Historical Society Works On Building A Future By Preserving The Past Story by Callie Sharkey • Photo by Abner Pedraza
Knowing an area’s history provides a foundation for the culture and allows for a deeper understanding of the modernday community, and the Village of Wellington is no different. But, as a young community when compared to more established areas, the question arises: When does it become important to think of the past as history? The newly founded Wellington Historical Society seeks to address that very issue. “The mission of the Wellington Historical Society is to celebrate Wellington’s unique history through gathering, preserving and sharing its past for the benefit of generations to come,” Wellington Historical Society President Laurie Cohen explained. Cohen is not only the president, but also a founder of the Wellington Historical Society. She also serves as Wellington’s village attorney and is a former member of the Wellington Village Council. Years ago, she traveled to New
York with her husband for a high school reunion and visited a historical society while there. “They had a building with videos, historical photographs, oral histories — and I thought, ‘We should start doing this in Wellington now,’” Cohen said. Thus, the project of forming a group dedicated to preserving Wellington’s past began. The Wellington Historical Society is now a tax-exempt, notfor-profit organization, and in January 2018 held its first official board meeting. The organization is building a solid foundation early, taking inspiration and advice from other similar organizations. When approaching the Palm Beach County Historical Society, the
Wellington Historical Society board members James Seder, Hope Barron, Don Gross, Joan Manning, Sue Bierer, Laurie Cohen, Francine Ramaglia, Riley Meve, Denis Quinlan, MaryJo Shockley and Chuck Edgar.
The inaugural Wellington Village Council in 1996.
founders were encouraged to also begin documenting the history of the Wellington Historical Society itself. New members can join at any time, and the society’s numbers grow with each new meeting, event and mixer. Secretary MaryJo Shockley described what drew her to become a part of the organization. “The love that I have for Wellington made me want to join. At 16 years, this is the longest I’ve lived anywhere,” she said. “I’ve raised three boys here. I knew when I searched it out, this was a great community. It was the place I wanted to retire.” Board Member Chuck Edgar sees limitless potential for growth as Wellington’s history expands each year. “I’d like to see us personally do a connection to famous athletes or other notable people. We already have a Major League Baseball player and an American Idol contestant, but also council members who grew up here,” Edgar said. How exactly is history preserved? The Wellington Historical Society has already begun the task of gathering artifacts, documenting stories and developing programs, such as lectures. “We are in the phase of collecting things like documents and artifacts, aerials and photographs,” Cohen said. “The items are stored in an air-conditioned space.” Eventually, these items will have a permanent home on display for the public to enjoy, but for now, the organization is focused on growing smart. It is important to both the board and members to take care of Wellington’s history in a professional and sustainable manner. wellington the magazine | december 2018
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