We educate, preserve, and inspire.
MCHS provides education for the community through a quarterly newsletter, historical content published by a local newspaper, and information on the Web site. Books on county history are available in the gift shop.
Children can participate in the Jane Kessler Memorial 4th Grade Essay Contest for an opportunity to win a cash prize. ArchiCamp offers an entertaining and learning adventure in historic architecture for students in the summer.
We also offer tours of Lane Place and the Speed Cabin to children studying Indiana history. A detailed study guide for Montgomery County sites is available.
For adults, the annual MCHS Membership Dinner and Meeting offers an end-of-the-year event with a guest speaker. In 2007, we also revived the tradition of mayoral candidate speeches, which were routinely made from the Lane Place balcony during the first half of the 20th century. In this picturesque setting, contemporary voters had an opportunity to hear candidates’ views on issues.
Our staff also make presentations at the Lane Place or offsite. Do you need a speaker for an event you are planning? Contact the MCHS staff to plan a presentation.
We also preserve Montgomery County history by maintaining the Lane Place and the Speed Cabin, along with the artifacts and grounds. MCHS has helped raise funds to restore the courthouse tower that was removed in 1941. The society provided assistance to restore Old Normal Hall in Historic Ladoga, theLinden Railroad Museum, and the Darlington Covered Bridge.
The MCHS staff collaborated with the Crawfordsville District Public Library staff to restore the Carnegie Library, built in 1902. The building is now the home of the Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County. MCHS is active in preserving artifacts connected with the county’s history.
MCHS is participating in the Veteran’s Oral History Project by recording the life stories of Montgomery County veterans through interviews with veterans from various conflicts.
In addition to our educational and preservation efforts, we also inspire the county through celebrations on the Lane Place grounds. The annual Strawberry Festival is held on the Lane Place grounds in June. Sponsored by MCHS, the event is an annual community-wide celebration featuring live music, food, retail booths, handcrafts, children’s games, a car show, a tractor show and a Sunday church service. A record crowd, estimated at 15,000, attended the event in 2007.
Concerts by the Montgomery County Civic Band provide some toe-tapping tunes and great entertainment during the summer months on the Pattison Pavilion on the Lane Place grounds. The concerts attract about 200 people and are sponsored by MCHS. Pattison Pavilion also creates a picturesque setting for weddings, club meetings, and preschool activities.