Kentucky PBS update!

The Crandon Area Historical Society is excited to announce the date/time of Kentucky PBS’ segment featuring Crandon’s Kentuck Day celebration! The Kentucky Life Segment (season 29, episode7) will air LIVE on Kentucky Educational Television on Saturday, March 16th at 7:00 p.m.

There are various ways to watch the segment live, please visit https://ket.org/program/kentucky-life/ to view your options. The segment will be added to their website shortly after it airs live.

The segment was filmed at the 2023 Kentuck Day Festival in Downtown Crandon. Several local Kentuck celebrities and local historians were interviewed as part of their visit. We look forward to sharing our unique heritage with thousands of Kentucky Life viewers!

Give the Gift of Family Heritage

Looking for a thoughtful, fun holiday present for your favorite Forest County Kentuck? We are once again working with Creative Screenprinting in downtown Crandon to offer Forest County Kentuck t-shirts for a limited time.

T-shirt sales are open NOW and orders must be placed by November 30th for delivery by Christmas. Profits from the sales goes directly to support the operations of our local historical society.

Thank you and have a safe and happy Holiday Season!

http://Creativecrandon.com/crandon-historical

Kentuck Day KICK OFF event – 1st Annual Community Support Committee Run/Walk for Charity

Submitted by Jenny Criel, Secretary & Community Support Chair

The Lake Lucerne Advancement Association Community Support Committee’s First Annual 5K-ish Run/Walk to be held on July 29, 2023. This race event was created to support local non-profit and volunteer organizations. This year’s event will raise money to help the local Crandon Area Rescue Squad’s new ambulance cost, with a race donation suggestion of $35.00.

Registration and pick-up will begin at 7:30 AM at the Lake Lucerne Advancement Association Club House (4031 County W, Crandon WI 54520) and closes at 8:40 AM. The race will begin at the north end of Lake Lucerne and end at the Club House. Transportation to the race start will be provided with the last ride leaving at 8:40.

Registration form

History on Tap to feature Moonshine in the Northwoods

The Crandon Area Historical Society is excited to announce the return of their popular History on Tap program scheduled for Wednesday, July 26th at 6:00 p.m. at the Night Owl in Downtown Crandon.

Local Northwoods historian Jim Bokern will present “Moonshine in the Northwoods”, featuring photos, documents, research, and stories that reveal how moonshine operations changed and impacted several Northwoods’ communities including those in Forest County. During Prohibition, visitors and residents to the Northwoods of Wisconsin sought sanctuary from Volstead Act enforcement in remote northern towns and villages.

This program is free and open to the public.  The public is encouraged to attend in their best 1920’s attire but it is not required.  Donations to the Forest County Historical Society’s “Save the Records” Campaign will gladly be accepted.  The campaign is an effort to draw attention to the need to preserve our county’s history by ensuring the records, photos and newspapers in our county are preserved, and digitized for researchers, students and local history efforts. 

For more information about this event, or the Save the Records Campaign, please contact Michelle Gobert at forestctyhistory@gmail.com.

Crandon Area Historical Society to Host Digital Readiness Fair!

Join the Crandon Area Historical Society and other local history practitioners this summer at our virtual Digital Readiness Fair! This free, half-day event offers a mix of activities and learning opportunities, and showcases digitization work from around the state. Hear from local history practitioners and how they have tackled digitization projects, including challenges, successes, and lessons learned along the way. We’re excited for attendees to connect with each other and form their own communities of practice. Participants will also learn more about our ongoing participation in statewide digital readiness work, Recollection Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Local History Affiliates program.

Individuals are able to attend this digital readiness fair virtually or in-person on Friday, July 16, 2021 from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  The full schedule of events and registration information is available online at www.crandonareahistory.org  Registration is required for the free event.  Individuals wishing to attend the in-person event are invited to the Argonne Town Hall at 8:30 a.m. for coffee and conversation.  The virtual event will be broadcast live from 9:00 – Noon at the Argonne Town hall and will feature speakers from the Forest History Association, the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Waukesha County Historical Society and Museum.

The Crandon Area Historical Society is one of four digital fairs scheduled this summer.  Other digital events include the Appleton Public Library’s fair on June 29, Pioneer Village in Barron County on August 3rd and the Kenosha County Historical Society on August 18th.  Information about the four Digital Readiness Fairs can be found at https://recollectionwisconsin.org/cop/digital-readiness-fairs

About Building a Digital Readiness Community of Practice in Wisconsin

This NHPRC-funded project supports “digital readiness” in small and under-resourced local historical societies and historic preservation organizations across Wisconsin. Through workshops, presentations at statewide Digital Readiness Fairs, consultations, and development of learning resources, this community-driven initiative will create and grow a community of practice that provides the knowledge, tools and community support to digitize, manage, and provide online public access to local historical records. For more information, visit https://recollectionwisconsin.org/cop.

This event is funded through an Archives Collaboratives Implementation Grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the granting arm of the National Archives.

Introducing TreeRings!

The Crandon Area Historical Society is excited to announce the release of the first episode of our local history podcast titled Tree Rings, produced and hosted by Isak Drangstveit and Bryce Marshall.

This premiere episode features the story of the 1918 Spanish flu and its impact on Forest county residents over a century ago. Hosts Isak and Bryce share with listeners the research they conducted on the Spanish Flu outbreak in Forest County and the key players involved in the prevention of the spread of the 1918 flu. As part of their research, they interview historical society member Jackie Aszman regarding some of the stories she uncovered while conducting her own research on the pandemic. Finally, Isak and Bryce interview current members of the Forest county Board of Health to gain insight into the similarities and differences of the two pandemics in Forest County.

New Display at the Crandon Public Library

       After a couple months of sitting empty, like so many things during COVID-19, the Historical Society case at the Crandon Public Library has a new display.  The theme, BOOKS BUILD BETTER BRAINS, encourages reading to children to bring knowledge, wonder and joy into their lives.  The books featured are mostly children’s books from the 1940’s but the Peter Rabbit book was printed in 1912.  The homemade blocks show the wear and tear of many childhood building projects. Looking at the books in the display may bring back memories of some of your childhood favorites.

      The Society is looking forward to next year, when hopefully we can again celebrate the Christmas season with vintage decorations in the museum at the Carter House Museum.  We wish all a Blessed and safe Christmas Season.

FOREST COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING

The Forest County Historical and Genealogical Society dba Crandon Area Historical  Society is inviting its members and anyone interested in becoming a member to attend their annual meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 19, 2020.

Due to current guidelines limiting gatherings, this meeting will be held virtually using the Zoom app. Simply download the app on your computer, tablet, or phone. Send us an email request by November 18 and we will send you the link before the meeting begins.  The email address to send your request is: forestctyhistory@gmail.com. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m.

The Forest County Historical and Genealogical Society is a nonprofit organization founded in 1973. Its purpose is to promote Forest County history and preserve archival materials.