A new year, a lot of fun in store!
2018 is shaping up to be a busy year at the Historium! We have a new quilt exhibit in place right now, through March 15, featuring the works of sisters Martha Martin and Donna Lemons of Dora. Their contrasting styles of quilting (Martha does hand work, while Donna prefers machine!) makes for a unique exhibit.
Valentine's Day was celebrated with a basket-making workshop led by Michelle Werther of Protem and Sis Green of Theodosia. Eight participants each made a beautiful basket, start to finish, in one day! A second workshop is planned for March 14, and a third will be held if there is enough interest.
Ozark County Historium
SWEET NEWS! We have added another program to our Historium schedule -- on Feb. 23 at 10:00 a.m., we will welcome John and Diane Moore to our facility, to talk about BEEKEEPING! These two are experienced, knowledgeable and enthusiastic beekeepers and are going to talk about why bees are so important and how to get started. SPRING is the right time, if you've ever thought about it, and NOW is your chance to learn a little more from a true expert. John is the official beekeeper for Missouri State University and keeps hives on his property in Ozark County, Greene County and at the Missouri State University Fruit Experiment Station in Mtn. Grove.A keeper of honey bees in retirement, John Moore is a career educator who served 22 years as president of Drury University in Springfield. Moore is a native of the Ozarks (Monett) and holds two degrees from Yale and after active duty as an army officer, earned a doctorate from Harvard. He took up beekeeping after retiring in 2010 and is an active member of the Beekeepers A
Happy New Year! 2023 is well under way, and so are we volunteers at the Historium under way with planning some new events. First up will be: On Thursday, February 9, at 10:00 a.m., we are hosting JEFF PATRICK, the museum curator at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, for a program about researching one's ancestors who served in the military. There will be a special emphasis on Civil War service, since the Battlefield was the scene of an important battle curing the war between the states. Jeff is very knowledgeable about the resources available and will share tips on what information is available and how to access it. Please plan now to join us for this helpful and informative event. Even if you are not interested in researching your own ancestors, you'll learn about the Civil War in the Ozarks!
Greetings from the Ozark County Historium!On Thursday, November 17, 2022, we will welcome Kaitlyn McConnell to the Ozark County Historium! Kaitlyn, who is from Marshfield but now lives in Springfield, is a popular blogger, speaker and supporter of preservation of Ozarks culture and history. To help others enjoy the Ozarks as much as she does, Kaitlyn wrote a book in 2019 called Passport to the Ozarks -- and now she has written Volume 2, which she will be sharing with us! Please make plans now to join us for this free event at the Historium at 10:00 on November 17, to meet and enjoy getting to know Kaitlyn McConnell. Our facility is located on the west side of the square in downtown Gainesville and is easily accessible. We'll have the coffee ready for you!
Our program featuring Dr. Brooks Blevins was such a success in January that we have invited him back in April for another presentation. At the OpryThis time the subject will be "Ozarks Roots of the Grand Ole Opry."Dr. Blevins will share some interesting and perhaps surprising information about the inception of the iconic country music venue. Hint: It was close to home!Bill Monroe in an early performanceJoin us on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., for an enjoyable time, learning from one of the preeminent scholars of Ozarks history who also happens to be one of the nicest men you've ever met -- we promise you won't be disappointed. The coffee will be ready for you, too!
As we enter a new year, we are doing so with high hopes for an active, successful year of events and activities at the Ozark County Historium! After two years of cancelling, postponing and waiting, we're ready to invite our friends and neighbors to join us, as we plan programs that will educate, inspire and entertain. We make these plans with fingers crossed, hoping that most everyone is vaccinated and that we can open our doors to groups in safety.First up is a visit on Thursday, January 27, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., from Dr. Brooks Blevins. As head of the Ozarks Studies department at Missouri State University in Springfield, Dr. Blevins is knowledgeable about all aspects of the area known as the Ozarks. He also is a personable and engaging speaker, an Ozarker himself and proud to be so. Dr. Blevins will give a talk about "How to talk Ozarks in Seven Simple Steps." He will also introduce his newest book, Volume 3 of a comprehensive History of the Ozarks. Anyone interested in local history will enjoy hearing Dr. Blevins, so please make plans to join us that morning. You'll be glad you did!Stay tuned for updates on other plans -- many are in the works, and we'll post as we have details. Thank you for your continuing support of the Historium and the Ozark County Genealogical and Historical Society.
We are so pleased to invite everyone to visit our new exhibit, The Struggle for Statehood! This wonderful display is a museum-quality exhibit and is on loan to us from the Missouri Humanities Council. In the photo, MHC employee Claire Bruntrager is shown after she came from St. Louis to help get the exhibit set up. We will be hosting this exhibit for five more weeks, so you have plenty of time to plan your visit. You'll be impressed, and you'll learn a lot about the history of Missouri, the impact it had on the Union and the controversy it inspired. Call our facility at 417-679-2400 for more information. Hope to see you there!