Jackson County Historical Society

The Jackson County Historical Society is dedicated to the task of preserving yesterday and today for tomorrow. Beginning with the "Old Settlers Association" in 1925 and establishing a permanent museum in Lakefield at the heart of Jackson County in 1974, we illustrate the history of Jackson County, from bison and buckboards to Megadeth and everything in between!

We have some big plans and we're moving in some great new directions. Here are some highlights:

* The construction of a new climate-controlled building to house a new exhibit hall and storage area. We are especially proud that we were able to build this without incurring any debt. This project has enabled us to create new exhibits and update existing ones, providing fresh looks at Jackson County's history and highlighting new stories of those who have called it home. In turn, we have expanded our research area in the front part of our building, providing greater space for genealogy and historical research. 

* Providing us with the materials needed to ensure the artifacts entrusted to us remain available for future generations. We have the space necessary to grow our already-vast collection of artifacts and provide each artifact with a suitable home as well as new equipment to keep track of temperature and humidity in real time. We have also embarked on a major undertaking: inventorying every artifact in our possession. To date, we have cataloged over 2,000 items into our new system that will be made available online to offer the public access to our holdings. 

* Increasing our presence within the community through hosting events and programming, serving as both an active member of our many communities as well as a source of community pride.  We have made great strides over the past few years, with school groups returning to the museum, speaking engagements throughout the county, participation in the county's community celebrations, and hosting exhibits at the county fair. We are looking at expanding our community footprint even further, providing additional programming and events throughout the year. 

Your donation will go toward these projects and many more, and we appreciate your support!