Just in Time — Manhattan Museum Reopens for 10th Anniversary Celebration
By Stephanie Irvine
After an extended closure, the Manhattan Township Historical Society’s Museum will again welcome visitors beginning on July 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The museum was forced to close at the end of March after heating issues and broken pipes caused significant water damage, leaving ceiling tiles on the floor and puddles of standing water inside the main museum entrance.
Miraculously, none of the museum’s artifacts, which include many photographs and fragile records, were destroyed or impacted.
The water from the ceiling landed on an exhibit containing ceramic pieces. The humidity caused some wrinkling of the explanatory posters, but they were repaired or replaced.
“The Village has been instrumental in assisting with all the repairs,” President Kadri Luering said.
“We are very grateful,” Vice President Susan Carlton added.
Established at its current location at 255 State St. in May 2014, the museum expanded the following year into the adjoining building at 245 State St. to occupy 3,000 square feet. The museum has a dedicated workspace for its historians and a room for records and archives.
The Museum will celebrate its 10th anniversary this October, 10 years from the original grand opening celebration. A date will be formalized soon.
Although a separate entity, the Manhattan Township Historical Society, organized in 1986 and later recognized in January 1987, operates the museum.
Its board and a few other volunteers maintain the museum, provide tours and staff open house dates, accept and review submitted artifacts, and conduct research, among other tasks — all free for the public.
In addition to Luering, the board includes Vice President Susan Carlton, Secretary Mary Kay Cooper, Treasurer Eileen Partak, and directors Andy Partak, Joann Jeffers, and Bob Davis.
The Historical Society runs on donations, which help keep the museum operating.
The group is excited to present “Ten Years of Museuming,” and to update the museum’s display window with a showcase of Manhattan history. “Museuming” is a term the group coined.
Featured in the museum are exhibits focused on Manhattan life from the past, including old telephones, vintage dresses, ceramics, maps, photographs, books, and records. They have dedicated rooms for artifacts and a timeline of Manhattan’s history.
A room dedicated to Manhattan’s rich veteran history displays uniforms, weaponry, letters from soldiers away at war, and more.
This room is special tor Andy Partak, who operates a Manhattan-based Civil War reenactment group: The Cypress Company. The Cypress Company is part of Will County’s 100th Illinois Volunteer Infantry and is a collection of individuals from several reenactment entities around the country.
He and other reenactors developed a database of nearly 1,000 local veterans. They’ve transcribed letters home and compiled other information to create an understanding of the local impact of the Civil War. They even obtained a Civil War-era sword on display at the museum, one of its crown jewels.
The Cypress Company will present a special Civil War Living History event at 10 a.m. when the museum re-opens its doors on July 6. The group will set up camp in the back parking lot of the museum and aims to be educational, entertaining, and interactive for those who attend.
The Civil War Living History event offers attendees a chance to learn and ask questions from actors portraying 1860’s soldiers and civilians. The group also conducts musket firing, infantry drills, and other demonstrations in between talking to visitors and answering questions, all while in character.
Visitors are encouraged to tour the museum and learn about Manhattan during the event.
Additionally, the Historical Society offers private tours of the Museum and other learning opportunities to local schools and organizations such as Scouts groups. Anyone interested should contact the Historical Society to schedule.
Recently, the Historical Society took on the task of amassing 4,529 original copies of the Manhattan American newspaper dating back to 1919. The newspapers were digitized and sent to the University of Illinois Newspaper Collection archives, which can be accessed online for free.
“They’ve got probably 200 different papers that they feature on their site. Of all of those, we are the eighth largest collection,” Andy Partak said.
The museum retained the original copies, some of which are in poor condition due to their original storage in an old barn. They are seeking missing copies from the 1920s, ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, along with some copies from the early 2000s. A complete list of the missing copies can be found on the group’s Facebook page.
In addition to missing newspapers, the museum is always looking for local veteran information, anything Manhattan-related. They also work with a network of local museums, so artifacts from other areas are accepted, too.
“The way that people can help us is that they need to know we have various ways that they can loan or donate,” Jeffers said.
“We have ‘donate with no restrictions’, and long-term loans,” she explained. The group can scan photos and documents, and return items to their owners.
And of course, new faces who want to volunteer or become Civil War reenactors are welcomed.
The Museum is open during Cruise Nights and will publish its summer schedule soon. Those interested in keeping up should visit the group’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ManhattanHistoricalSociety/.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.