Museum Crawl Passports are on sale on the Champaign County Historical Society (CCHS) website here, and at the CCHS Museum, 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana. Cost is $10 for adults and youth, age 13 and up (free up to age 12). Once purchased, passports may be picked up on the day of the event, Oct. 18, beginning at 9 a.m. at CCHS, or beginning at 10 a.m., at the Pony Wagon Museum and the 1858 Meeting House.

When you visit and collect passport stickers at five or more of the eight participating sites, you’ll be able to claim a commemorative Museum Crawl tote bag or drink bottle – a bonus to all the history you’ll discover.

The Museum Crawl will include:
• Champaign County Historical Society Museum, 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana: The Historical Society, founded in 1934, collects, preserves, and interprets relevant artifacts, documents, and other resources to educate current and future generations about Champaign County’s history. Explore collections in the museum and in digital archives on the CCHS website.

• Johnny Appleseed Educational Center and Museum, 518 College Way, Urbana: Dedicated to uplifting the American folkloric figure of Johnny Appleseed and the true man behind the myth, John Chapman. Family-friendly and accessible. Includes a short outdoor walking path through the orchard and garden.

• 1858 Meeting House, 43 E. Sandusky St., Mechanicsburg: Formerly the Second Baptist Church, is the oldest standing public building in Mechanicsburg. The brick structure was built in 1858 by the Methodist Episcopal Church of Mechanicsburg, replacing the former building built in 1820. The building was acquired by the Champaign County Preservation Alliance in the 1990s to preserve and protect its future. An Underground Railroad exhibit, provided by the Mechanicsburg Public Library, will be on display in the Meeting House during the Museum Crawl.

• Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, 980 Woodburn Rd., Urbana: The first nature preserve in Ohio to be purchased with state funds, Cedar Bog is the most diverse site in the state for plant life. From local nature enthusiasts, lifelong learners, to passionate naturalists and experts in various fields, Cedar Bog Nature Preserve has something for everyone with our fully accessible education center and boardwalk.

• Champaign Aviation Museum, 1652 N. Main St., Urbana: Features restored World War II aircraft and artifacts, as well as educational information on the home front, 1940s manufacturing, and World War II veterans’ flight training and combat experiences. Also offers an opportunity to talk with and observe volunteers who are restoring the B-17 Champaign Lady to air worthiness at the museum.

• Grimes Flying Lab Museum, 1636 N. Main St., Urbana: Showcases the history of Warren Grimes and Grimes Manufacturing Company. Houses the Grimes Flying Lab Beech 18 aircraft.

• Pony Wagon Museum, 510 Washington St., St. Paris: Located in the original Pennsylvania freight house, the museum displays artifacts connected to the St. Paris area, including world-renowned Walborn & Riker Pony Wagons. Offers a scavenger hunt for younger visitors.

• Champaign County Arts Council, 119 Miami St., Urbana: Featuring Visions in Landscapes, a joint exhibit by local watercolor artist Rhonda Sloan and photographer Pete Dysinger

For more information, contact the CCHS Museum, 937-653-6721 or [email protected].

She’ll spill the tea on true tales of murder, adultery, robbery and other eyebrow-raising transgressions, while you savor hors d'oeuvres, served with nonalcoholic beverages.

Proceeds support the Historical Society’s mission to collect, preserve and interpret relevant artifacts, documents and other resources from Champaign County to educate current and future generations about our history.

Mechanicsburg citizens revolted against the marshals. White was ultimately freed when Mechanicsburg residents agreed to purchase his freedom.

About the Champaign County Historical Society
The museum collects, preserves, and interprets artifacts, documents, and other resources from Champaign County to educate current and future generations about our history.

The museum has been located at 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, since 1972. It recently reopened after being closed for a capital improvement project. Originally established in 1934, the CCHS Museum first housed its collection at the former location of the Champaign County Library on West Market Street, and then moved to the Nutwood Barn, south of Grimes Field on North Main Street.

The Historical Society is open to the public 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Reopening of the Champaign County Historical Society (CCHS) Museum has been delayed due to a vendor’s holdup in manufacturing and shipping new display cases for the museum’s collection.

The museum, which closed to the public on December 20 to accommodate improvements to the facility, will not reopen as planned on March 4. The museum will now have a soft opening on Sunday, April 6, in conjunction with a 2 p.m. program, free and open to the public.

Regular museum hours will resume on Tuesday, April 8: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

At the April 6 program, Kalen Howell Sr. will speak about the legacy of his grandmother Barbara Howell, who was appointed in 1967 as the first director of the Head Start program in Champaign, Logan and Shelby counties.

Her memory lives on through Barbara Howell Park, 213 E. Market St., named in her honor in 1998. The Barbara Howell Park Conservancy, of which Kalen Howell Sr. is executive director, has been formed to revitalize the park and Urbana’s historic Black neighborhood, empower youth, support the vulnerable, and promote unity across diverse communities.

When the museum reopens, work on improvements will continue, CCHS Executive Director Cheryl Ogden said. Painting and recarpeting are complete and some, but not all, of the museum’s new display cases will be set up. The new cases are designed to exhibit at least 50 percent more artifacts than the museum’s previous display cases and will provide visitors a better view of the museum’s collection. Updated interpretive exhibit signage will also enhance visitors’ experience.

“We look forward to welcoming back visitors and apologize for the delay, though it’s something we couldn’t control,” Ogden said. “Once all work is complete, we will invite the public to a grand reopening event.”

About the Champaign County Historical Society
The museum collects, preserves, and interprets artifacts, documents, and other resources from Champaign County to educate current and future generations about our history.

The museum has been located at 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, since 1972. Originally established in 1934, the museum first housed its collection at the former location of the Champaign County Library on West Market Street, and then moved to the Nutwood Barn, south of Grimes Field on North Main Street.
The Historical Society is open to the public 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

At the dinner you can place bids in a silent auction, to support the Historical Society. Auction items will include the creations of Oktoberfest craft vendors. Also during the evening, we’ll update you on the capital improvement project of the CCHS Museum and other plans for the upcoming year. 

About the Champaign County Historical Society
The Historical Society museum collects, preserves, and interprets artifacts, documents, and other resources from Champaign County to educate current and future generations about our history.

The museum has been located at 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, since 1972. Originally established in 1934, the museum first housed its collection at the former location of the Champaign County Library on West Market Street, and then moved to the Nutwood Barn, south of Grimes Field on North Main Street.
The museum is open to the public 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
 
Photo caption:
This photo, of the Indian Hunter sculpture at John Quincy Adams Ward’s Oak Dale Cemetery gravesite, is from the William “Bill” Whitman photography collection in the Champaign County Historical Society’s archives.