Dusty Williams

Dusty Williams

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Dusty Williams is a 9^th Generation resident of Grayson County, Texas, Author, Speaker, Teacher, Local Historian, and has ancestors who were living in Texas prior to its admission to the United States as the 28^th State. At the age of 14 he began doing genealogy with his grandparents, Larry and Kim William, trapsing through cemeteries and visiting local libraries, and museums to research as this was before genealogy and historical records were available online. With such deep roots in Grayson County, family history, became county history, and he soon became a North Texas historian. When he was 18, he founded a group called Lost and Found Cemetery Preservation which located and restored lost and abandoned cemeteries in the Texoma area. They often worked with the Boy Scouts to not only have these forgotten cemeteries documented, but preserved, and restored as well.

He soon started writing historical articles for local papers, which led to his publication of county historical books. One of his books documents the colorful history of The Grayson County Poor Farm which his family ran and managed from the Depression Era until its closure in the 1960’s. Williams, in his informative, well rounded writing style, documents many topics regarding local history in his books and publications. The writings are not only filled with unique events, but they are backed by documentation and primary sources which leaves little room for doubt regarding their content. He is known for bringing attention to the lesser-known histories that have somehow slipped through the cracks with the passing of time. His latest writings for the community are called, Sunday Morning Drives, in which he drives through local areas and tells, through his writings, what was once at these locations, or what significant events took place here. He uses old plats, maps, interviews, and historical articles, and documents to support the information.

He received two master’s degrees from Texas A&M at Commerce, one in Secondary Education, and one in Curriculum and Instruction. He currently teaches 7^th Grade Texas History at Howe Middle School and is the Student Council Sponsor for the middle school. He infuses his knowledge of local history into his lessons which creates meaningful connections between his students and the content. He is an advocate of research and project-based learning, vs traditional testing, and has his students conduct research and create a project for each unit of Texas History. Should students need an opportunity to earn extra points, he allows them to either attend a local historical presentation and write a report to present to the class, or attend a local government meeting, identify an issue the group discussed and what they are doing to address the said issue, and then report back to the class. Through this, he encourages students to take an active role within their community and share their experiences with their classmates.

Just outside of his classroom is a fence post from a local farm dating back to the 1800’s. This post sits near the pathway students take each day to his class. It was taken from the farm of Collin McKinney, the oldest person to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence, and a historical figure that is local to the community. The interpretive note attached to the post explains how materials were used to make the post, and how the wooden pegs were treated for use. This post is a great example of how his research supports his classroom instruction, and is an example of his desire to link local history, as well as State history, to students so that they are able to better grasp its significance, and its relatability to them.

In addition to serving Howe Middle School as a teacher and student council sponsor, a published Texas history author, and a 9th Generation Grayson County Texas resident, he has also taught adult ESL courses to immigrant citizens at the local community college, as well as a lecture series to the community at Grayson County College regarding local history. He gives speeches and historical presentations to various groups across North Texas including local historical societies, DAR/SAR chapters, and other organizations with an interest in local and state history.

In 2022 he was elected as a City Council Member for the city of Van Alstyne under the campaign slogan of: “Preserving Our Past, Planning Our Future.” He was reelected in 2024 and continues to serve as a councilmember. Rooted in history, Williams strives to ensure that it remains central when it comes to growth, change, and the ever present “marching” into the future. He stated that he is glad to be a part of the future of Van Alstyne and to mold it so that it “builds on our past, versus replaces our past.” When asked what legacy he would like to leave behind in Van Alstyne, he stated, “It is not about the legacy I leave, our legacy is already here. It is a matter of making sure the legacy stays. Those who founded this town, and who were here in this community, they started the legacy, and it is our job to keep it going.” He said in one word, Van Alstyne’s legacy so far, is “Community.”

Mr. Williams serves as the Chairman for the Grayson County Historical Commission, President for the Van Alstyne Historical Society, Vice-President for the Van Alstyne Public Library, Board Member for the Van Alstyne Cemetery, Secretary for the Cannon Cemetery Association, and President for the Architectural Review Panel in Van Alstyne which helps to regulate the standards of the historic downtown buildings and keep them looking historical and preserving their originality when it comes to appearance. In the past couple of years, Williams has taken on the task of repairing, restoring, and resetting old tombstones in local cemeteries that have been damaged, fallen over, or buried due to erosion. In his “spare time” he has remodeled his historic home in Van Alstyne, doing all the work himself.