Historical Society seeks new members

VW County Historical Society information

The Van Wert County Museum invites everyone to consider membership.  Forty-five percent of the museum’s yearly operational costs are generated by donations and memberships.  For as little as $20 a person can help support the educational and entertainment opportunities presented free of charge to the community.  For details, call 419.771.9851 or stop by any Sunday March-November.  All memberships are tax deductible.

The Van Wert County Historical Society will be opening its doors for the 2014 season on Sunday, March 9. The museum grounds will be open each Sunday from 2-4:30 p.m. through the month of November.

This season, students from Vantage Career Center and Van Wert High School will be working with society members.  These groups will be busy this spring, interviewing local community members and researching items in the museum to help create Smart Phone interactive tours.  Be on the lookout for specially marked barcodes situated in each of the buildings this summer.

The 2014 program offers events and activities for all ages and interests.   Visitors can spend the afternoon of March 30 with Judy Fisher, who will present “Vietnam Today.”  On May 18 Larry Schaufelberger will help residents with genealogy research with a program called  “Find a Grave”.

Summers are always a busy time at the Museum complex, and this year is no exception.  July 4 will see the Holiday at Home festivities as well as the Annual Bike Tour.  During the second weekend in July, climb aboard for the Railroad Heritage Weekend at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds.  To end the summer, there is the John Amundson Crossroads of America Antique Tractor Ride on Aug. 2. Antique tractor owners are invited to enter.

Fall activities include a Membership Appreciation Cook-Out and Spelling Bee on Sept. 7.  On Sept. 14 there will be a presentation on “The History of Cooper Farms.”.   On Sept. 27 the public is invited to support the museum by purchasing a Chicken Barbecue meal and shopping at the fall craft show.

The holidays are a festive time at the museum.  The Lighting of the Museum will take place on Nov. 27.  The festive decorations make the perfect backdrop for special holiday pictures.

The historical society always welcomes groups. Contact Dean Williamson at 419.238.7737 to set up a personalized tour for a group. The annex is also a great place for small groups to hold meetings. Additional information is available at the historical society’s website, www.vanwert.com/museum.