Lane County History Museum facts for kids

The Lane County History Museum is a cool place in Eugene, Oregon, USA. It's located on the county fairgrounds in Lane County. This museum shows off amazing exhibits about the past. You can learn about the Oregon Trail, see old vehicles, and explore many historic items and photos from the area.

The museum also helps people do research. They offer special tours for schools and host fun public events. Plus, they help fund projects that teach people about local history. The museum and the historic Lane County Clerk's Building are both managed by the Lane County Historical Society.

Museum Collections and What You Can See

The museum has a huge collection of historical items. They use these to create interesting exhibits. You can see everything from an old buckboard wagon to a 1910 Model-T Ford car. The museum also features the old Lane County Clerk's Building.

Exhibits change every six months. This means there's always something new to discover! These displays use the latest research and feature hundreds of artifacts and pictures. Right now, the museum has over 10,000 items. All these items are connected to the history of Lane County.

The Lane County History Museum also has a special archive. This is a collection of materials about Lane County that go all the way back to 1847. It includes more than 300,000 photographs. These pictures show local people, old businesses, and street scenes from the past. The collection also has old writings, maps, newspaper clippings, and school projects about Lane County.

Some favorite items are always on display. One is a very complete prairie schooner. This is a type of covered wagon that crossed the country on the Oregon Trail in 1851. You can also see a piece of a hemlock tree with a carving from 1867. And don't miss the original staircase from the 1898 county courthouse!

Museum History

How the Museum Started: 1937–1950

A lawmaker named E. O. Potter helped pass a bill in Oregon. This bill allowed counties to create history museums. So, in 1935, the "Lane County Pioneer Museum and Veterans Memorial Commission" was formed. A man named Cal Young was in charge. People called him "Mr. Lane County."

Cal Young had been leading the "Oregon Trail Pageant" since 1926. This was an annual parade with historical costumes, ox teams, and covered wagons. He also collected many old items from pioneer times at his farm. This included a prairie schooner.

In 1937, F. L. Chambers and E. G. Boehnke helped trade land with the government. They got the old post office building for the museum. Pioneer items were stored there, but the building was never fully used as a museum. Other government groups needed the space during the war.

In 1951, the first Lane County History Museum was built. It was a small warehouse, about 40 by 60 feet, at the Lane County Fairgrounds. It held the growing collection of pioneer items. By 1954, they added more space for large items like logging wheels and other vehicles. In 1957, the oldest building in Lane County, the Lane County Clerk's Building, was moved to the museum site.

Cal Young was the caretaker for the first few years. When he said he was "getting too old," Mrs. E. E. Foss became the museum's first curator.

Growing and Changing: 1950–1999

In the early 1950s, the Lane County Pioneer Society was created. This group helped the museum grow and develop.

In the early 1980s, the museum faced budget cuts. To help, a non-profit group called "Friends of the Lane County Historical Museum" formed in 1984. Their goal was to keep the museum open. By 1985, some funding and staff were brought back.

In 1996, Lane County made a deal with the new Lane County Historical Society (LCHS). The LCHS took over managing the museum. They received money from a county tax on hotel rooms, which was meant to help tourism.

The Museum Today: 2000–Present

In 2003, the Lane County Historical Society hired Bob Hart as its director. They planned to make the museum bigger and update the exhibits. In 2006, the Lane County Historical Society and the Friends group officially joined together.

Under Bob Hart's leadership, the museum has shown many different exhibits. These have covered topics like local law enforcement, "Tie Dye & Tofu," "Weird and Wonderful," wine, medical history, logging, and Native American culture. Recently, they even had an exhibit about toys!

The museum also created interactive programs. One is a "Hands-on U.S. History Traveling Trunk" for students. Another was "McKenzie River Stories," where people shared their own stories about the county's main river. Director Bob Hart also sometimes dressed up as historical figures like Thomas Condon or Joseph Meek for special events.

In 2009, the museum started scanning its 300,000 historic photos. This made them available online for everyone to see. You can also browse a special selection of these pictures.

The museum's funding from the county was reduced in 2008 and again in 2010. In 2012, more budget cuts meant three museum employees lost their jobs. Bob Hart said volunteers would help cover their work. Even with less money, the museum staff has worked with other local museums. The LCHS and museum even received an award for helping the Springfield Museum with a part-time curator.

The LCHS has been trying to either make the current museum bigger or move it to a new building. When the downtown Eugene Post Office became empty in 2010, Bob Hart supported saving it. He also reminded the county that the museum had a historical claim to the old post office property. In 2013, Mayor Kitty Piercy even supported using the empty Post Office building for a new museum. The museum is currently updating its present building. This includes outside repairs and completely new exhibits inside.

See also

• Oregon Historical Society Museum