Permanent Collection
The Doss Heritage and Culture Center's permanent collection is composed of artifacts relating to the history of Weatherford and Parker County.  From projectile points to clothing and tools to photos and letters, the objects within the permanent collection are used for exhibit display, as well as academic research.  Objects made, used, or brought to Parker County help tell the story of how people lived and worked in the past.  All items accepted into this collection must be approved by the DHCC's Collections Committee.

Teaching Collection
Items in the Teaching Collection are used in the museum's educational programming.  By giving a full hands-on experience at the museum, people can truly get a feel for what life in the past would have been like.  This collection contains items that may be duplicates of items in thhe permanent collection, or items that could deteriorate through use.  Items may include old spurs, candle molds, and curry combs. 

Archives

The Library Collection is made up of current and retrospective printed materials relating to Parker County. Examples of items that could be added to this collection include books, annuals, government documents, serials, newspapers and pamphlets

Donating to the Collections

The Doss Heritage and Culture Center is a collecting institution and welcomes donations of historical objects from the community.  The museum accepts objects, as well as photographs and archival or paper materials (which may be collections of family papers, documents, maps, and the like) .  Donations are reviewed by the Doss Center's Collections Committee at quarterly meetings. 

Proposed donations are evaluated based on the following criteria:
1.  Do the items have significant Parker County historical interest or social impact?
2.  Do the items have significant research or display potential?
3.  What is the provenance of the object?  (Who made it?  Who bought it?  Who owned it? When and where was it used?)
4.  Is the object in good condition?
5.  Does the museum have the necessary resources to properly house and care for the object?
6.  Does the museum already have several examples of the item in the permanent collection?
7.  Does the potential donor have legal rights to give the object away?

Items might also be accepted into the Doss Center's Teaching Collection.  These items are used as hands-on teaching tools for school groups, or as exhibit items that might eventually wear out and need to be replaced.  These items enhance the educational experience of our visitors, and is a very important part of our mission here at the Doss.

If you think you have an object you would like to donate that meets the collecting criteria, please call the museum curator, Leslee Madrid, at 817-599-6168.