Wisconsin Council for Local History

The Wisconsin Council for Local History is an association of over 400 local, county and specialized historical societies and private historic preservation groups that are affiliated with the Wisconsin Historical Society. The Council promotes the work of local historical societies in Wisconsin and advises the Society on its services to local affiliates. A complete list of affiliated organizations appears in the Local Historical Affiliate Directory.
About the Wisconsin Council for Local History
In 1899, Reuben Gold Thwaites, director of the Wisconsin Historical Society, traveled by train to Green Bay and Ripon to participate in the affiliation of Wisconsin's first two local historical societies. Since then, more than 400 additional local societies and private non-profit historic preservation groups throughout the state have organized and affiliated with the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Affiliated local historical societies and the Wisconsin Historical Society have a special relationship defined in the Wisconsin Statutes. The Society offers organizational and educational assistance to local affiliates. The local affiliates, in turn, share in the mission and responsibility of preserving Wisconsin's heritage.
Local history groups become a member of the Council by becoming an affiliate of the Society. For information on becoming an affiliate of the Wisconsin Historical Society and a member of the Wisconsin Council for Local History, please see How to Become a Local History Affiliate.
Mission
The mission of the Wisconsin Council for Local History is to promote communication and cooperation among local history groups. The Council provides opportunities for historical organizations in Wisconsin to discuss mutual problems and promote wider interest in local history.
Through its Administrative Committee, the Council also advises the state Society on its local history programming and serves as a voice of local historians.
Each year, the Council and Society organize regional meetings that offer educational programming, roundtable discussions and tours of the host organization's museum, sites, or historical features of the area. The Society and Council also partner to offer an annual mini-grant program and to plan the Local History - Historic Preservation Annual Conference, the largest gathering of its kind in the state.
Volunteer Recognition and Awards Program
The Wisconsin Council for Local History will recognize and honor local historical societies and specialty museums; their individual members; and other groups, organizations or individuals who, through their efforts in the form of time, talent or treasure, contribute to the advancement, appreciation and preservation of Wisconsin's local history heritage.
Learn more about the program and how to nominate individuals and groups here (PDF, 153 KB).
Administrative Committee
The Administrative Committee is the Council's representative decision-making body. It is composed of a president and vice-president, a secretary, a treasurer, six members at large, one representative of the Society's Board of Curators and ten regional representatives. The director of the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Society's Field Service representatives serve as ex-officio members of the Administrative Committee. The Administrative Committee meets in the spring and at the state conference in the fall. The current Administrative Committee is listed below.
President: | Alli Karrels 200 W. Main Street Sparta, WI 54656 608-269-0033 dekeslayton@centurytel.net |
Vice President | Travis Gross 3110 Erie Avenue Sheboygan, WI 53081 920-458-1103 travis.gross@sheboygancounty.com |
Treasurer | Roy Ostenso 1208 1st Avenue E. Menomonie, WI 54751 715-235-5390 or 715-505-1110 (cell) ostensor@sbcglobal.net |
Secretary | Joe Hermolin PO Box 45 Deerbrook, WI 54424 715-623-5372 hermolin@wisc.edu |
Past President | John Decker 143 W. Main Street Evasville, WI 53536 608-882-5528 or 608-289-4158 (cell) deckercorp@charter.net |
Directors at Large
| Larry Behlen PO Box 332, 491 Canal Street Green Lake, WI 54941-0032 920-294-6229 larrybe@charter.net Lee Kaschinska 506 E. Terrace Street Colby, WI 54421 262-895-6858 kaschinskal@hotmail.com Joe Hermolin PO Box 45 Deerbrook, WI 54424-0045 715-623-5372 hermolin@wisc.edu Katie Kirby 1798 Huron Street, PO Box 250 Three Lakes, WI 54562 715-546-2295 curator@threelakesmuseum.org Cynthia Arbiture N5863 Hickory Hill Drive Sullivan, WI 53178 262-593-8099 info@musprosvc.com Tamara Schutz PO Box 242 Cameron, WI 54822 715-458-2080 museum1@chibardun.net |
Board of Curators Representative | George Jacobs, Attorney at Law 510 W. Wilson Street Madison WI 53703 608-251-5411 gfj@ptitle.com |
Ex Officio Directors (without vote): | Christian Øverland, Ruth and Hartley Barker Director, Wisconsin Historical Society 816 State Street Madison, WI 53706 608-264-6440 christian.overland@wisconsinhistory.org Janet Seymour, Interim Director of Outreach 105 Garfield Avenue Eau Claire, WI 54701 715-836-2250 janet.seymour@wisconsinhistory.org |
Capital | Helen Wirka 115 E. Main Street Sun Prairie, WI 53590 608-837-2915 hwirka@cityofsunprairie.com |
Northwestern | Sheree Peterson 8640 Martin Road Bayfield, WI 54814 715-779-5016 frogbay@cheqnet.net |
Central | Kim Krueger PO Box 142 Marshfield, WI 54449 715-387-3322 nwchs@uphammansion.com |
Northwoods | Rachel Egelseer 1545 Lake Road Florence, WI 54121 906-360-6010 (cell) raegelseer1@chartermi.net |
East Central | Travis Gross 3110 Erie Avenue Sheboygan, WI 53081 920-458-1103 travis.gross@sheboygancounty.com |
Southeastern | David Totten 5390 S. Edinbourgh Drive New Berlin, WI 53146 262-643-8855 djtotten@earthlink.net |
Metropolitan | Mame Croze McCully 910 N. Old World Third Street Milwaukee, WI 53203 414-273-8288 mmccully@milwaukeehistory.net |
Southwestern | Jim Weinzatl 321 Superior Avenue Tomah, WI 54660 608-372-1880 tomahmuseum@charter.net |
Northeastern | Terry Thiessen 1707 Pilgrim Way New Holstein, WI 53061-1246 920-948-7748 tethiessen@frontier.com |
West Central | Kelly Herold 407 S. Second Street PO Box 394 Alma, WI 54610 608-685-6290 office@bchsonline.com |
Learn More
Resources for Local Historical Societies
Have Questions?
Contact:
Janet Seymour
c/o University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
105 Garfield Avenue, Hibbard 728
Eau Claire, WI 54701-4004
Phone: 715-836-2250
janet.seymour@wisconsinhistory.org