MOWER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The Mower County Historical Society was founded in 1947 by a group of 52 men and women. Today it has grown to over 550 members across the United States as well as Japan and Canada! The mission of the Mower County Historical Society is to discover, collect, preserve, and disseminate knowledge of Mower County. In over 60 years of existence, the historical society has grown from just one building to more than twenty buildings and exhibits. Over 26,000 visitors have come to our site in 2011. Our sites are kept open through memberships, sponsorship campaigns, donations, and continuous fundraising. By donating to the Mower County Historical Society, you will be able to help fund programs that tell the story of Mower County but also engage visitors. A new program that began during the 2009 Mower County Fair was an archaeology dig. Elevated sand boxes were donated by a local contractor along with donated materials from a local lumber yard. Children of all ages were given the opportunity to dig in the sand for lost artifacts along with prizes. This program will give children an introduction to the work of an archaeologist who may have been looking for Native American artifacts in our area or a vanished settlement. The activity is now being used in conjunction with visits to the Herald J. Williams Native American Building. Once the children have learned about the history of Native Americans in the region and of Mr. Williams' collection, they can engage in an archaeology dig to find clues to yesteryear. It is programs like these that keep visitors coming to the Mower County Historical Society and only tell a fraction of our story.

Thanks to a Legacy grant, MCHS has started a collections inventory. Once the inventory is complete, staff will have a complete record of every object in every building at our sites. Your donation today can be used to help meet our goals!