Hillsdale County Historical Society will host its annual “Show and Tell” event at the Will Carleton Poor House on April 25 at 7:30 p.m. The event is part of the Historical Society’s goal to host four general membership meetings each year. At last year’s event, about 25 people attended.
The society welcomes interested community members to attend the event and bring an item of their choice that has some degree of historical significance or interest. Attendees do not have to be members of the historical society.
“Bring something! This event is all about sharing treasures that we value,” said JoAnne Miller, who joined the Historical Society after she stopped teaching in 2006. “It could be an heirloom you’ve had in your family for generations or it might be something from EBay. We encourage you to stand up and tell everyone about the history of the item you have. If you’re into antique stuff, it’s just a tremendous amount of fun.”
Past items brought to the “Show and Tell” include an exquisite bowl made from the bole of a tree, a collection of Valentine’s Day cards from the 1800s, small pieces of furniture, a rope maker, old books, and Native American artifacts.
“I like that it allows people to see some unusual items in the past. Most of the time we aren’t sure what to bring. It’s usually a last minute decision. Some of my favorites have been toys from the 1800s or early 1900s,” said Tony Fowler, who was an administrative vice president at Hillsdale College from 1961 to 1999 and has been attending the annual “Show and Tell” for several years.
“Show and Tell” attendees do not necessarily need to bring an item that has monetary value. The artifact simply needs to have an interesting history that can be shared with the group.
“One of our older members, Sally Sallon, will be 90 shortly after the ‘Show and Tell’ and she always comes. Her parents were members of the Historical Society, too.” Miller said. “Sally stuff from her grandparents, who also lived in Hillsdale County. Last time she brought a hand painted pitcher that belonged to her grandma. That’s an example of something priceless. It’s not valuable moneywise, but it’s extremely valuable as far as emotion and sentimentality goes.”
Each year, the Historical Society purposefully chooses to host the event at the Poor House, a cobblestone structure located on Wolcott Street, because of its historical significance to the county. The original builder, who constructed the home with Erie Canal mason art in mind, sold the Poor House to Hillsdale County. Then, in 1987 it was deeded to the Historical Society. It is listed on the both the national and state Register of Historic Sites.
“At the Historical Society, we gather, collect, and promote historical information and items related to the county,” said Michael Braman, who has been a board member of the society for about four years. “It’s important for the community to know what our historical roots are and I think if we know where we came from we will have a better direction of where we should go.”
Complimentary food and drinks will be available following the presentation of historical items. For more information, interested community members can visit hillsdalehistoricalsociety.org.