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Over 500,000 Served!

Each spring the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center conducts an annual fundraising campaign in support of its mission- serve the public by collecting and preserving the written documentation and images of Sheboygan County.  All dollars raised go to pay for programming, outreach, archival and project supplies, collection management and operating costs.

This year – 2011- marks the Historical Research Center’s 4^th Annual Fundraising Campaign- Over 500,000 Served! is the slogan we’re using. This year, more than ever before, it is vital that we all support collection, preservation and education online. Truly, everyone benefits from a vibrant and information-filled internet, and we have only just begun to see how beneficial a culture of sharing can be.

This year we have set an ambitious goal of raising $60,000. We are a non-profit organization- a 501 (c) 3, and as such we are all too familiar with the challenge of securing the resources we need to continue our work. We’ve been inundated with news regarding how difficult it is to raise money in today’s economic climate. However, the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center doesn’t see this as an obstacle; we see it as an opportunity – an opportunity to call researchers and genealogists around the world to action.

This campaign is not exclusively about fundraising; it’s about supporting the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center and its mission.  Help spread the word about SCHRC, donate your family history or historical information and/or Give What You Can. Any amount helps and all is greatly appreciated.

Research Success Stories

Annette, a researcher from Maine, found many references to her family in 19th century documents at the Center. One of these included her great-grandfather’s obituary from 1899, which stated that he was buried, not in a cemetery, but on his own farm. One mystery solved. The family never knew where the patriarch of the family had been laid to rest. Using old plat maps, Annette located the property just south of Sheboygan Falls. She decided to make an impromptu visit to the property on her way to the airport. Fortunately, the owners were home and they actually knew of the burial. They promptly took her to the gravesite, hidden for more than 100 years behind the barn he had worked so hard to build.  Annette found her great-grandfather and SCHRC gained valuable information which was added to its ever-expanding collection.

My profession has placed me in hundreds of archives around the world and few can compete with the SCHRC in terms of their organization, efficiency, comprehensiveness and professional staff. Through the SCHRC I have discovered many important photographs and documents, some of which might appear useless to some, that have changed the course of my research dramatically and have opened my eyes to new historical realities. I couldn’t be more impressed with the SCHRC, its staff and its volunteers.

Prof. Scott Noegel
University of Washington, Seattle, WA

The Sheboygan County Historical Research Center is a highly valuable and unique treasure for our area, efficiently and professionally preserving items of local history which would otherwise be lost, supported solely from donations, and available at no cost to researchers.

Edwin L. Fisher
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

History is alive in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. Much of the interest and excitement is due to the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center in Sheboygan Falls. The Center has carved out an impressive place in preserving and sharing the area’s history. I was privileged to talk to more than 100 people who crowded into the basement meeting room of the Sheboygan Falls Public Library as part of the Second Saturdays series about the importance of stories in keeping history alive and interesting. I was speaking to the choir. This group knows about the importance of history in the lives of people. I applaud the Research Center, its staff and volunteers who run the Saturday programs, for keeping history alive, vibrant and interesting.

Jerry Apps
Author and historian
Wild Rose, Wisconsin

Preservation of the printed word and photographs of long-forgotten buildings and historic events is the important role of our very own SCHRC.  It is an exceptional place.      

John Holden
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

The Sheboygan County Historical Research Center is a hidden gem saving resources that would have otherwise been lost. A collaborative effort lasting nearly thirty years, the Research Center works with everyone to collect and share information.

Marge Jagler
Sheboygan, Wisconsin