Dear Members,
We have had a very busy Summer! Recently, with the help of David Mills, John Pettersen, Taylor Bush, and Mike
Good (as well as other museum volunteers and members) we were able to set up our mid-summer display: The Trains of Henry County. The display has attracted a lot of attention and was just in time for Olde Glory Days. On days when the Olde Glory Days events were running, the museum saw exceptionally increased numbers of visitors and we have enjoyed giving tours to folks from all over the United States and, in some cases, the world.
The Trains of Henry County will not be around long (it ends July 28) and we will be setting up for the annual Silent Auction which will carry us into September. Please remember we can always use donations for Silent Auction items; also please encourage folks you know to join the Henry County Historical Society if they have not already done so. Membership provides ample opportunity to connect with Henry County’s past and present, and also for folks to take part in activities provided only through the museum (movie night, guest speakers, etc.). We look forward to seeing everyone at these events.
As a reminder, we are always on the lookout for museum volunteers: docents and greeters are always in demand. Don’t worry, we’ll train you if you decide to volunteer in these capacities.
The Henry County Historical Society is also trying really hard to get students and younger folks to become members. Students (of any age) are given the opportunity to become members at a significantly reduced rate ($5 annual fee). They get all the
perks of being a member, too, and it also gives them a chance to learn about the history of the county and be a part of something unique and special.
We hope everyone is well and look forward to seeing you at the Museum!
~Suzanne Bush
Historical Society Spotlight!
The Henry County Historical Society would like to shine a light on Linda Hill. Linda manages all the Gift Shop merchandise, and changes the displays and themes as needed. She also goes above and beyond and keeps our museum volunteers volunteering as well as the docent and greeter schedule straight!
Linda doesn’t like to be recognized, but we thought this would be a good time to make sure she knows how much we appreciate her. ALL our volunteers are great and we look forward to highlighting someone else in the next newsletter.
We can’t make it work without you!
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SCHEDULE OF
EVENTS 2022
AUGUST 13—27: Silent Auction Starts! (set up for the Silent Auction is August 1—7)
AUGUST 20: Ladies Luncheon, tickets on sale August 4
SEPTEMBER 10, 15, 24, 29: Civil War Speakers
SEPTEMBER 17: Civil War Living History
SEPTEMBER 17: COOKOUT! (in conjunction with the Civil War Living History)
OCTOBER 2: Cemetery Walk - A County Divided: Henry County Residents, the Civil War
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We are nearing the month of September, and that means WAR—well, revisiting the Civil War, that is…
The Henry County Museum will be changing our lobby display to Civil War items this September. In conjunction with the change in display, we will also be hosting guest speakers and have a Civil War Living History Camp. We will do all of that and have a cook out. It doesn’t get much better, folks!
In October, our annual Cemetery Walk theme is about the Henry County residents who fought or participated in the Civil War, too. So, don’t miss these September events.
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September Henry County Museum Civil War Events Schedule:
September 10, 2:30 pm, lecture “Civil War Medicine” (Charles Cunningham)
September 15, 6:00 pm, lecture “Buffalo Soldiers: From Slave to Soldier” (John Bruce)
September 17, Cookout and Civil War Living History Camp
September 24, 2:00 pm, virtual lecture “Killing Quantrill”
September 29, 6:00 pm, lecture “Civil War Women Come Alive (Joyce Slater)
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Recent Acquisitions
The Henry County Museum could not function without the donations of folks who continue to help grow our valuable collections and expand the histories of and for the folks in our county.
Recently, Dan Miller donated two paintings to the Museum which gives us an opportunity to not only show off our art collection, but fill in some important historical aspects unique to our county. Mr. Miller’s donation expands an important aspect of the Parker family’s artistic talents—specifically, those of E.M. “Ike” Parker’s brother—Woodrow.
Woodrow, like his brother Ike, was a gifted artist. However, many of his paintings are not in Missouri. Like his brother, he went to California in the 1930s, and served in WWII. But, instead of coming back to Henry County, he made his home in Iowa. There he thrived, running a construction business, but also served as Mayor of Dike, Iowa for two terms. Whether in California, Iowa, or Missouri he continued to paint and even joined art clubs and associations. His works were often featured at art shows in Iowa, too. Woodrow’s first wife passed away in 1954 and eventually he would make his way back to Clinton. In 1982 he remarried and lived in Clinton until his death in 2000. The Henry County Museum has a few works of art he made from that two-decade time period, but little from his time elsewhere. Mr. Miller’s donation were paintings, not from Iowa, but from Woodrow’s early years in California. They are dated 1936 and 1937.
We couldn’t be happier to have these pieces and are even happier to let patrons compare his and his brother’s styles: when examined closely side-by-side, Woodrow and Ike’s works are often strikingly similar in subject, theme, and tone. The main difference appears to be that Woodrow mainly worked in oil and Ike tended toward watercolor as his preferred medium.
Both of the new acquisitions are on display in the Museum Lobby Annex and, as with all of our displays, we invite you to come take a look at them and enjoy these priceless works of art for yourself.
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The Silent Auction—August 2022
It is that time again: time for the annual Silent Auction. As most members know, it is a key source of fundraising for the museum, but it also offers an opportunity for museum members (and others) to donate items the sale of which helps keep the museum financially sound. Also: you never know what will show up here in the auction as many members make valuable and unique donations which are often hard-to-find items.
Set up for the Silent Auction begins August 1st and runs until August 7th at which time the bidding on items will begin. We appreciate any donations to help make the Silent Auction a success again this year and also hope to see you browsing through and bidding on all the unique items.
