Many of the objects in our collection have unique stories. As plain as some objects look on the surface, many have a suprise historic past. These objects can be linked with world wide events, community activities, or personal achievements. The objects on exhibit reflect everyday items in which the story was important enough for someone to preserve for generations to come. We all leave something behind for future generations to ponder.

Captions with the 2 orange and blue panels:

 

Whether it is a family photo, grandmother's table, or a souvenir from a special event, these objects are important pieces of your personal history. But what happens when we lose the personal story? What happens when the table is just another example of Victorian parlor furniture? The stories make history come alive, and it is the preservation of those stories that tie each of us to our own history.

Some of the most prized possessions of families have nothing to do with where they live today. Items that are passed down may represent a time when their families lived far away. There are many people that have never been further than their town or state. For others, war took them abroad. As new centers of trade and commerce were opened up, new and curious items were collected.

 

 

 

 

When we encounter these items today, we wonder about how they came to be here. This is the story!

 

The key that unlocks the secrets of these artifacts is in the preservation of the story.

 

 

 

 

Store your collections together to save your story. A family trunk is a wonderful storage unit. Not only does it keep together your family's story, but it can share a story of its own. Store your family tree, family photos, and small heirlooms in the trunk. Organization will help keep the story together which is important for understanding your family's history.

 

 

Some stories are suspect. There have been many great events in our nation's history. When great things happen, we all want to share in that event. People today have a natural curiosity about the past and like to collect mementos of our history. Due to the fact that some mementoes are supposedly connected to great events or historical figures, people are willing to spend great amounts of money on them. But, the story that links a name or event with an object might not always be a true account, so research is critical to making an informed purchase. We cannot look past the "Made in China" stamp just because we'd like something to be what it's not.

 

In other cases, the story itself has been transformed because of the biases of those who wrote it. The story of the American West is often told from the perspective of military and settlers and not from the native people who originally called this area home. Stories are often broadcasted by the winning side when it comes to the outcome of wars. For example, after the Civil War, much of the nation's history was written by New England scholars (the winning side) who conveniently left off the story of Jamestown, a site in Confederate Virginia.

Many people believe that the Pilgrims were the first permanent settlers in the new world, but the Jamestown colony predated the pilgrims.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yet, we hear very little about this settlement. The story from the "other side" may never be told, or may be ignored because it goes against the popular belief.