Society preserves past for the future

The society and its collection will continue to grow.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- While the city is celebrating its bicentennial this year, the Salem Historical Society preserves the city's history every day.
"It adds to the community," said David Stratton, society president.
Stratton and Janice Lesher, the museum's curator, aren't sure exactly how many items the society has at its museum at 208 S. Broadway Ave., but they guess 50,000 to 100,000. The society has a list of its possessions, but it is in the process of cataloging, computerizing and counting them.
Lesher said of the collection, "We feel it's telling the Salem story."
The collection reflects both unique materials and those similar to the rest of America.
Local historian Dale Schaeffer has helped by publishing a number of books about the city.
Lesher said that the family of Dr. Jerri Nielsen, which has ties to Salem, has given the society materials relating to her battle with cancer at the South Pole in 1999, which made headlines around the world.
Salem is known for its women's rights convention in 1850. The museum has material on the convention and the local women's anti-drinking movement, as well as women's clothes from the era when women didn't leave the house without a hat and gloves. But the museum also displays a woman's white disposable paper dress, which was a fad during the 1960s.
More-masculine items
For guys, the garage behind the museum features a restored 1923 Doctor's Coupe vehicle, since five doctors had offices in one of the buildings that make up the museum.
The garage also has a Quaker Mule, a 1956 riding lawn mower made locally, and a wooden car used in the Soap Box Derby.
Also in the garage is a small rocket named "Cool Wave," a device that Stratton said was filled with water and used to cool car passengers before air conditioning was standard equipment.
The collection is spread through 18 rooms, each with a theme, such as the doctor's office, a kitchen and a school room.
Stratton said that visitors can see the museum once and not see everything. Still, to keep things fresh, the museum has begun frequently rotating the display in one room.
Wide-ranging collection
Society officials say supporters who appreciate Salem's history often provide important materials. If nothing else, said Stratton, people cleaning their house after their kids have moved out often call up and say, "Do you need this?"
The result is a collection that ranges from a loom to weapons, tools and military uniforms to toys and a birthing chair.
The society also has research materials including genealogy. Stratton said people from Texas with ties to Salem were coming to the city to do research.
Because of the size of the collection, and the interest, the society is considering expanding, possibly by adding a second story to the meeting room at the back of the museum, Stratton said.
The all-volunteer society will continue its work long after the bicentennial is over.
Stratton said, "Every year creates more history."
wilkinson@vindy.com