Every historical society has one main objective — to preserve the stories of the past. The Grove City Area Historical Society hopes its remodeled museum will provide new opportunities to share the stories of the Grove City area.

Through artifacts, photographs and written narrative, the museum is a treasure trove of stories of what life once was like on the prairies of western Meeker County.

Since November, the museum has been closed for remodeling after the historical society decided to give the museum a new, clean look.

“Everything was cluttered. Everything was mixed together. We just wanted to organize it,” board vice president Dorothy Lindstrom, 72, said.

After months of work, the museum today is less crowded and easier to walk through. Artifacts have been reorganized into particular areas, like military, school and farm. Thanks to the donation of a Bemidji man, cubicle dividers offer order to the different collections.

Lindstrom said the work really began to take shape this past month, but the society has plans for future projects, too. Members hope to add bigger identification signs and rotate some of the exhibit displays.

“This doesn’t mean we’re done,” historical society member Idella Moe, 90, said.

Since its organization in 1989, the Grove City Area Historical Society has sustained because of the passion of its members to preserve the area’s history. The Grove City Area Historical Society, as organized by its 13 charter members, aims to collect and maintain the history of the townships of Acton, Danielson, Manannah, Swede Grove and Union Grove, Lindstrom said.

Read more in the March 27 Independent Review.