Kentucky Historical Society

Description

The Kentucky Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of the state of Kentucky. To this end, the society operates the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, the Martin F. Schmidt Research Library and Special Collections, the Old State Capitol, and the Kentucky Military History Museum. The center presents Kentucky history and famous figures from Kentucky, including Daniel Boone and Ashley Judd. The library houses more than 90,000 published works, as well as archival materials. The Old State Capitol was the first Greek Revival structure west of the Appalachians, and was used between 1830 and 1910. The military museum, located within the Old State Arsenal, presents state military history.

The Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History offers exhibits and research library access. The Martin F. Schmidt Research Library and Special Collections offers research library and archives access. The Old State Capitol offers period rooms. The Kentucky Military History Museum offers exhibits. Reservations are required for group tours. Curriculum-based interactive tours are available for students. The society also offers children's activities, a junior historical society, theatrical productions, monthly brown bag lectures, geneaology workshops, teacher workshops, and an annual Kentucky history conference.

The Kentucky Military History Museum is closed for renovations.

Radnor Historical Society and the Finley House [PA]

Description

The Radnor Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Radnor, Pennsylvania and the surrounding area. To this end, the society operates the 1789 Finley House. The residence houses a circa 1800 kitchen, a local history exhibit room, the society's library, archives, and a bedroom furnished in the style of circa 1840. The grounds also include a wagon house, which holds historic vehicles, and gardens. Collection highlights include a Conestoga wagon.

The society offers exhibits, period rooms, gardens, and archival access.

Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site [LA]

Description

The 371-acre Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site preserves the cotton plantation of Daniel Turnbull, one of the richest men in the nation during his lifetime. The 1835 plantation home still contains many of its original furnishings. The site also includes extensive gardens, a doctor's office, and a barn, as well as 10 other historic structures.

The site offers tours, period rooms, educational programs, gardens, and a picnic area.

Courthouse Square Association [MI]

Description

The Courthouse Square Association seeks to preserve and share the history of Eaton County, Michigan. To this end, the society operates a local history museum which is located within the 1885 Greek Revival Eaton County Courthouse. Exhibits include the judge's chambers, law library, circuit courtroom, town histories, a Victorian parlor, military artifacts, a one-room school, a 19th-century doctor's office, Native American artifacts, and a 20th-century farm kitchen. Collections include more than 13,000 artifacts.

The museum offers exhibits and period rooms. School and tour groups are asked to make reservations.

Jefferson County Historical Society Museum and Village [lL]

Description

The Museum and the Village, with its buildings and their contents, reflect life in Jefferson County from the mid-19th century to more recent years. Among the furnished buildings one finds homes of the 19th century, a one-room school, a log church and log jail, operating blacksmith and print shops, merchandise in the general store, and a variety of medical equipment from a foot-treadle dentist's drill to a Civil War amputation kit in the Medical Building. The Museum currently houses exhibits of the history of telephones and weaving and of military personnel and their lives from the Civil War to the current armed forces, as well as collections donated by Jefferson County residents.

The museum and village offer exhibits and occasional educational and recreational events.

The Wadsworth-Longfellow House

Description

This is the childhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a prominent poet in the transcendentalist movement of the early 19th century.

School tours are available for the house and for downtown Portland. Activities for younger students are also offered. Teacher resources and on-line activities are free.

Clearwater Historical Museum [ID]

Description

The Clearwater Historical Museum seeks to preserve and share the history of the Clearwater River country, Idaho. This area includes Clearwater, Nez Perce, Lewis, Shoshone, and Idaho Counties. Collections include Nez Perce, Chinese, gold mining, logging, medical, prehistoric, barbershop, and hotel artifacts, in addition to historic firearms, a stamp mill, and china.

The museum offers exhibits, group tours, school tours, and research opportunities. All tours are customizable, and require reservations. The website offers historical photographs.

Howard County Historical Society and Museums [NE]

Description

The Howard County Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Howard County, Nebraska. To this end, the society operates the Saint Paul Transportation Museum and Village Depot, the Veterans Museum, the Historical Village, and the Gruber House. The transportation museum is located within a 1908 railway depot. The village consists of a historic schoolhouse, containing local history exhibits; a historic store, containing frontier life exhibits; a forge, complete with blacksmithing demonstrations and exhibits; and the depot, which contains the transportation museum. The 1908 Gruber House contains the Veterans Museum, as well as exhibits about Native American life, Howard County religion, Victorian era life, and Jean Catharine Potts. Potts (1910-1999) was a nationally recognized mystery author. Her works include Go, Lively Rose and The Evil Wish.

The society offers period rooms, exhibits, and blacksmithing demonstrations.