This summer, a woman in California working on her family’s genealogy came across photos of an odd-looking contraption posted on Ancestry.com – an early voting machine invented and patented by her fourth great uncle, Hiram Swartz, which was said to […]
Wayne County Historical Society reopens July 17 with new exhibit, new hours
The Wayne County Historical Society will reopen to the public on Saturday, July 17, ending a 16-month shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tours of the historical society’s eight-building campus and permanent collection will be available every Saturday and Sunday […]
WCHS Community Band Concert is July 15 at 7 p.m.
The Wayne County Historical Society’s summer Community Band concert will take place on Thursday, July 15, at 7 p.m., in downtown Wooster. Presented by Main Street Wooster, the concert is sponsored by the Wayne County Historical Society, Sprenger Health Care Systems, […]
Historical Society seeks part-time executive director
Thanks to the hard work and generosity of its volunteers, the Wayne County Historical Society has grown significantly over the past decade and a half, adding new buildings to the campus, increasing the size and scope of its exhibits, including […]
Nothing says “wish you were here” like a postcard
The Historical Society has a substantial collection of Wayne County postcards, many from the early years of the 20th century, collected by Rick and Elaine Peterson, Patrick Hagans, and others. You can see a selection of them on display in […]
WCHS remains closed due to pandemic
WOOSTER, Feb. 24, 2021 – The Wayne County Historical Society remains closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The board of trustees is carefully monitoring the latest information and guidance from the CDC and state and local health authorities, as well […]
A toast to the new year!
For decades, when Wayne County residents rang in the new year, there was a good chance that a bottle of Cedar Valley rye or bourbon figured in the celebration. Founded in the mid-19th century by Cyrus Bowman on Cedar Valley […]
Lions and tigers and bears. Oh, my!
Scores of ducks, lions, elephants, and rabbits live together in harmony on the shelves of the Wayne County Historical Society’s permanent collection. Crafted of ponderosa pine, the members of this menagerie are all products of the Toy Kraft Company. Founded […]
The key to becoming a county seat
For the first few years of Wayne County’s existence, court sessions were held in a series of log homes and rented structures. The question of where the county seat would be located was a matter of no little importance, and […]
WCHS receives Ohio Humanities OH CARES grant
The Wayne County Historical Society has received a $5,000 OH CARES grant from Ohio Humanities to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus-driven closure of the historical society’s campus. The grant was made possible by funding that Ohio Humanities received […]
