• County Historical Coalition: regularly scheduled meetings open to all historical groups in the county, offering an exchange of information and activities in order to strengthen the relationships between all members of the county's heritage community (open to the public)
• Publications: print materials produced by the commission for the use and edification of residents, tourists and educators, distributed at numerous venues throughout the county and state, including Cruising Historical Collin County, a self-guided tour of sites around the county, and Museums of Collin County, a guide to local museums (free)
• Property Tax Abatements: reviews and approves applications for tax abatements on residential structures around the county based on their historical significance and condition; the commission's recommendations are presented to the Commissioners Court for final abatement allowances (available to all county residents, dependent on the age, style and condition of the residences)

Other Initiatives

The County Historical Commission, in order to support all historical preservation and educational efforts around Collin County, works with local organizations to promote their efforts to preserve and teach our heritage. One such effort, the first of its kind in the state of Texas, is the Historical Preservation and Education Grant Program. This program provides funding to local organizations for a variety of projects, from cemetery site repairs to historically-themed community events to museum rennovations to program promotions to whatever else is a need that may or may not get funded any other way. See the program guidelines and application process and last year’s grant awardees.

The commission holds regular meetings on the last Thursday evening of each month at 6:30 pm.

Current Commission Members

More Historical Stuff

To find out what's happening around the county with a historical bent, take a look at our Events Calendar.

To visit other county historical groups, look them up on our Heritage Directory.

For a brief history of Collin County, take a look at Our Roots.

For more information about the Collin County Historical Commission, contact the Public Information Office.