Be a Part of History
Building Bridges into the Future
Many of the shared memories of Northwest Wisconsin reside at the Pioneer Village Museum. Those memories are living in the boxes of photographs and unique documents deep in the bowels of Jerome Hall. There, they are safe from the effects of the elements and careless attitudes. Although those precious memories are kept safe, they are inaccessible. Our goal is to bring those memories out and share them with communities of this area, so that we may build bridges that link the lessons of yesterday to our present communities, and between the people of those communities. As a trusted community institution, it is our responsibility to be embrace that role.
History Matters
It matters because it is the lens through which we see our world. We all have a need for identity, belonging, community. As communities wrestle with tangible markers of what they believe to be their heritage, as individuals seek to evaluate the news, and as people reflect on how current events fit into the continuum of the American story, history matters.
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Myth, memory, heritage, and history entwine to create our sense of who we are, what is important, and why we are driven to act in one way or another. What separates history from fiction is evidence. We are holding the evidence; evidence that we need to examine, tease out the lessons to be learned from it, and from there, craft a new paradigm that brings together our traditional notions of history, heritage, culture and art, from all of the voices in the room. It is only by retaining our distinct racial culture and heritage, and learning about the history and culture of our neighbors, that we can embrace the future with contemporary notions of justice, equality, fairness and opportunity.
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In this time in our country, there are so many local tragedies occurring on a regular basis. Organizations such as the Barron County Historical Society can use history to promote cross-cultural understanding and empathy before tragedy happens, and God help us, to bring healing if it does.
What We Can Do
Until now, the Pioneer Village Museum has gathered and safely stored boxes of your important history. Just like the historical buildings, tools, toys, agricultural and recreational machinery that we display for thousands of visitors every year, these important keys to the past need to be brought out so that you and other families like yours can discover these stories: Northwest Wisconsin's first people, its pioneers, and all those who have made this area their home and turned it into the rich and varied place we now see around us.
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We have an opportunity to turn these treasures into a gold mine of information and experience. Once safely stored and catalogued, these documents and artifacts will form the heart of a new research library, fully equipped to allow easy access not only to these important items, but also relevant on-line information on history, artifacts, architecture, genealogy and more - all searchable, with research expertise provided by members of our partner organization, the Blue Hills Genealogical Society.
No Other Organization in Northwest Wisconsin is Meeting This Need
For sixty years, the Barron County Historical Society has been preserving and interpreting the history of Northwestern Wisconsin. Each year, over 6000 visitors come to the Pioneer Village from all parts of Wisconsin, surrounding states, and faraway places such as Norway, Germany, Japan. Approximately 250 volunteers donate so many hours of labor that it is equivalent of having an additional seven full-time employees performing essential tasks - everything from building restoration, administrative duties, cleaning, overseeing operations, to assisting guests in their search for family history and identity. Barron County has generously assisted in supporting the museum annually, but 75% of the funding need for day-to-day operations and programming has come from funds earned by the Historical Society through its operations of the museum and through member and donor support. The basic infrastructure is already here. It’s working. But we know that we can do so much more.
Other collaborators include the members of the Blue Hills Genealogical Society who will regularly assist Museum visitors in their search for family stories and family ties. They will also contribute their current collection and future acquisitions. The Blue Hills Genealogical Society will provide volunteer staff to enable the Pioneer Village Museum to begin offering genealogical search services throughout the year once the new facilities are open.
Decision at the Crossroad
Over the next two years, with your help, Pioneer Village Museum is designing and building a new facility that will accomplish all of this and more. A new building will create an archival library to consolidate, safely store and make accessible the important documents and records that have accumulated in various locations throughout the Pioneer Village Museum site. This building will provide the secure, climate-controlled space for the archived materials and give researchers the space and equipment they need to help you discover your family's legacy in Northwest Wisconsin and beyond. In addition, this building will showcase a selection of unique artifacts and serve as the entry point, guiding you through Pioneer Village Museum's collection of more than 40 historical buildings and special collections.
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The Pioneer Village’s new History Center will be a place where the public can have sustained engagement with information and new ideas, where the public is encouraged to use historical thinking skills to actively engage with and address contemporary issues and to value history for its relevance to modern life. A place where teachers can go to for assistance how to bring history alive for their students. A place where those from diverse walks of life can come together and begin to understand one another.
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Finally, this new facility will serve as the catalyst to expand Pioneer Village Museum from a seasonal summer attraction into a year-round resource for the whole community to use, learn from, and enjoy!
You Make it Possible
This project is a $2.6 million investment in future of Pioneer Village Museum and Northwest Wisconsin. It’s an investment in your future and that of your children. This facility will provide an archival library for storage of Museum and Genealogical Society items, a home for future acquisitions. It will provide easy access to historical documents and artifacts, display space for artifacts and special exhibits, a welcome and orientation center for visitors to Pioneer Village Museum's historic buildings and special collections, classroom and community space. This facility will also provide the catalyst for making Pioneer Village Museum into a year-round resource for the whole community.
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Your generous support is essential to create this new facility for all of us to use today and for our children, grandchildren, and future generations to enjoy for years to come.
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Thank you for considering an important leadership gift to Pioneer Village Museum and the Crossroad to the Future Campaign.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” (Margaret Mead)
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