News: Neillsville - Jail Museum (Sept. Meeting - 2014)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Erpenbach, Etta

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 10/15/2014

The 1897 Clark County Jail Museum (Meeting - 2 September 2014)

The monthly membership and Board meeting of the 1897 Clark County Jail Museum was held at the Museum Sept. 2, 2014.

After the reports of the secretary and treasurer, a review of the busy past season was provided. Again, visitor counts were up, numbers of tours were up and donations of personal items were up. More and more people are realizing what a great resource the museum is for family research. Many visitors also add to information and photo inventories, increasing the value of the museum as a research tool.

The tour guides have done a wonderful job, and they are recognized for their dedication and support. This includes tours by appointment and several extra open houses for holidays. Upcoming events will include the open house during the Neillsville Area Chamber of Commerce Autumn Harvest Festival Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Freewill donations are appreciated.

Anyone interested in volunteering for a short-term commitment is invited to come that day or any other special event.

Natalie Erpenbach, the administrator/curator, reported the museum participated in the Clark County Fair with a booth to share information about the 1897 Clark County Jail Museum.

A very special donation of a “hit or miss” engine for running a log splitter or other equipment was received from Leonard (Len) Etta. Another new addition is the base of a tombstone from Dead Man’s Island near Hatfield.

Contact may have been made with someone able to repair the player piano, and the museum members are excited about the possibility of getting the piguests (guests) can hear some of the paper piano rolls now stored in the beautiful matching cabinet.

They are looking forward to updating our PastPerfect software for keeping our inventory current. Even historical museums must keep current with computerized records and management.

New community volunteers, with some extra time to spare, are welcome to help out, as little or as much as they’d like. Call any of the officers or the museum office (715-743-2150) if interested in helping out or to see the collection for research purposes.

The Museum’s website (www.1897clarkcountyjailmuseum.com) and the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/1897CCJM) are available for visitors and researchers to use.

The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 7, 2014, at the museum, 215 East Fifth St., Neillsville. The public and interested new members or volunteers are always welcome to attend monthly meetings.