Over 50 years of preserving history

    Fifty years isn’t a very long time in the world of museums. Even at the Phillips County Museum there are countless artifacts that are well past the 100-year mark and some that even surpass 1,000 years.
    Fifty years is, however, a remarkable milestone for the Phillips County Historical Society. For over five decades now, volunteers have committed themselves to preserving the county’s history, and on Sunday, April 8, they invite the community to the museum to celebrate that achievement from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
    The 50th anniversary party will begin with a baked potato bar fundraiser. A slideshow that features photos from Phillips County’s history will be played. Many of the photos come from slides that have been stored at the museum for several years and have never been displayed at any of the historical society’s events.
    Still wondering what thousand-year-old things could possibly be housed at the museum? Those and a number of other pieces unique to Phillips County Museum will be highlighted in a special exhibit at the April 8 event. Many are items that aren’t usually on display, so be sure to see them while they’re out.
    Handouts will be available for a special self-guided tour of the museum, and guests will have the chance to enter a drawing for prizes, including a 1967 special mint set from the year the historical society was established.
    
Historical society’s firs tmeeting held May 16, 1967
    In its 50 years, the Phillips County Historical Society has seen plenty of progress — most visibly, in the museum building itself. The Phillips County Historical Society was organized May 16, 1967, with a meeting of 24 people at the Paoli Town Hall. Though they had no building of their own and meetings alternated between Holyoke and Haxtun until the museum was purchased, the society’s constitution and bylaws were written and board members elected at the first meeting.
    The first board was made up of chairperson Alice Bamford (Paoli), vice chair Gladys Bjorklun (Haxtun), secretary Stella Oliver (Holyoke), treasurer Earl Scott (Haxtun), Etta Groover (Haxtun), Cary Anderson (Holyoke), Viola Colglazier (Holyoke), Lillian Schulz (Holyoke) and Maye Clark (Holyoke). Today the board is made up of president Peggy Davis, vice president Hilda Hassler, treasurer Carol Haynes, secretary Carrie Anderson, Charley Triplette, Tom Edwards and Carol Fleshman.
    As early as 1968, the historical society began a family history book project that eventually resulted in three volumes of “Those Were the Days,” printed in 1973, 1988 and 2013. In addition to family histories, Volume II is an invaluable compilation of local businesses, organizations, schools and cemeteries in Phillips County.
    According to that book, the historical society used a room in the old hospital annex (now Brandt Chiropractic at 246 S. Interocean Ave.) in late 1967. As they gathered artifacts, the group moved to the Dille building just west of the annex. (That building has since been torn down.)
    The building that is now Phillips County Museum (at 109 S. Campbell Ave.) was purchased Aug. 1, 1974, for $35,000. The title is held by Phillips County, and the historical society has a long-term lease. The museum opened Aug. 1, 1975, and was dedicated Aug. 31, 1975, with a crowd of 250.
    Since then, there have been a number of modifications to the building that houses the museum. For starters, a grant from the Bicentennial Commission provided the funds to brick over three large windows. Fewer windows meant less damaging sunlight and more wall space for displaying artifacts.
    The museum then added a 50-foot-by-70-foot expansion on the south end of the building with funds provided by the Heginbotham Trust. The addition was dedicated Jan. 17, 1978. The Heginbotham Trust again provided funds for a 50-foot-by-90-foot expansion to the east of the first addition. It was dedicated Aug. 12, 1990.
    Directly south of the museum is the old Reimer-Smith oil station, which was acquired from Holyoke Co-op in 1998 and moved from its 205 N. Baxter Ave. location. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 2000.
    South of that stands the one-room Pleasant Prairie School that was given to the museum in 1999.
    Both the oil station and the schoolhouse have been restored and furnished as near to original as possible and are just one more way for the Phillips County Historical Society to remind residents of the county’s past.