A PEEK AT THE PAST

from The Lakes West Magazine July 2023

RED, WHITE, & BLUE TRIFLE

Marshall County Museum Takes Visitors Back In Time

Can a moment in time, a moment in history, be captured? Perhaps by an eyewitness account, by physically bearing witness to an event. Perhaps by a photograph. Maybe a written record, a documentation logged long ago for someone to read in the future. A machine, capable of traveling through time, capable of returning to the past. Where’s H.G. Wells when you need him?

Since time travel isn’t quite on the horizon yet, and if one has the desire to touch the past, then the Marshall County Museum is the place where you can look back in time through photographs, documents and various exhibits. It’s a place where one can find local history, and find the past of Marshall County. It’s also a place where one can find their own past if need be.

Even before entering, one can see why the museum has been a recipient of the Indiana Historical Society’s Outstanding Historical

Organization Award. Currently the 1980s are on display in the outside windows. History, fashion and entertainment are some of the display themes.

“Marshall County at the Movies” is the current exhibit you are greeted with as you enter the lower level of the museum. The county has many ties to the cinematic industry, from a naval aviator in “Top Gun” to a local actress that worked with Charlie Chaplin. Gene Siskel and Hal Holbrook, graduates of Culver Military Academy, both have their bonds with cinema and Marshall County. Many more connections to film are represented, from the past to the present.

“Exhibits are recycled to draw interest,” says Executive Director Sandy Garrison. “Nonpermanent exhibits are rotated every six months to a year.” Exhibits inside the museum make their way to the outside windows for passersby to get a glimpse of the past.

Also on the lower level is the Farmer’s Market, an area where the youngest patrons of the museum can play and be entertained. Adjacent to the play area is a captivating display of the animals, past and present, that have resided in the county.

Residents of Marshall County can look into their own past with the use of the genealogy library that the society has available. An extensive card catalog of family names is the place where many start. Records of marriages, deaths, military service, land titles and historical maps are just a few of the documents that are available to help someone discover their roots. “If you are looking for a document, we can help,” says Archive Manager Iris Fry. High school yearbooks, atlases and resources for individual family research, vetted by archive staff members, are available.

Upon exiting the elevator to the second floor of the museum, one is met by a horse. Although he would be a welcome discussion of a TV show from the past, Mr. Ed is not the one greeting you. What does greet you is a fine example of one of the much-needed businesses from long ago, the livery stable. Complete with historically correct artifacts, the stable transports you back to another time.

Along with the livery, the second floor houses the permanent displays that the museum has to offer. The Edwardian Parlor, complete with a wreath of hair, provides a glimpse of the way of life from the turn of the last century. The Military Room is filled with heirlooms from the various branches of service, including a Revolutionary Warera powder horn. The Communication Room is complete with one of the country’s first telephones, a switchboard, a phone booth and the mail sorter from the Burr

Oak post office.

Some of the other displays include the Toy Room, a dentist office, a 19th-century kitchen, a one-room schoolhouse and a general store, all providing a link to the past. Indiana high school sports, a huge part of local culture, are also represented. A video series is available on YouTube, as well as an interactive part of the display for younger sports fans.

Those of you wishing to channel your inner Cornelius Vanderbilt or George Pullman will be enthralled with the Train Room. Mementos from railroads past, train memorabilia and operating model railroads make this room a huge attraction to engineers both young and old. With the help of countless volunteers, the trains are kept running on time and in great shape. The trains operate on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and with the interactive display, young conductors can keep a watchful eye on their freight and passengers.

The society is pleased to announce that on July 7 and 8, they will hold the grand opening of their newest exhibit, the Historic Crossroads Center. A Heritage Support Grant, administered by the Indiana Historical Society with funding from the Lilly Endowment, will help to make this a reality. The display will feature the history of transportation and its impact in Marshall County.

Working closely with the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center, the society will present an accurate representation of the effect that modern roads had on Native people here in the county. Starting with an Indian trail that became the first state-supported road, and was eventually joined by four other highways over the course of time, Marshall County truly became the Crossroads of America.

The story will be chronologically represented by various story stations. An early settlers cabin, a wigwam, and the history of the migration of various peoples and cultures, will show the effects of growth through transportation. The boom of various industries such as pickles, baskets, bicycles and seeds, along with others that helped to shape the history of the county, will also be covered.

Along with the historical displays that the society has to offer, you can attend one of their Brown Bag events, when local experts discuss topics of interest over lunch. A number of other programs are held during the year, and the society sets up a membership booth at various local festivals, providing insight into the county and community.

The mission of the society, along with the task of creating a new exhibit, is a massive undertaking. Such an undertaking couldn’t be accomplished without the assistance of many. Thanks are extended to the county, board, members, many volunteers, and residents of Marshall County. The museum is a place for everyone to enjoy and learn. “Future generations don’t know what they don’t know,” says Communication Manager Anita Boetsma. The museum makes for an excellent place to learn and, eventually, to know.

The museum is located at 123 North Michigan Street in Plymouth. For more information, they can be reached at 574936-2306.