Beloit Historical Society, Hanchett-Bartlett Homestead, and Lincoln Center [WI]

Description

The Society operates two sites, the Hanchett-Bartlett Homestead and Lincoln Center. Lincoln Center is the home of the Robert and Elizabeth Solem Museum. Located on the site of the former Lincoln Junior High School, the Center's museum offers visitors exhibit areas which focus on a variety of local historical themes. The exhibit areas include the Beloit Gallery, Arthur Missner Veterans Gallery and Memorial, the Ted Perring Sports Hall of Fame, and the Beloit Hall of Fame. The Center also houses the Beloit Historical Society's offices, archives, community room, collection storage rooms, and the Luebke Family Memorial Library. The 1857 Hanchett-Bartlett Homestead houses period artifacts.

The sites offer exhibits, research library access, tours, and occasional educational and recreational events.

Randolph County Historical Society and Museum

Description

Visitors can experience the tangible artifacts of Randolph County's history at the Society's Museum. Housed in the 1828 Blackman-Bosworth Store building in the center of Beverly, the museum has a broad-based collection including early settlement tools, Civil War artifacts, belongings of early citizens, store and business collections, and much more. Behind the museum, open by appointment or during special events, is an original subscription school rescued from a rural Randolph County location. This small schoolhouse originally housed a school "subscribed" by parents who would band together to hire a teacher before universal public education in the area. Today it features an extensive collection of one-room school artifacts and memorabilia. Under construction behind the museum is the relocated Stalnaker Cabin, an early settlement log cabin. Saved and moved by the Stalnaker Family Association, the cabin is being restored by the Society and will be a future addition to the museum holdings. The museum also features rotating special exhibits in the meeting room, as well as hosting the regular informative programs of the Society.

The museum offers exhibits.

Conejo Valley Historical Society and the Stagecoach Inn Museum

Description

The 1876 Grand Union Hotel, also called El Hotel Grande, and eventually the Stagecoach Inn, has had a variety of uses during its existence. It has served as post office, tearoom, boys' military school, restaurant, and exclusive gift shop. A cowboy movie starring Hoot Gibson and Sally Eilers was filmed here in the 1930s. Around the Stagecoach Inn are the Tri-Village buildings, made up of replicas of a pioneer home, a Spanish-Mexican adobe, and a Chumash Ap (tule dwelling), representing the three historic eras in the Conejo Valley.

The museum offers tours, exhibits, and educational programs.

Louisa County Historical Society and Museum [VA]

Description

Since 1966, the Society has preserved historical records, collected writings and artifacts of life in Louisa County, and presented these collections to the public through exhibits, magazines and lectures. It operates The Sargeant Museum of Louisa County History at 214 Fredericksburg Avenue in Louisa, which has permanent exhibits featuring Native Peoples, Revolutionary War, Civil War, Transportation, Education and Government. Temporary exhibits delve more deeply into particular periods and themes of interest. In addition, the museum staff sponsor monthly programs for the public and offer genealogical assistance. Visit the Society’s website for hours, upcoming events, and online resources.

Programs are available for 4th and 5th grade history classes in The Westward Movement, Reconstruction, and Civil Rights. Others upon request. An online archive at provides primary source materials for teachers and students across all levels of study. Contact the museum director for more information.

Iowa County Historical Society and Pioneer Heritage Museum

Description

Visitors to the Society's Museum can see an 1861 log house, 1856 cabin, and 1930s filling station. Also on the half-block museum site is the 1861 Chicago Rock Island Depot which originally was in Victor, IA, and a 1900 period farmhouse. Each structure has period furnishings and other historical items. The filling station display includes an antique race car and 1938 fire truck. The new addition houses clothing and military displays, original furnishing from the Gritter School, and items that would be found in a country store. The museum's collection of uniforms and military gear spans from the Spanish American War through the Civil War, World War I, World War II (including both men's and women's uniforms), Vietnam, and Desert Storm.

The museum offers exhibits and research library access.

Potsdam Public Museum [NY]

Description

The Museum was built in 1876 as the First Universalist Church, and served as the Potsdam Public Library, with the Museum in the lower level, from 1940 until 1976. Today, it is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and interpretation of local history and the decorative arts. The Museum exhibits artifacts related to the Knowles Family of Potsdam and the history of Potsdam, as well as ceramic, pottery, and porcelain pieces drawn from the Burnap Collection.

The museum offers exhibits, research library access, and educational and recreational events.

Mystic River Historical Society

Description

The Mystic River Historical Society, founded in 1973, owns an ever-growing collection of Mystic-related historical books, maps, photographs, and other documents and artifacts contributed by the community. It houses these collections in the William A. Downes Archives Building, erected by the Society specifically to provide a safe environment for them. It maintains part-time archival and curatorial staff available to assist researchers and to continue the organization and cataloging of the collections. In addition to the Downes Building, the Society owns the 1839 Portersville Academy, purchased from the Town of Groton in 1975 and partially restored. This historical building serves as the Society's education and outreach space. A schoolroom of the 1840s has been recreated upstairs, and historical displays form a backdrop for educational activities downstairs.

The society offers exhibits, lectures, tours, research library access, and educational programs.