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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.
New display cases will begin arriving mid-November, and the collection galleries will be repainted and get new carpet.
The new cases are designed to exhibit at least 50 percent more artifacts than the museum’s current display cases, in the same amount of floor space, Ogden says. And they will provide visitors a better view of the museum’s collection. Updated interpretive exhibit signage will also enhance visitors’ experience. Earlier this year, in preparation for the improvements, the museum’s research and volunteer work area was moved from the first floor, by the entrance, to the second floor. This provides more exhibit space on the first floor. Electrical work upstairs will accommodate new computers and workstations, where volunteers and the public (by appointment) will conduct research. The work area will also include a new copier and printer, which, among other tasks, will be used to create new interpretive panels for exhibits. The second-floor area will also be available for meetings and programs. Several changes will be made to the layout of the museum’s first floor:
The OFCC oversees capital improvement funds appropriated by the General Assembly for planning, construction, renovation and expansion projects at Ohio's theaters, museums, arts education facilities, historical sites, and publicly-owned professional sports venues.
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.  To enable our staff and volunteers to move exhibits from the upstairs area, and to move the workspace upstairs, the museum will be closed starting December 11th. We will reopen on January 28, 2024, for our annual meeting.
We are sorry for any inconvenience this might cause and look forward to seeing everyone in the new year!  The annual Christmas dinner will be held Dec. 10, 2023, beginning with a social hour at 4:00 pm. Dinner, catered by Amy Forest of In Good Taste Catering, will be served at 5:00 p.m. by the Girl Scout Troop #32191 and adviser, Ashley Skinner. The cost will be $20.00 per person paid in advance.
The social hour will offer beverages and a charcuterie service of assorted cheeses, veggies, and crackers. The meal will include brown sugar glazed spiral sliced ham, au gratin potatoes, green beans almondine, rolls, butter, and assorted small bite desserts. Beverages of water, tea and coffee will be available. To ensure everyone can have a comfortable dining experience, we have a reservation limit of 60 people. The dinner is not limited to CCHS members. Feel free to invite your friends! Call the Museum, 937-653-6721, Mon – Fri 10-4 and Sat 10-2 to reserve your spot. (Reservations are not final until the money has been received.) Holiday music, flickering candles, delicious food – who could ask for more!
Celebrating our 50th Year, this Oktoberfest promises a day of fun for the entire family! The museum will be open to explore, and the grounds will be full of crafters and artists selling hand thrown pottery, candles, wreaths, holiday décor, pumpkins, woodcrafts, scented oils, bath bombs, handcrafted soaps made with natural and organic oils, handmade quilts, jewelry, and lots more! There will be games for the children and decorated pumpkins to buy!
Returning is Schmidt’s Restaurant from German Village, Columbus. They will offer Bahama Mammas, knockwurst, German bologna, German potato salad, kraut, sweet red cabbage, pork or chicken brats, and their famous jumbo cream puffs! If you have not had one, you do not know what you are missing! Heavenly! Returning, also, is Poppy’s Smokehouse Food Truck with their bbq ribs and pulled pork and pulled chicken. Layla’s Sweet Treats will once again offer premium hand-dipped ice cream in cups, waffle cones, milkshakes, and sundaes!! Joining us this year is The Fat Straw Co., offering Tiger, Taro, Peach, Dragon Fruit and Tropical milk teas, chai, lemonade, and strawberry matcha. Joining us, also, is Carter’s Chimney Cakes Food truck. A chimney cake is a traditional Hungarian dessert or Eastern European Street food. It is simply a sweet dough wrapped around a spit cooked over a rotisserie grill, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Delicious toppings are then added such as Oreos, cinnamon sugar, coconut, and sprinkles. When stood up straight, the hot steam comes out from the top of the cake looking like a chimney. They can be made traditional cake style or as a cone filled with goodness. This is a traditional Oktoberfest food and one we are excited to offer our guests! A local favorite, Farmer’s Daughter will be offering their homemade specials and various vendors will be offering cookies, French macarons, breads, kettle corn, and other delights! No Oktoberfest is complete without beer – and we will have a beer trailer offering a variety of your favorites! Delicious food, live entertainment, and an admission price of only $3.00 – what could be better? Mark your calendar and don’t miss this day of fun for the whole family! Oktoberfest is the largest fundraiser for the Historical Society. |
Champaign County Historical Society Board PresidentTerry Koster Archives
March 2025
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Urbana, OH 43078 HOURS Tue-Fri: 10am - 4pm Sat: 10am - 2pm CLOSED FOR RENOVATION UNTIL MARCH 4, 2025 |
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