De Pere Historical Society Inc

TO PROMOTE PUBLIC AWARENESS, UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION FOR DE PERES RICH HISTORIC PAST THROUGH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS; TO DISCOVER, COLLECT AND PRESERVE MATERIALS RELATED TO DE PERES HISTORY; TO SERVE AS A REPOSITORY OF INFORMATION FOR OTHERS INTERESTED IN DE PERES HISTORY.

COMMUNITY OUTREACHTHE MAJOR EXHIBIT ON PUBLIC DISPLAY AT THE WHITE PILLARS MUSEUM DURING 2018 INCLUDED MAPS, ARTIFACTS, DESCRIPTIONS AND DETAILS OF THE FOX RIVER HYDRAULIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION AUTHORIZED IN 1835 BY THE TERRITORY OF MICHIGAN TO ERECT THE FIRST DAM ACROSS THE FOX RIVER AT DE PERE TO MAKE USE OF WATER POWER FOR MILLS AND INDUSTRY.FOUR 8-PAGE NEWSLETTERS WERE WRITTEN, PUBLISHED, PRINTED AND MAILED TO MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY IN FEBRUARY, MAY, SEPTEMBER AND DECEMBER OF 2018. AN AVERAGE OF 700 WAS PRINTED EACH TIME.FOUR ISSUES OF THE KIDS NEWSLETTER WERE WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED IN MARCH, MAY, OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER OF 2018 WITH 950 COPIES PRINTED EACH TIME AND DISTRIBUTED TO ALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN THE CITY, BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE.FIVE 90-MINUTE COMMUNITY PHOTO SHOWS WERE HELD FEBRUARY 7, APRIL 25, JUNE 20, SEPTEMBER 12 AND NOVEMBER 14 AT THE WEST DE PERE HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM. BETWEEN 90 AND 175 PERSONS ATTENDED EACH SHOW. IN ADDITION, PHOT

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE WHITE PILLARS MUSEUM AND THE RESTORED POLO RESTO FILLING STATIONTHE WHITE PILLARS MUSEUM IS THE OLDEST BUILDING IN THE CITY OF DE PERE, WISCONSIN. ORIGINALLY BUILT IN 1836 AND NOW LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTRY OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS, IT HAS BEEN ADDED ON TO THROUGH THE YEARS AND HAS SEEN MULTIPLE USES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, A BUILDING OF THAT AGE REQUIRES A LOT OF UPKEEP. HEAT, LIGHT, WATER, SEWER, INSURANCE, TELEPHONE, PRINTING, POSTAGE, SECURITY, LAWN CARE, SNOW REMOVAL, ROUTINE REPAIRS AND UPKEEP ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE EXPENSES OF THIS PROGRAM AREA.THE WHITE PILLARS MUSEUM WAS CLOSED FOR THE FIRST 4 MONTHS OF 2018 FOLLOWING DEPARTURE OF THE MUSEUM DIRECTOR IN DECEMBER 2017 AND OUR REPLACEMENT DIRECTOR BEGINNING EMPLOYMENT MAY 2018. DURING THE FOLLOWING 8 MONTHS OF 2018 THE MUSEUM WAS OPEN APPROXIMATELY 20 HOURS PER WEEK WITH FREE ADMISSION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. DURING 2018 ABOUT 350 INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES MADE MONETARY

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYTHE DE PERE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MAINTAINS A SEARCHABLE COMPUTER-BASED DIGITAL ARCHIVE (MARS) AS A SERVICE TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. THIS DIGITAL ARCHIVE CONTAINS OVER 75,000 SCANNED PAGES OF LOCAL NEWSPAPERS FROM THE YEARS 1880 THROUGH 2000, OVER 150,000 PAGES FROM MORE THAN 150,000 PAGES FROM MORE THAN 125 LEDGERS OF LOCAL BUSINESSES AND CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, 9,000 FUNERAL CARDS, 900 MAPS, AND OVER 15,000 HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES. FIVE COMPUTER WORKSTATIONS ARE PROVIDED IN THE MUSEUM WITH DATA STORAGE ON A CENTRAL SERVER. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR USE OF THE DIGITAL ARCHIVE SYSTEM BUT USERS MAY PRINT COPIES OF PHOTOS OR DOCUMENTS FOR A NOMINAL FEE.