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The three founders of the Douglas County Museum (left to right) - Lucille Murray, Robert Hastings,
Lynnita Aldridge (now Brown)
(Click picture for a larger view)
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The Museum Association of Douglas County was formed in 1984 because many historical and decorative arts
objects were being destroyed and/or removed from the county, even though a historical society existed at the
time. The establishment, maintenance and operation of a museum was the Museum Association's goal.
To that end, the association's trustees sought the help of museum professionals to create a constitution,
bylaws and collections policy, as well as to apply for federal tax exempt status. Concurrently, the
search began for a building to house the museum. Several sites were assessed and rejected, including a
furnished Victorian house, offered free to the association but rejected because there were too many
stipulations to the gift. The Board of Trustees decided to purchase the Ferchow building, which was a
former Foodliner.
Initial funding for the building purchase came from a Cabot Foundation grant of $20,000. The grant
also awarded an additional $50,000 on a matching funds basis. The Museum Association then received a
grant of $5,000 from the Union Pacific Foundation. Numerous local donations were also given. The
establishment of a museum became a community effort. The Ferchow building was in disrepair when our
organization purchased it. Our volunteers gutted the interior, cleaned, rewired, insulated, and
constructed walls to completely remodel the building to accommodate a county museum. About 99 percent of
the work was done by volunteer help.
While remodeling continued throughout 1988-1992, the Douglas County Museum received county artifacts into
its care, and held bi-monthly educational programs. Each time a public meeting was held, museum
volunteers moved construction materials behind free-standing screens and cleaned the museum's main floor to
receive guests. Visitors to the museum watched the remodeling progress with interest and excitement.
The remodeling work was highly visible to the public. Less visible, but just as progressive, were the
trustees' efforts to attend workshops and college classes which furthered their knowledge of museum
operations. Our guidelines for loans, selective collecting, and trustee responsibilities were honed.
Administrative efforts to increase the museum's funding base continued. With monies from an Illinois
Department of Commerce and Community Affairs tourism grant, remodeling work continued. That award was
matched by a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) grant from the City of Tuscola so we could purchase two computers and
printers.
Publicity efforts strengthened, along with our bimonthly programs, to disseminate historical information to
the public. The Douglas County Museum has a local reputations for programs of quality and variety.
Our military display and Tuscola High School exhibit in 1992 made positive impacts on the community. Our
membership expanded from three co-founders in 1984 to over 500 supporters by the close of 1992. A
fundraising campaign to pay the final $10,000 mortgage payment on the museum building ended successfully in
the fall of 1992.
Milestones in the Douglas County Museum's cash contributions history are as follows:
- 1987 - $20,000 grant from Cabot Foundation used to initiate purchase the Ferchow Building, 700 S. Main
Street, Tuscola, IL
- 1987-1989 - $50,000 grant from Cabof Foundation as matching funds to complete the purchase of the
Ferchow Building
- 1989 - $5,000 grant received from Union Pacific Foundation
- 1990 - $18,000 received from City of Tuscola Tax Increment Finance
- 1991 - $18,000 from Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs to match the City of Tuscola
TIF grant
- 1993 - $15,000 grant from City of Tuscola TIF
- 1993 - $10,000 unrestricted donation from Glenn and Mary Albin
- 1993 - $500 prize money received when the Douglas County Museum received the prestigious Albert Corey
Award from the American Association of State and Local History
- 1995 - $3,848 received from the Institute of Museum Services Technical Assistance Grant for collections
care management training
- 1995 - $3,000 gift from Don and Marilla McGregor to pay off the mortgage on the museum's new air
conditioning system
- 1995 - $21,972 received from the Institute of Museum Services for a General Operating Support Grant
- 1996 - $500 received from Sam's Club for general operating expenses
- 1997 - $3,100 received from the Heritage Preservation Conservation Assessment Program for a collections
care management professional reviewer grant
- 1997 - $1,775 from the American Association of Museums Museum Assessment Program for a professional
reviewer grant
- 1998 - $19,397 received from the Institute of Museum Services for a general operating support grant
- 1999 - $1,000 received from Tuscola Tourism for advertising
- 2000 - $710.39 received from Tuscola Tourism for advertising
- 2001 - $6,459.44 received from member Virginia Keefe
- 2001 - $1,461.99 received from Tuscola Tourism for advertising
- 2001 - $500.00 gift from local Cabot
- 2002 - $400.00 Cashford Fund grant
- 2003 - $600.00 Cashford Fund grant
- 2003 - $2,000 Tuscola Township grant
- 2003 - $2,000 donation from member Billie Lee
- 2004 - $500 from Douglas County Republican Committee to defray utility expenses
- 2004 - $300 received from Tuscola Tourism for advertising
- 2004 - $2,000 donation from Douglas County Board
- 2005 - $500 grant from Illinois Association of Museums
- 2005 - $5,000 from Virginia Kraus
Albert Corey Award
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Volunteer staff members of the Douglas County Museum received the Albert B. Corey Award in Columbus,
Ohio, on September 9, 1993. Left to right (front row) - Jeri Smith, Ethel Louise Kauppala, Lois Smalling,
Pauline Underwood. Left to right (back row) - Lynnita Aldridge (now Brown), Celena Sommer, Martha Brown,
and an AASLH representative.
(Click picture for a larger view)
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In 1993, the Douglas County Museum was named as the recipient of the American Association for State and
Local History's Albert Corey Award for preserving and interpreting Douglas County History. The ASSLH Awards
program is the nation's most prestigious competition for recognition of achievement in the preservation and
interpretation of local, state and regional history.
Museum volunteers Ethel Louise Kauppala, Lynnita Sommer (now Brown), Celena Sommer, Pauline Underwood,
Lois Smalling, Martha Brown, and Jeri Smith traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to accept the award on behalf of the
museum. The group received a standing ovation from 200 guests at the AASLH annual banquet on September 9,
1993. The national award, which recognizes excellence in small museums, came with a $500 cash award. The
Douglas County Museum was the 18th recipient of the coveted national award, but the museum's volunteer staff
was the first such group of recipients to accept the award in person.
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