NORTH VERNON — A Smithsonian Institution mobile exhibit depicting the history of rural America during the past 100 years will be displayed in Jennings County for six weeks beginning Dec. 14.
It’s called “Crossroads: Change in Rural America.”
The Smithsonian, based in Washington, D.C., is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex.
While its exhibit won’t arrive for about six months, Jennings County residents can get involved now in creating companion exhibits that will tell the local history.
“The Smithsonian museum prepared the main body of the national exhibit and our students and educators have been working hard on the Jennings County exhibit that will be displayed alongside the national exhibit,” Jennings County Historical Society President Chris Asher said.
Local residents are asked to bring in family artifacts and historical information for four pop-up museums, Asher said.
The historical society, Crossroads committee members and others have been researching various aspects of Jennings County history, while art teacher Karen Chillman and students have been depicting displays for the exhibit, Asher said.
“We know that families have artifacts, photos and family stories of parts of Jennings County history that have been passed down from generation to generation, and we are hoping they will come forward and share their stories with their neighbors,” Asher said.
“We are looking for items that tell the story of Jennings County over the past 100 years,” Chilman said.
The pop-up museums will begin July 15 and continue one per month through October at various sites designed to highlight specific township residents.
The Jennings County exhibits will focus on transportation, education and land use, but “we are not limited to just those categories as we are looking for all items that tell our story,” Chilman said.
“The pop-up museums will be a time for people to show-and-tell their own family stories. For example, there might be a very old photograph of their ancestors standing by a train in Jennings County. That is a bit of family history, but it is also part of Jennings County history,” Asher said.
The Smithsonian and Jennings County exhibits will be on display together somewhere in Jennings County, and will be open to the public for at least 30 hours each week, but the site of the exhibit has not yet been decided. Possible locations have been narrowed to the historical society’s museum in Vernon and the Stellar Building in North Vernon, Asher said.
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The schedule for the pop-up museums that tell the history of specific townships in Jennings County:
July 15: Lovett Fire Station (Lovett, Montgomery, Marion and Bigger townships)
Aug. 19: Brush Creek Elementary Media Center (Columbia and Campbell townships)
Sept. 16: Hayden Historical Museum (Spencer and Geneva townships)
Oct. 9: North Vernon location TBD (Center, Vernon and Sand Creek townships)
All pop-up museums will be open from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
For more information: 812-346-8989 or jenninghistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
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