NE poster display features old west outlaws
by Diana De Leon, Feature Editor

   Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are wanted in Fort Worth dead or alive, and students can find them in the Heritage Room of the NE Campus library.
  Wanted posters dating back to 1893 are on display through the end of November.
   “It was really exciting to find them separate,” J. Paul Davidson, public services librarian on NE, said about the Butch and Sundance posters.
   “On other wanted posters, they are together.”
   The wanted posters were donated to TCC by the Tarrant County Sheriffs department, Davidson said.
   They range in size from a small postcard to a regular letter-sized sheet of paper.
   Many are yellow in color from age, and some have started to deteriorate, but all are in remarkable condition considering their age, Davidson said.
   The wanted posters are unique and although they are bound in two large volumes, students can request a closer look.
   One poster refers to the “Fort Worth Five” and to Kid Curry, who were well-known outlaws in their time.
   According to Davidson, the posters are interesting to look at, but also exciting when a visitor discovers a famous outlaw.
   “We are the only campus that has a room like this,” he said. “It is quite a unique collection.”
   The Heritage Room opened in 1975 and holds many artifacts of Tarrant County history.
   It opened as one of the many events in the country that celebrated the U.S. bi-centennial and was the work of Duane Gage, a former history professor on NE Campus.
   The collection includes many rare photos and items donated to TCC by prominent families in the area.
   A large roll-top desk that once sat in the Westbrook Hotel in downtown Fort Worth is included in the collection.
   The hotel no longer exists, but the desk is in top condition, Davidson said.
   “You cannot find these things in other libraries in Tarrant County,” he said.
   The Heritage Room is currently used as a classroom to teach students about library services.
   According to Davidson, the world comes to TCC because of the Heritage Room collection.
   Authors writing about Fort Worth history often use the room for research, and museums have used the photo collection.
   “Someone from the Department of Interior in Washington, D.C., saw us on the TCC Web site and contacted me about something he saw,” Davidson said.
   The Heritage Room also includes a framed original Texas land grant document that is signed by Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas.
   One wall displays a mural, painted by local artists, depicting scenes from around Tarrant County.
   “I wish more history professors would make use of the collection,” Davidson said.
   “We are one of the few community colleges with a local history collection,” he said.
   The Heritage Room is located on the lower level of the library. Students can view the posters during regular library hours.