BEAUTY & BARPER SHOP
To impare or improve? Some earlier versions of beauty products, including this 1947 permanent wave machine donated by Betty Lee Junkins, look more like torture treatments than beauty treatments. This new exhibit, which is located in the former Infirmary barber shop area, showcases the barber shops and beauty rituals through the 1900s.

BETWEEN FENCES 2010
The exhibit looks at fences, both physical and figurative, and will focus on the definition of home, farm, and factory; materials used to build fences in different parts of the country; and an unusual look at its representation as a division of race, culture, or class.

BETWEEN FENCES is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Federation of State Humanities Councils. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United State Congress.

[more about our exhibit]

4-H OF WOOD COUNTY 2010
Explore the variety of projects from our local 4-H group. 2010 feature is 4-H CAMP.

More on the Wood County 4-H Program.

GOVERNMENT ROOM
One exhibit marks the history of Crime and Punishment in Wood County, including the infamous Carl Bach trial and the Mary Bach fingers. The second exhibit in this room showcases political memorabilia from national and local campaigns.

Related Events:
• PRETTY BOY FLOYD Tours & Programs

HANDS ON HISTORY
Visit this hands-on exhibit for a touch-and-feel look at the equipment that started our technological world. Exhibit includes working telegraph equipment, a switchboard, mail sorting area, a non-electric office stocked with typewriters and adding machines, hand-powered machinery, and a home-tools and appliance display featuring a Singer sewing machine. We are still looking for donations: vintage oven, refrigerator, icebox, hand appliances such as egg beaters, flour sifters, and various kitchenware from 1930s - 1950s.

Got a HANDS-ON idea? Contact Michael McMaster, Education Coordinator, education@woodcountyhistory.org or 419.352.0967.

MEDICAL EXHIBIT
The County Infirmary served, in part, as a hospital ward for the elderly and infirm. On display are medical implements used throughout the 1900s.

RESIDENTS REMEMBERED
Nine Infirmary residents are showcased in this exhibit which debuted at the 2004 Wood County Fair. A joint effort of the Wood County Historical Society and the Wood County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, each panel explains the myriad of reasons that would necessitate people to become an Infirmary resident. Disabilities, the Depression, and a series of misfortunes may have brought them here, but you may be surprised at the dynamics that followed.

2010 - Who were the people at the Infirmary and what did they bring with them? Find out as "Residents Remembered" explores deeper into the Infirmary's history.

Related Events:
• INFIRMARY HISTORY Tours & Programs
• RESIDENTS REMEMBERED Traveling Exhibit

SPOTLIGHT ON ACQUISITIONS 2010
This rotating exhibit highlights a variety of pieces from the Historical Society's collections.

VICTORIAN'S SECRET
Unfold the Victorian's Secret in this captivating exhibit. Victorian couture is easily recognizable, but this exhibit takes a more intimate approach. Elaborate gowns required elaborate undergarments, true, but the working Ohio farmer's wife had a few secrets of her own. These textiles help us interpret sexual repression of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, gender roles and power structures through restrictive undergarments, and the differences between varying socioeconomic groups.

Related Events:
•VICTORIAN'S SECRET Tours & Programs

WOOD COUNTY IN MOTION
Follow the timeline of Northwest Ohio from the ice age through the Great Black Swamp and into the Oil and Gas Boom that triggered much of Wood County's wealth, as well as the Ghost Towns.

Related Events:
• LIFE IN THE GREAT BLACK SWAMP Tours & Programs

WOOD COUNTY INFIRMARY: MEMORIES OF THE COUNTY INFIRMARY
Visit rooms that revisit life at the County Infirmary including the Front Porch, Parlor, Dining Room, Infirmary Bedroom, One-room School, and Life at the Home.

EXHIBITS ON THE GROUNDS OF THE INFIRMARY

HOG BARN
The Hog Barn was built in 1913 and used to breed and house the hogs raised by the Infirmary for food. It was built using bricks from the demolished Corril House on W. Wooster Street in nearby Bowling Green.

THE OIL DERRICK & BOOMTOWN DISTRICT
The discovery of oil and natural gas put Wood County on the map! See a real oil derrick on the grounds. During special events, licensed operators run the steam engine. The derrick sets on the east end of the property, in the the growing "Boomtown" District, which also houses a blacksmith shop and log cabin.

More oil & gas sources:
Oil & Gas Museum, West Virginia

TRAVELING EXHIBITS
Available Upon Request

WOOD COUNTY FAIR (TRAVELING EXHIBIT)
The first Wood County Fair was held in 1851 in a grove of trees on Wooster Street (near the present City Building), but has grown into a week-long tradition of music, animals, exhibits, rides, and food. This exhibit traces the history of the many Wood County Fairs, including its demise in 1927 and its revival in the 1950s. This exhibit was done as a partnership between the Wood County Genealogical Society and the Wood County Historical Society.
If you would like this traveling exhibit, please contact Kelli at 419.352.0967.

WOOD COUNTY CHILDREN'S HOME (TRAVELING EXHIBIT)
From dependent to dependable, the Wood County Children's Home served youth in need from 1908 to 1959. The original home, as well as the stately institution, both which are still visible in Bowling Green today, are a testiment to the County's duty to social welfare. Watched over for many years by superintendent Nellie Repass, the children that resided in the home share their stories. Whether unruly or unfortunate, the Children's Home helped many families stay strong. This exhibit was done as a partnership between the Wood County Genealogical Society and the Wood County Historical Society.
If you would like this traveling exhibit, please contact Kelli at 419.352.0967.

RESIDENTS REMEMBERED (TRAVELING EXHIBIT)
Nine Infirmary residents are showcased in this exhibit which debuted at the 2004 Wood County Fair. A joint effort of the Wood County Historical Society and the Wood County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, each panel explains the myriad of reasons that would necessitate people to become an Infirmary resident. Disabilities, the Depression, and a series of misfortunes may have brought them here, but you may be surprised at the dynamics that followed. This exhibit was done as a partnership between the Wood County Genealogical Society and the Wood County Historical Society.
If you would like this traveling exhibit, please contact Kelli at 419.352.0967.

NORTHWEST OHIO FOODWAYS TRADITIONS (TRAVELING EXHIBIT)
The foods of Northwest Ohio may not seem particularly interesting at first, but a closer look reveals a deep-rooted history of German ancestry, Mexican influence, and pioneer struggles. This exhibit was funded by a Partnership for Community Action grant as a dual project between the Wood County Historical Society and the foodways studies of Dr. Lucy Long, department of American Culture Studies at Bowling Green State University. More information about Northwest Ohio Foodways.
If you would like this traveling exhibit, please contact Kelli at 419.352.0967.
JANUARY 2010 : DEFIANCE COLLEGE, DEFIANCE OHIO

Learn more about Foodways, the Smithsonian KEY INGREDIENTS: AMERICA BY FOOD exhibit that launched our Northwest Ohio Foodways projects, and the annual Foodways Expo hosted by the BG Convention & Visitors Bureau.