Preserving the Past, Securing the Future: Mitchell County Historical Society's Lasting Impact

Mitchell County Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of our region. From local artifacts to stories of the past, they ensure the history of our community is passed down to future generations. By establishing a fund with Solomon Valley Community Foundation, they have created an opportunity for donors to contribute to an endowment that will allow these treasures to be enjoyed for years to come. We are thrilled for the opportunity to spotlight them not only as a featured Mitchell County nonprofit but also as an SVCF Organization Fund.

Information provided by Kyle Peterson, MCHS Museum Director

WHAT DOES MCHS DO, AND HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?

The Mitchell County Historical Society and Museum maintains and develops unique cultural and natural history collections related to the region and the greater Kansas area. Through responsible collection, preservation, exhibition, and education, the Mitchell County Museum inspires the public to have a deeper understanding of their culture and natural history. The Society was organized in 1879 in conjunction with a literacy society.

In 1961 as communities were coming together to celebrate the 100th birthday of the State of Kansas, volunteers started refurbishing the Mitchell County nurses home built in 1929 and organizing artifacts for display. The society was incorporated and opened its doors for tours in 1972. Kyle Peterson, MCHS Director states, "When I started with the museum twenty years ago, I wanted to develop a business plan that made the public take ownership of our unique history. The Public wanted more attention to the history of farming and a better newsletter. Our quarterly newsletter is a great source of historical reading and provides updates on current events that affect the historic concerns of Mitchell County."

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RECENT MOVE AND THE NEW LOCATION.

A Farmer's Memorial complex with a 9,000 sq. ft building was added to the society in 2011. Over the last 50 years, the old museum became structurally unsafe and collections outgrew the space to properly exhibit them. The old American Legion building was purchased in 2012 and a capital campaign was started to renovate the structure into an educational center and museum. The society's membership and donations from local communities made it possible to raise the funds necessary for the project to begin.

We started with a total gutting of the building and raising funds for each room while adding a large gallery, fine arts room, library, hospitality room with kitchenette, bathrooms, and offices. This took several years to complete. In 2017, we received a $50,000 Mears Endowment and a $30,000 grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation to help in the renovations. SVCF has helped with grants to address flooring, lighting, and storage issues. In 2021, the museum started its push to start packing artifacts and moving from the old location to the new. It was no small task working through 9,000 sq ft of collections. We moved our offices first and are still in the artifact transfer process. Every item has to be photographed and cataloged prior to being transferred and placed in storage. We are 70% complete with this.

During the last year, we added a large entry addition that will have permanent displays and will tell the history of our county while the rest of the museum will have temporary exhibits that highlight special parts of the museum's collections. The unique story we have to tell is very special. We have distinguished veterans, Olympians, an Indy 500 race car driver, the first female judge in the world, the first female state superintendent of schools, inventors, famous cartoonists, actresses, and many more people who came from Mitchell County, who later went on to become famous or who have artifacts about their accomplishments in our collections.

HOW DO YOU ENGAGE THE LOCAL COMMUNITY?

We believe in engaging first with our local schools. Whether in-house tours or in-school programs, these are important programs throughout the area that draw people into special topics such as Agri-tourism, Native American culture, homesteading culture, economics, or historical social lifestyles. We host an annual Talking Tombstone event every Memorial Day weekend that portrays historical characters from Mitchell County and are acted out in costumes by locals. This has become a local and school alumni favorite.

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH & THE INQUIRIES YOU RECEIVE.

Research and genealogy make up the majority of day-to-day operations. We have developed an outline that utilizes our archives including tax rolls, personal property records, school records, census, atlases, obituaries, court records, church records, military records, newspapers, and photography collections just to name a few. Research requests come from all over the world. Just in the last 6 months, we were contacted by an individual from China researching our Sing Lee who ran the Steam Laundry and Chinese restaurant in Beloit from 1885-1897. Yale University reached out to us connecting ties to John Yale who lived and died in Beloit and was the grandson of the founder of Yale. And, my favorite for the year was getting to talk to famous movie actress, Lily Tomlin, about her relation Nellie Burnley Wagner.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR SUCCESS OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS?

The success of MCHS over the last twenty years can be attributed to working with a great board of directors, county commissioners, and membership. Their dedication to this new directive maneuvered an operating budget and asset sheet to increase by 400% in that span. That's a lot of faith and trust from private donors who chose to put funds into something they believe in. The only way to grow is through trust and communication. Our accounting firm Woods and Durham performs our monthly audits to keep everything transparent which is a huge part of fiscal responsibility.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START A FUND WITH SVCF?

The decision to start a fund with SVCF was very easy. The interaction of past grant processes with the foundation gave us an initial rapport that showed us the power of what a collaborative entity can achieve for a community. We saw how power in numbers, in voice, in finances, and in collective thought can change a community for the better. It was very important for MCHS to be part of that. SVCF has been a great facilitator with other nonprofits in the area to learn how to communicate and learn from and with each other. Developing a network of fundraising will perpetuate the longevity of the Mitchell County Historical Society.