This tour would be remissed to neglect mentioning the honorable name of Paul David Perry, whose memorial photo and proclamation you can see in this display case. Perry served as an Ellis County commissioner from 2013 until his death in February 2024. He was beloved by his whole community and stood as a bulwark of fiscal responsibility on the court. As an avid historian and lover of Texas heritage, Perry played a major role in opening up the Ellis County Historic Courthouse to make the tour you are on possible. After Perry’s passing, county commissioners signed the memorial proclamation you see here, with one commissioner’s signature symbolically absent.