Formally established in 1954 (records go back as early as 1934), the Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) collects, preserves, and shares stories of Lyon County’s past through meaningful exhibits and education at the Lyon County Museum in Marshall. LCHS is a non-profit, member supported organization. LCHS operates the Lyon County Museum at 301 W Lyon Street in Marshall.

In 1957, LCHS created a museum within a Great Northern Railroad baggage coach located alongside the Lyon County Courthouse. When this coach was damaged by a storm in the mid-1960s, the artifacts were moved to the basement of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Tracy and the Lyon County Fairgrounds. In 1968, exhibits were created in the lower level of the Marshall-Lyon County Library. Eventually, the museum had to leave the library, exhibits were dismantled and moved to private homes in Tracy and other areas for further storage.

In 1975, LCHS was given the original 1892 Lyon County courtroom to use as a museum. In 1994, LCHS moved once again due to the county’s decision to demolish the 1892 courthouse. The museum moved to the Knights of Columbus building on 3rd St. in Marshall. The museum remained in this location until moving to a different location on Main St. in 2009. In 2012, the Lyon County Board of Commissioners purchased the former Marshall-Lyon County Library building for the historical society.

LCHS’s Annual Meeting is Thursday, June 2 at the Marshall-Lyon County Library, 201 C Street. The event is open to members and the public. Social hour is 5-6 p.m., Business Meeting at 6 p.m., and guest speaker Mayor Robert Byrnes at 6:30 p.m. Mayor Byrnes will present on Marshall History: Thirty Topics for the Past 30 Years. There will be a pasta buffet and the cost is $13 per person for LCHS members and $15 per person for non-members. Reservations are required by May 31. Call me at the museum at 537-6580 or director@lyoncomuseum.org.

The photograph featured this week from the Lyon County Museum’s collection was taken in 1993 in Marshall and shows water on the streets from flooding that year.

The Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) is a non-profit, member-supported organization. LCHS operates the Lyon County Museum at 301 W Lyon St in Marshall. The Lyon County Museum is open to visitors. To contact us, visit our website: www.lyoncomuseum.org, call: 507-537-6580, email: director@lyoncomuseum.org, or on our Facebook page.