Oak Creek Historical Society and Museum [WI]

Description

The Oak Creek Historical Society operates a museum complex. The complex includes the 1840s Hughes Log Cabin, which depicts Wisconsin pioneer life; an 1890 summer kitchen, displaying the history of textile cleaning techniques; the 1874 Oak Creek Town Hall; an 1886 blacksmith shop; a farm shed with farming implements from the 1830s through 1950s; and a print shop.

The society offers period rooms, exhibits, and guided tours.

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.

Tualatin Historical Society and Heritage Center [OR]

Description

The Tualatin Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Tualatin, Oregon, settled circa 1850. To this end, the society operates the Tualtin Heritage Center, located within a 1926 Craftsmen-style church. Collection highlights include mastodon tusks and molars, Native American artifacts, an 1879 ox yoke, and Missoula flood objects. The center grounds include heritage gardens. The land was originally inhabited by the Atfalati tribe of the Kalapuya people.

The society offers exhibits, heritage gardens, and a family archive for genealogical research.

Island County Historic Society and Museum [WA]

Description

The Island County Historic Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Island County, Washington from the Ice Age through the mid-20th century. Topics given particular emphasis include maritime history, Pacific Northwest Native American cultures, military history, and the settlers of 1853. Collections and archives number more than 19,000 items. The society operates a museum of local history, located on the former site of the 1870 Mother Fay’s Hotel.

The society offers exhibits, one-hour to 90-minute guided tours for students, library access, and research assistance. Research assistance requires payment of a fee. Two weeks advance notice is required for all visits by more than five individuals. Some student tours include pre-visit curriculum materials.

Hood River County Historical Museum [OR]

Description

Hood River County Historical Museum presents the socio-cultural history of Hood River County, Oregon. Topics addressed within permanent exhibits include the daily lives of pioneer, Native American, and area ethnic groups, as well as Japanese Internment after Pearl Harbor.

The museum offers exhibits, guided tours, self-guided tours, activity tours, research assistance, a traveling trunk on the local fruit industry, and several school tour options. All guided tours are customized to group needs. Payment is required for research assistance.

Pioneer Woman Museum [OK]

Description

The Museum preserves the legacy of women from all races, creeds, and nationalities who have contributed to the development of Oklahoma. Its education center features craft demonstrations, special exhibits, an interactive timeline, and the Pioneer Woman Walk of Fame.

The museum offers exhibits, demonstrations, workshops, and educational and recreational events.

Sutter's Fort State Historic Park [CA]

Description

In 1839 a Swiss immigrant named John Sutter received a land grant in the Sacramento Valley from the Mexican government. He used the land to create a flourishing agricultural empire and named it New Helvetia (New Switzerland.) This empire established Sacramento's earliest settlement and the first non-Indian settlement in California's Central Valley. In 1847, Sutter sent aid to the Donner Party, a group of immigrants trapped in a winter storm in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Word spread and Sutter became known for his hospitality and for providing temporary refuge to travelers. This reputation made New Helvetia the destination for early immigrants to California. Less than a decade after they were established, Sutter's properties were overrun by gold seekers and the fort is all that remains of New Helvetia. It has been restored to its former state based on an 1847 map published in Darmstadt, Germany and is open daily for tours.

The park offers exhibits; tours; and recreational and educational events, including living history events.

Daniel Boone Homestead [PA]

Description

The Daniel Boone Homestead is a state historic site which preserves a number of historic structures. Daniel Boone's parents first settled the site in 1730 and the region was populated by many diverse people—English, Welsh, Scots-Irish, Germans, Swedes, Huguenots, and Lenape Indians. Daniel was born here in 1734 and spent his first 16 years here before his family migrated to North Carolina. Today the site tells the story of Daniel's youth and the saga of the region's 18th-century settlers by contrasting their lives and cultures. This region left a lasting impact on Daniel Boone's life, and on the history of Pennsylvania.

The site offers a short film, exhibits, tours, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational programs (including living history events).

Sauk County Historical Society [WI]

Description

The Sauk County Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Sauk County, Wisconsin. To this end, the society operates a museum, located within the 1903 Tudor Revival-style Jacob Van Orden Mansion. This structure contains a variety of exhibits dedicated to topics of local historical interest. Topics include Devil's Lake, Native Americans, pioneers, military, and architecture.

The society offers museum tours and archival access. Reservations are required for group tours, and the archives require payment for non-member use.

Wisconsin Historical Society

Description

The Wisconsin Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of the state of Wisconsin. To this end, the society operates the Wisconsin Historical Museum. Permanent exhibits include frontier and immigration history, as well as Native American life. The Native American exhibit includes an Aztalan-style house, which visitors are welcome to enter. Collections consist of more than 110,000 objects and 400,000 artifacts.

The museum offers exhibits, films, interactive audio-visual presentations, full-scale dioramas, workshops, storytelling, lectures, demonstrations, an activity-based self-guided tour, guided tours, hands-on activities, and educational programs in compliance with state educational standards. Reservations are required for school groups and for use of the lunchroom. The society also offers archaeology traveling trunks and outreach presentations for second through fourth grade students. The website offers an extensive state historical database, lesson plans, information on National History Day programming, virtual exhibits, an educational framework on historical thinking, educational games, a fourth-grade textbook, and exhibit-related teachers' guides.