The Weakley County Library in Dresden is celebrating the official opening of the McWherter Museum this Thursday, June 4.
Located within the library, the expanded and re-vamped museum features memorabilia that highlights the life of the late Tennessee Governor, Ned Ray McWherter. The exhibit, originally opened in November 1999 as the Ned R. McWherter Room, traces his life from a sharecropping childhood to becoming State Representative, Speaker of the House and then a two-term Governor.
Weakley County Library Director, Candy McAdams said Gov. McWherter established the library and the original exhibit in hopes they would prove to be an inspiration to young locals.
"He just wanted the kids from this area to be able to come to the library, go through the room and maybe see that you can grown up here born in circumstances like he was," McAdams said. "That if you work hard enough and put forth the effort you can be governor or in congress or even President."
The library invites the public to celebrate the expanded exhibit at the ribbon-cutting ceremony this Thursday at 2 p.m. The museum is open and can be visited during library hours Monday through Saturday.