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History Hunters Event
Thursday, May 24, 2012, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Our next History Hunters Event will take place on Thursday, May 24th from 12pm-1pm. Joey Cole Kubesch will be speaking about the legendary composer, Cole Porter (who happens to be her third cousin). Porter, a native of Peru, wrote hundreds of songs, and many successful Broadway shows. One of his shows, Anything Goes, is currently enjoying success on Broadway. Watch the video to hear a song from the musical, sung by Cole Porter himself.

Call 260.563.9070 for reservations. This event is free for members, or with a paid daily admission.

NOW OPEN
Life on the Home Front: Wabash County during WWII

“Lots of people have asked me how we are going to follow up our Historic Harleys exhibit,” said Tracy Stewart, executive director of the Museum.  “I think we’ve come up with something really special!”

Opening to the public on March 27, the exhibit will tell what life was like in the county during 1941 to 1945.  “There are so many unique stories to tell,” said Stewart.  “We’ve had a hard time narrowing it down to the number we can accommodate.”

Topics to be explored include conscientious objectors, war-time retooling at factories, bond drives, and other ways Wabash County residents supported the war effort.

“One of my favorite parts of this exhibit is about former mayor Homer T. Showalter, who wrote a newsletter and sent it out to all the soldiers.  It might have taken months to reach the boys, but it was a touch of home that they loved.

“Amazingly, when we were just beginning to talk about featuring Mayor Showalter’s newsletters, someone came in with a packet of letters, tied together with string.  These letters were from some of the soldiers, sent back to Showalter to say thank you and tell him some of their own news.  Telling a story is much richer when you have both sides of correspondence!”

Margie Stewart, chosen by Dwight Eisenhower to be the only poster girl for the Army, was from Wabash County.  Her story will also be highlighted.  “We have four original posters featuring Margie.  She did a series of 14, in which she writes to her special soldier about the virtues of saving money and investing in war bonds.  She had the all-American look that must have been a dream for soldiers.”

Margie Stewart (now Johnson) lives in California and still has a connection to her “boys,” as she calls them.  “I spoke with her recently and she told me some stories about traveling across the United States by train with Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Lucille Ball, and other stars to sell war bonds.  Her part in the war effort was tremendous.”

 “Of course we want to honor the people from Wabash County who served.  We’d like to invite people who have World War II uniforms to loan them to the Museum for the display.  Depending on how many there are out there, we hope to use them all,” said Brian Haupert, facilities coordinator.  The Museum will be accepting uniforms of Wabash County World War II participants (male and female) for loan on two days:  Wednesday, March 7, and Wednesday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  “There is a significant amount of paperwork involved when we borrow something like this, so we will have extra volunteers on hand to coordinate everything during these two days,” said Haupert.  Anyone who cannot make it at those times should call 260-563-9070 for an appointment. 

The sole sponsor of the exhibit is Wabash County Hospital.  According to the hospital’s CEO, Marilyn Custer-Mitchell, “Wabash County Hospital is happy to be sponsoring the Life on the Home Front exhibit at the Wabash County Historical Museum.  Part of the hospital’s mission is to support our community.  We felt sponsoring this exhibit was a great way to do that and also honor the many veterans who served during this great war, those that served here at home during World War II, and all those who continue to serve our country today.”

The exhibit will open to the public on March 27, 2012.  The museum is located at 36 E. Market Street, downtown Wabash.