Portage County Historical Society Celebrates 70th Anniversary
John A. Lowrie, historian and founder, with the help of Dudley Weaver and Cyrus Plough, sparked an interest in a historical society back in the 1930’s and 40’s. Then World War II got in the way. It wasn’t until April 17, 1951, that the group met and officially created the Portage County Historical Society.
John Lowrie and his wife Alta agreed to donate a home to use as our first museum if the society obtained 600 members. By the end of 1951, that goal was more than reached with 800. That home served as the location of our museum until 1962. That year, Charlotte Strickland donated the property where we remain today. That same year, we started publishing our quarterly newsletter, which is still sent out to all members. We’ve grown a lot over the years. We rely entirely on donations for financial support, and continue our mission of educating the public by collecting, displaying, and preserving materials of historical value.
John A. Lowrie, historian and founder, with the help of Dudley Weaver and Cyrus Plough, sparked an interest in a historical society back in the 1930’s and 40’s. Then World War II got in the way. It wasn’t until April 17, 1951, that the group met and officially created the Portage County Historical Society.
John Lowrie and his wife Alta agreed to donate a home to use as our first museum if the society obtained 600 members. By the end of 1951, that goal was more than reached with 800. That home served as the location of our museum until 1962. That year, Charlotte Strickland donated the property where we remain today. That same year, we started publishing our quarterly newsletter, which is still sent out to all members. We’ve grown a lot over the years. We rely entirely on donations for financial support, and continue our mission of educating the public by collecting, displaying, and preserving materials of historical value.
Events:
Iced-Cream Social - Saturday, August 1st 2-5pm
PCHS will be hosting an old-fashioned Iced-Cream Social at the Museum as a fund raiser. Please save the date as we finalize the details for the event.
Iced-Cream Social - Saturday, August 1st 2-5pm
PCHS will be hosting an old-fashioned Iced-Cream Social at the Museum as a fund raiser. Please save the date as we finalize the details for the event.
Fundraising:
The Museum Boiler
Last Fall, the main boiler for the museum became cracked and required replacement and cost the society $8,500 in unexpected repairs. Since we operate mostly on donations and membership dues, this expense consumed nearly half of our annual budget. Large unforeseen expenses like this hinder our ability to stay open in the future.
We are asking for donations to help get us back on track financially for 2021 through a GoFundMe. Click HERE to visit the fundraiser.
We would like to acknowledge and thank Blind and Sons for donating labor and parts and making the boiler replacement expedient and simple.
If you prefer to make a donation via check you can mail us directly at 6549 N Chestnut Street Ravenna, Ohio 44266. Please let us know if you would like a letter documenting the gift for tax purposes.
Hours:
Saturdays from 9:30 AM until 12PM or by appointment.