Johnson County Historical Society Museum

The Johnson County Historical Society Museum complex consists of three historic buildings with the main building and the rural schoolhouse located at one site and the Old Jail standing on its original location nearby. The main museum is housed in the historic Christian Church that was built in 1888 with pews from the original church, an organ, and pulpits displayed at the front of the building. Adjacent to the church is the restored District 73 schoolhouse.

The church building includes a variety of exhibits, many of which are displayed in free-standing cases. Significant displays include a collection of farm toys, the McCrosky Collection of statuettes and fans, china and household items, quilts, and military artifacts. The basement includes collections of farm implements and tools, Indian artifacts, and an early kitchen display.

• 1200-1450 AD Indian Pottery
• Glass from the late 1700s
• 1800 English Blue Willow dishes
• 1833 Antique Clock
• 1863 large Sherman Family Bible
• Edison Cylinder Phonograph with horn

Other items include a collection of dolls, glassware, band instruments from the Tecumseh Military Band, many Indian artifacts, numerous pictures of residents, scenes of towns in the county, the Ingersoll unicycle, Frederick Prill emigrant trunk from Germany, a picture of the Civil War Andersonville prison, Donald J. Van Winkle’s tractor collection, vintage clothing, biographical writings of prominent Johnson County residents, the papers of Col. Barney Oldfield, the story of the 17-year-old, 4-H club member who developed high-yield Hybrid Seed corn, becoming Dr. Charles O. Gardner, and recognized nationally and internationally for his genetic research in agronomy, plus numerous other exhibits on display.

Records of all Johnson County cemeteries and the obituaries from 1900 to 1939 are on file. There is much history about Johnson County and its residents that is recorded in the libraries on file as well as copies of the various Johnson County Newspapers.