Historical Society launching new campaign

VW independent staff/submitted information

The Van Wert County Historical Society has announced the launch of a landmark capital campaign and expansion project at its historic campus located at the corner of Washington St. and Third St. in Van Wert.

The initiative will establish a new state-of-the-art facility that will serve as the permanent home for David Humphreys Miller’s nationally recognized “Faces of Little Big Horn” collection and house a comprehensive genealogy

research center dedicated to preserving Van Wert County’s rich historical and family records. The expansion will also include a flexible community meeting space designed to host educational programs, rotating exhibits, and public events, further connecting the past with the present.

“This is more than just a building,” said Van Wert County Historical Society President Theresa Mengerink. “It’s a cultural legacy, one that honors our county’s deep historical roots and preserves the stories that have shaped both Van Wert and the American West.”

To celebrate the endeavor, the Historical Society will host a kickoff gala at 6 p.m. Friday, July 25, at the Brumback Library. Guests will be able to enjoy an exclusive first look at the new building plans and learn more about the $1.5 million fundraising campaign. The evening will also feature select works from the Faces of Little Big Horn Collection, created by Van Wert native David Humphreys Miller, who spent the 1930s and 1940s traveling across the Great Plains to interview and paint 72 survivors of the Battle of Little Big Horn.