Wisconsin Council for Local History

The Wisconsin Council for Local History is an association of over 400 local, county, and specialized history and cultural organizations that are affiliated with the Wisconsin Historical Society. The Council promotes the work of local historical societies in Wisconsin and advises the Society on its services to local affiliates. A complete list of affiliated organizations appears in the Local Historical Affiliate Directory.
About the Wisconsin Council for Local History
In 1899, Reuben Gold Thwaites, director of the Wisconsin Historical Society, traveled by train to Green Bay and Ripon to participate in the affiliation of Wisconsin's first two local historical societies. Since then, more than 400 additional local history and cultural organizations throughout the state have organized and affiliated with the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Affiliated local historical societies and the Wisconsin Historical Society have a special relationship defined in the Wisconsin Statutes. The Society offers organizational and educational assistance to local affiliates. The local affiliates, in turn, share in the mission and responsibility of preserving Wisconsin's history.
Local history or cultural groups become a member of the Council by becoming an affiliate of the Society. For information on becoming an affiliate of the Wisconsin Historical Society and a member of the Wisconsin Council for Local History, please see How to Become a Local History Affiliate.
Mission
The mission of the Wisconsin Council for Local History is to promote communication and cooperation among local history and cultural groups. The Council provides opportunities for history and cultural organizations in Wisconsin to discuss mutual problems and promote wider interest in local history.
Through its Administrative Committee, the Council also advises the Wisconsin Historical Society on its local history programming and serves as a voice of local historians.
Each year, the Council and Society organize regional meetings that offer educational programming, roundtable discussions, and tours of the host organization's museum, sites, or historical features of the area. The Society and Council also partner to offer an annual mini-grant program and to plan the annual Local History & Historic Preservation Conference, the largest gathering of its kind in the state.
Volunteer Recognition and Awards Program
The Wisconsin Council for Local History will recognize and honor local historical and cultural societies and specialty museums; their individual members; and other groups, organizations, or individuals who, through their efforts in the form of time, talent, or treasure, contribute to the advancement, appreciation, and preservation of Wisconsin's history.
Learn more about the program and how to nominate individuals and groups below:
Recognition and Awards Program Information (PDF, 230 KB)
Achievement Award Nomination Form (PDF, 271 KB)
Certificate of Recognition Nomination Form (PDF, 164 KB)
Administrative Committee
The Administrative Committee is the Council's representative decision-making body. It is composed of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, six members at large, one representative of the Society's Board of Curators, and ten regional representatives. The director of the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Society's Local History Outreach representatives serve as ex-officio members of the Administrative Committee. The Administrative Committee meets in the spring and at the state conference in the fall. The current Administrative Committee is listed below.
President: | Cynthia Arbiture N5863 Hickory Hill Drive Sullivan, WI 53178 262-593-8099 info@musprosvc.com |
Vice President | Sheree Peterson 86460 Martin Road Bayfield, WI 54814 715-779-5016 frogbay@cheqnet.net |
Treasurer | Cody W. Schreck 3060 Anderson Lane, PO Box 165 Ephraim, WI 54211-0165 920-854-9688 cschreck@ephraim.org |
Secretary | Tamara Schutz PO Box 242 Cameron, WI 54822 715-548-2080 museum1@chibardun.net |
Past President | Travis Gross 3110 Erie Avenue Sheboygan, WI 53081 920-458-1103 travis.gross@sheboygancounty.com |
Directors at Large | Cynthia Arbiture N5863 Hickory Hill Drive Sullivan, WI 53178 262-593-8099 info@musprosvc.com Tamara Schutz PO Box 242 Cameron, WI 54822 715-458-2080 museum1@chibardun.net Rachel Lange 1204 E. Half Moon Drive Eau Claire, WI 54703 715-834-7871 r.lange@cvmuseum.com Karen Sailer PO Box 231 Eagle River, WI 54521 715-479-4357 karenjsailer@gmail.com John Harry PO Box 672 Stevens Point, WI 54481 715-600-1352 jharry@pchswi.org Jim Frasier 630-632 W. Water Street, PO Box 71 Princeton, WI 54968 920-295-9008 jim.frasier28@gmail.com |
Board of Curators Representative | Pending |
Ex Officio Directors (without vote): | Christian Øverland, Ruth and Hartley Barker Director & CEO, Wisconsin Historical Society 816 State Street Madison, WI 53706 608-264-6440 christian.overland@wisconsinhistory.org Janet Seymour Director of Outreach, Wisconsin Historical Society 105 Garfield Avenue Eau Claire, WI 54701 715-836-2250 janet.seymour@wisconsinhistory.org |
Capital | Jennifer Gurske PO Box 296 Madison, WI 53701 608-441-8864 info@madisonpreservation.org |
Northwestern | Sheree Peterson 86460 Martin Road Bayfield, WI 54814 715-779-5016 frogbay@cheqnet.net |
Central | Kim Krueger PO Box 142 Marshfield, WI 54449 715-387-3322 nwchs@uphammansion.com |
Northwoods | Ben Clark 410 McIndoe Street Wausau, WI 54403 715-842-5750 bclark@marathoncountyhistory.org |
East Central | Serena Stuettgen PO Box 157 Belgium, WI 53004 262-285-5041 sstuettgen@lacs.lu |
Southeastern | Merrilee Lee 401 Whitewater Avenue Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 920-563-7769 mlee@hoardmuseum.org |
Metropolitan | Mia Phifer 401 W. North Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53212 414-209-3640 mphifer@abhmuseum.org |
Southwestern | Chris Connors PO Box 235 Coon Valley, WI 54623 608-452-3424 chris.connors@norskedalen.org |
Northeastern | Cody W. Schreck 3060 Anderson Lane, PO Box 165 Ephraim, WI 54211-0165 920-854-9688 cschreck@ephraim.org |
West Central | Marge Hebbring 7361 203rd Street Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 715-829-6253 hebbrima@gmail.com |
Learn More
Resources for Local Historical Societies
Have Questions?
Contact:
Janet Seymour
c/o University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
105 Garfield Avenue, Hibbard 728
Eau Claire, WI 54701-4004
Phone: 715-836-2250
janet.seymour@wisconsinhistory.org