Dear Members and Friends of the Graham County Historical Society:
Have you been wondering, what is the Graham County Historical Society planning next in their quest for a museum site? It’s time to update you on our latest thinking and actions.
On May 15, 2023, the Board of Directors of Graham County Historical Society met with the Board of Supervisors of Graham County. This meeting was brought about after we were presented with a draft lease which offered GCHS use of the former Stockman Bank building at 627 West Main Street, Safford, as a museum site for rent of $2,500/month and for a term of five years. Upon reviewing the terms of the proposed lease, GCHS board members and Diane Drobka of the Arizona Historical Society Board of Directors, began due diligence to determine if this would be a good situation for us.
Diane soon discovered more than a dozen museums in Arizona where arrangements have been made so that the museum pays little or no rent for an extended period (usually 50 years or more). The GCHS Board determined that as a responsible body; we must bring this information to the Board of Supervisors to ask for more favorable terms for the museum.
The Board of Supervisors listened respectfully to our board members. We were allowed to present our position fully, concluding with a letter read by our Secretary, Deanna Moeller, which summed up what we are seeking:
May 15, 2023
Gentlemen:
I am Deanna Moeller, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Graham County Historical Society…
The Board of Directors of the Graham County Historical Society presents you with a unique opportunity to show honor and courage to all citizens of Graham County, just as our ancestors did in years past. The truth of history should not be hidden but should be displayed where all can see what makes Graham County the great place it is. Schoolchildren should be taught about the timeline which results in where we are now by viewing how things were done in the past. Visitors often judge a location by seeking out the local museum first.
If the Safford property at 627 West Main Street is sold to a private entity, it will take on the identity of that business. On the other hand, if the property is put under the stewardship of the Graham County Historical Society, it takes on the identity of all of Graham County. But we need your help.
If you require us to purchase the building, our funds will be expended paying for the property rather than developing the museum. We are presenting a partial list of initial expenditures needed to get the museum opened and operating. The other side of this is that local businesses will be employed to do the work.
We are also presenting a list of other Arizona locations where museum boards have been able to work with forward-looking counties to acquire the space needed to house a museum.
We are requesting that you reconsider your proposal and instead make this space available to the Graham County Historical Society for the nominal fee of $1 per year for 50 years, as stewards of all the citizens of Graham County to preserve their history. Thank you.
One of the Supervisors then presented his thoughts expressing surprise that GCHS could not afford to pay $2,500 monthly rent and that we needed more than five years to establish the museum. He then expressed concern that he would not be meeting the fiduciary responsibilities to the taxpayers by allowing this space to become the museum. We then discovered that rental of the building to GCHS was part of the County’s five-year plan and that they wanted the building back after five years to move the county legal offices into the space. We had been under the impression that GCHS would be offered a lease/purchase agreement for the building; the five-year lease is completely unacceptable for a museum to become established.
Nothing was decided, and the two parties are still in negotiation.
The position of the Graham County Historical Society is that there is no better use by the County for the building at 627 West Main in Safford than as a historical museum displaying artifacts from across the spectrum of Graham County history. We have accumulated approximately $235,000, including $150,000 from a grant received from the FMI Foundation. Considerable funds would need to be expended to prepare the museum site for occupancy, and it would not be fiscally responsible to pay $2,500 monthly rental. We are still adamant about our request for the site to be provided at $1 per year for a minimum of 25 years and preferably 50 years.
Added Notes of Interest:
- First some background information. We (GCHS) have been in discussion with the Board of Supervisors for over a year regarding the building. The County had originally leased the building from FMI to provide a facility for the Probation Department. After a couple of years, it became apparent the County should purchase the building, and FMI generously allowed the County to apply the rent to the total purchase price of about $300,000. The Probation Department has since moved out, and the building was then used for the covid vaccination program, (sponsored and funded by the Federal government) and they have since moved out. The building has been vacant since the first of the year with the county considering letting GCHS use the building for the Graham County Museum.
- There was an unofficial discussion that implied we could afford to pay a lease of $2,000 a month, however, that would have quickly used up our funds and put a very short duration on keeping the doors open for the museum. After all, we are a nonprofit, 501(c)3, volunteer organization, and it costs money to set up a museum and run a museum building.
- We were excited to be able to get the building, and with the knowledge of at least 14 other museums getting the support of their county and city governments giving them a building or providing it for $1 a year, we were hopeful that our county would want to support us in this same manner. However, it appears their goal was to maximize the value of the building without regard to the cultural and historical benefits to the County.
- Let me clarify that Supervisor Paul David (who is also a member of the board of directors for GCHS) helped bring to the attention of the Board of Supervisors a county that only charged $1 per year for the use of facilities for a museum. This caused a county attorney who was reviewing the lease to feel he/she was being undermined. Therefore, Paul was forced to recuse himself from participating and voting on this issue. This effectively removed citizens in Paul’s District 1 from having a voice in this matter.
- Danny Smith has recently resigned from the Board of Supervisors, and we will truly miss his leadership and outstanding support of Graham County over his many years of service. He has been a strong supporter of having a Graham County Museum situated in the County seat and located on historical downtown Main Street. Clay Mack has been named to replace Danny.
- It is our understanding that Graham County had an extra $22 million in their 2023 fiscal year budget and just received another $3.9 million, per a June 24th article in the Eastern Arizona Courier. This does not support the County’s position that they cannot afford to lease us the building long-term for $1 per year. We are not asking the county to staff the museum or pay for any of the necessary modifications needed to accommodate a museum. There would be no out of pocket expense other than their normal cost to maintain the building structure, which is consistent with any lease.
- It’s also interesting to note the example the board of Supervisors used to write up the lease was from a county that leased a building to their museum for $1 a year and helped staff it with county employees, whereas we are asking for the same $1 a year consideration while staffing it with our own volunteer members.
We believe it is time for the Graham County Board of Supervisors to recognize the full value of having a certified Museum situated in our county seat on historical Main Street in Safford. The overwhelming cultural and historic importance of having this museum, including the educational aspect and the tourism a museum brings to a community cannot be overstated.
Dear members and supporters: As you well know, most of our membership is of an older generation, and many of you have gone through the moving of the museum two or three times. We have not had a museum for over twelve years, and we need a permanent home for our vast number of artifacts, historical and cultural information. So, we are asking for your support in letting the Graham County Board of Supervisors know what you think about our plea. We may need to begin a petition drive or organize a massive gathering at a Board of Supervisors meeting to voice our concerns. But please note, we do not wish to have adversarial relations with the Board of Supervisors. We just want the public to know what is happening so you can have a say.
Thank you for your continued support over the years, and please know this is the number one priority for the Board of Directors of the Graham County Historical Society.
We hope to have a solution soon.
Sincerely,
GRAHAM COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Harvey D. John, President, Board of Directors
P. O. Box 274, Thatcher, AZ 85552
gcazhs@gmail.com
grahamazhistory.org
