Executive Director’s Report

AS everyone knows, this March marks the one year anniversary of a different life for everyone. While SCHS has had to adapt just like everyone else, the work of collecting, preserving and sharing the unique history of our area continues and the past year has been marked with milestones. As the pandemic started we learned that SCHS had been chosen to receive the Reuben Gold Thwaites Trophy for excellence in local history. While the typical awards ceremony was scuttled, SCHS was honored to have the trophy hand delivered and presented by Christian Overland the Director of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Over the summer the usual biannual Tour of Historic Homes was canceled but our generous members and donors have helped cover that lost revenue. The 20 year master plans for Man Mound and Yellow Thunder were developed with the staff from the Land, Resources and Environment Department of Sauk County and were approved by the SCHS Board and the Sauk County Board by the end of the year. This past year also saw the debut of our 10 module online history course for elementary school age children (and adults!) In early October the Society helped create two interpretive panels which were installed along the Baraboo Riverwalk for Sauk County’s second annual Indigenous Peoples Day. Later that month the Society was given the historic Baraboo Depot and the race was on to get a temporary rubber roof on the building which was completed in early January.

As we start another year filled with unknowns the Society will continue to adapt. Our email newsletter has nearly 800 subscribers and hits inboxes twice a month with interesting content not covered in our print newsletter. A new YouTube channel is where you can find online presentations and archived recordings. (please subscribe!) This summer the Society will host the Sunday in the Cemetery - Living History Tour at Walnut Hill Cemetery and bring several interesting local people back to life. The work of planning for the historic Baraboo Depot restoration and rehabilitation will continue. All of our activities are made possible by our faithful and generous members and donors. The recent generous gifts from two anonymous donors will help us continue our work into the future and we are grateful. One day we will be able to look back on the current pandemic as history and also note the growth in the Society that happened in the midst of it.