SWEET NEWS! We have added another program to our Historium schedule -- on Feb. 23 at 10:00 a.m., we will welcome John and Diane Moore to our facility, to talk about BEEKEEPING! 

These two are experienced, knowledgeable and enthusiastic beekeepers and are going to talk about why bees are so important and how to get started. SPRING is the right time, if you've ever thought about it, and NOW is your chance to learn a little more from a true expert. John is the official beekeeper for Missouri State University and keeps hives on his property in Ozark County, Greene County and at the Missouri State University Fruit Experiment Station in Mtn. Grove.

A keeper of honey bees in retirement, John Moore is a career educator who served 22 years as president of Drury University in Springfield. Moore is a native of the Ozarks (Monett) and holds two degrees from Yale and after active duty as an army officer, earned a doctorate from Harvard. He took up beekeeping after retiring in 2010 and is an active member of the Beekeepers Association of the Ozarks. He and Diane find bees fascinating creatures and enjoy helping prospective beekeepers learn their craft.

And the sweet thing? There will be HONEY! John and Diane make their home in Ozark County now, and they will have several jars of locally made honey from their hives available for purchase.

We're going to cross our fingers for the weather that week to be good so that everyone will enjoy coming out for this enjoyable and educational experience! For more info, contact us at ozarkco1@ozarkcountyhistory.org, or call the Historium at 417-679-2400. Also, please help us spread the word about this and other events coming soon to the Historium!

 Happy New Year! 2023 is well under way, and so are we volunteers at the Historium under way with planning some new events. First up will be:

On Thursday, February 9, at 10:00 a.m., we are hosting JEFF PATRICK, the museum curator at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, for a program about researching one's ancestors who served in the military. There will be a special emphasis on Civil War service, since the Battlefield was the scene of an important battle curing the war between the states. Jeff is very knowledgeable about the resources available and will share tips on what information is available and how to access it. Please plan now to join us for this helpful and informative event. Even if you are not interested in researching your own ancestors, you'll learn about the Civil War in the Ozarks!

Then, PHIL HOWERTON, professor of English with an emphasis on writing, will speak at the Historium on Thursday, March 23 at 10:00 a.m. With several books to his credit, Dr. Howerton's most recent project is Wild Muse: Ozarks Nature Poetry. This is a collection of poetry engaging Ozarks nature and environment, with subjects such as nature's beauty, sense of place, loss of place, environmental diminishment, and human dependence on nature. The collection of almost 200 poems includes the works of nine authors.

In addition to reading and discussing some selections from the book, Dr. Howerton will offer a "mini writing workshop" with advice about writing about nature and regional subject matter.  If you're at all  interested in writing, this will be helpful and interesting!

And in April, we'll be hosting the LAYTON HOLLOW GALS, a duo from Springfield who will showcase songs written by the late Johnny Mullins. He was the father of Melinda Mullins (on right); Melinda's mother, Peggy Hawkins Mullins, is an Ozark County native and plans to also attend. Johnny wrote popular songs for some of the biggest stars in country music, including Company's Comin' for Porter Wagoner and Blue Kentucky Girl for Loretta Lynn. You can expect to hear numerous stories about his experiences and also personal recollections by Melinda. Plan to attend on  Friday, April 14, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. for this unique opportunity!

All of these events are free and open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to attend! The Ozark County Historium is located on the west side of the square in downtown Gainesville; its regular hours of operation are 10-2, Wednesday through Friday. For more information, call 417-679-2400 or email ozarkco1@ozarkcountyhistory.org.

We hope to make 2023 a memorable and enjoyable year for those who visit the Historium, and we hope to see you there!

 Greetings from the Ozark County Historium!

On Thursday, November 17, 2022, we will welcome Kaitlyn McConnell to the Ozark County Historium! Kaitlyn, who is from Marshfield but now lives in Springfield, is a popular blogger, speaker and supporter of preservation of Ozarks culture and history. 

To help others enjoy the Ozarks as much as she does, Kaitlyn wrote a book in 2019 called Passport to the Ozarks -- and now she has written Volume 2, which she will be sharing with us! 

Please make plans now to join us for this free event at the Historium at 10:00 on November 17, to meet and enjoy getting to know Kaitlyn McConnell. Our facility is located on the west side of the square in downtown Gainesville and is easily accessible. We'll have the coffee ready for you!

 Our program featuring Dr. Brooks Blevins was such a success in January that we have invited him back in April for another presentation. 

At the Opry

This time the subject will be "Ozarks Roots of the Grand Ole Opry."

Dr. Blevins will share some interesting and perhaps surprising information about the inception of the iconic country music venue. Hint: It was close to home!

Bill Monroe in an early performance

Join us on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., for an enjoyable time, learning from one of the preeminent scholars of Ozarks history who also happens to be one of the nicest men you've ever met -- we promise you won't be disappointed. The coffee will be ready for you, too!

Welcoming a new year with high hopes!

 As we enter a new year, we are doing so with high hopes for an active, successful year of events and activities at the Ozark County Historium! After two years of cancelling, postponing and waiting, we're ready to invite our friends and neighbors to join us, as we plan programs that will educate, inspire and entertain. We make these plans with fingers crossed, hoping that most everyone is vaccinated and that we can open our doors to groups in safety.

First up is a visit on Thursday, January 27, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., from Dr. Brooks Blevins. As head of the Ozarks Studies department at Missouri State University in Springfield, Dr. Blevins is knowledgeable about all aspects of the area known as the Ozarks. He also is a personable and engaging speaker, an Ozarker himself and proud to be so. Dr. Blevins will give a talk about "How to talk Ozarks in Seven Simple Steps." He will also introduce his newest book, Volume 3 of a comprehensive History of the Ozarks. Anyone interested in local history will enjoy hearing Dr. Blevins, so please make plans to join us that morning. You'll be glad you did!

Stay tuned for updates on other plans -- many are in the works, and we'll post as we have details. Thank you for your continuing support of the Historium and the Ozark County Genealogical and Historical Society.

PLEASE NOTE: We are following the suggestions from the CDC and are suspending our regularly scheduled activities at the Ozark County Historium and will be closed for the next couple of weeks. It's a shame, because we'd LOVE to show you our current exhibit, Missouri's Struggle for Statehood. But hopefully we will be back up and running before too long. In the meantime, work on your family tree! Sort your family photos! Write your own personal story! Fill your self-isolation time with productive, meaningful work that will benefit future generations. Have fun!

We are so pleased to invite everyone to visit our new exhibit, The Struggle for Statehood! This wonderful display is a museum-quality exhibit and is on loan to us from the Missouri Humanities Council. In the photo, MHC employee Claire Bruntrager is shown after she came from St. Louis to help get the exhibit set up. We will be hosting this exhibit for five more weeks, so you have plenty of time to plan your visit. You'll be impressed, and you'll learn a lot about the history of Missouri, the impact it had on the Union and the controversy it inspired. Call our facility at 417-679-2400 for more information. Hope to see you there!