Local history preservation is fun work for Phillips County Museum volunteers

Phillips County Museum in Holyoke, Colorado, is a treasure trove of historic items, documents and photographs that tell the story of the area and help link residents with their past.

The museum hosts school field trips that allow students to explore their local history, reunions that reconnect classmates or family members from across the country with their shared past, and events that bring community members together.

At the center of all of these events are Hilda Hassler and Carol Haynes, volunteers at the museum who are ready to help visitors find what treasures the museum holds for them.

Hassler and Haynes are also members of the board of the Phillips County Historical Society, where Hassler serves as vice president and Haynes as treasurer. They said there is room on the board for new members who want to help preserve the area’s history.

Haynes has been a member of the historical society since the mid-1980s, and Hassler since 1996. Haynes said she started attending some of the interesting programs that were coordinated by the board at the museum, and she asked if she could start helping out.

Hassler became a member when Charley Triplette, who is also currently on the board, asked her to join.

“He knew I was interested in history and he just kept bugging me,” Hassler laughed.

The Phillips County Historical Society was organized May 16, 1967. Its purpose is to collect and preserve historical documents and artifacts.

They both enjoy the many programs that have been held at the museum over the years,  and a few specifically have stuck in their memories.

Haynes recalled that people used to take their collections to the museum and display them for a month or so. She remembers Dariel Clark, a past superintendent of Holyoke schools, who was an enthusiastic bottle digger and shared his bottle collection in a July 1974 presentation.

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