The Lyon County Historical Society’s 2019 Annual Meeting is Thursday at the Cottonwood Community Center in Cottonwood. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The annual meeting is at 6 p.m., and the keynote speaker, Norman Priebe, is at 6:30 p.m.

This event is open to the public and light refreshments will be served. The photograph featured this week from the museum’s collection is an early 1900s photograph of Main Street in Cottonwood.

The Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) is a non-profit, member supported organization. The Society, founded in 1934, reactivated in 1954, and incorporated in 1965 operates the Lyon County Museum in downtown Marshall in the former Marshall-Lyon County Library building.

LCHS was active in the early years of Lyon County, but records show it was officially established in June of 1934 by A.P. Rose, the author of the 1912 History of Lyon County book. The Society was “reactivated” on Nov. 18, 1954. At the 1954 meeting, held at the courthouse, the following officers were elected: Bruce Pierard, President; J.E. Conner, Vice President; Mrs. Arthur Freese, Secretary; Charles Chapman, Treasurer; Kermit Huso, C.E. Peterson, and William Beasley. In 1965, the Society was incorporated as a non-profit organization in accordance with state law.

The mission statement of LCHS is: “The purpose of the society shall be the collection, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge about the history of Lyon County and to relate it to the history of the region and the state of Minnesota.” LCHS accomplishes this through the care of the collection, interpretive exhibits, and programming.

LCHS receives funds annually from Lyon County and the City of Marshall for operations/general administration. LCHS also depends on funds through memberships to support the museum. The LCHS membership runs annually and the levels are: Individual $25, Couple/Family $35, Business $100, Benefactor $300, and Premium Business $500. Membership along with grants, fundraisers, program fees, donations, memorials, and retail sales from the museum’s gift shop and ice cream shop support exhibits, programs, outreach, and preservation at the Lyon County Museum.

The Lyon County Historical Society is a non-profit, member-supported organization. For more information on membership, research, volunteering, or the museum’s collection, please contact us at 537-6580 or director@lyoncomuseum.org. Like our page and follow us on Facebook.