MCLHR & Museum News

August 1st 2020

The Sparta Kiwanis Club and the Monroe County Local History Room are sponsoring a City-Wide Scavenger Hunt, July 31 – August 14, 2021. Every Sparta area student is invited to participate. Sparta Youth Scavenger Hunt forms can be picked up at Mueller Square downtown Sparta on July 31st between the hours of 9am and noon or anytime from the Little Free Library stand in front of Mueller Square or at... Read More

July 18th 2020

Over 2,100 historic photos have been added to the Historic Image & Photo Index! High-quality prints are available to order starting at just $3.00. The LHR Archives Index has also grown by over 1,400 documents. Be sure to search the website thoroughly for records and historic images of Monroe County people, cities, villages, events, buildings, landmarks, businesses, disasters, homes, schools, and... Read More

July 1st 2020

The Deke Slayton Memorial Space & Bicycle Museum and the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum will open their exhibit spaces to the public on a limited basis starting Thursday, July 9. Both museums have been closed to the public since mid-March due to Covid-19. Staff were permitted to return to the building in late May but social distancing guidelines had prevented reopening to the public at... Read More

June 9th 2020

The Monroe County Local History Room & Museum has been closed to the public since mid March due to Covid-19. Staff were permitted to return to the building in late May but social distancing guidelines have prevented reopening to the public. So, staff have been using this time to clean, paint, and improve public spaces in preparation of reopening. History Room staff have also been working with the... Read More

May 11th 2020

The Monroe County Local History Room & Museum has recently added a new index and several index updates to its website, www.MCLHR.org. Is it time to search for your ancestors again? Additions include: --Tomah Indian Agency Census Index --Monroe County Newspapers Index --Monroe County Church Records Index --Monroe County Student Records Index --Monroe County Cemetery Index --Monroe County... Read More

April 13th 2020

"The History of Tillman Produce Company" by Philip and Cheryl Tillman, originally scheduled for Thursday, May 7th at 7pm has been cancelled. We hope to reschedule the program for a later date. Visit this site and our Facebook page for the latest updates: Facebook.com/MCLHR Read More

March 20th 2020

If you're finding yourself stuck at home these days and looking for something productive to do (and who isn't?), we would encourage you to get online and research your family history. Here are two tips for getting the most out of your online genealogy time: 1) visit www.MonroeCountyHistory.org: The Monroe County Local History Room may be closed to the public at this time, be we are still here to... Read More

March 18th 2020

Starting March 18, 2020, the Monroe County Local History Room & the Deke Slayton Space & Bicycle Museum will be closed to the public in order to comply with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers statewide ban on all gatherings of more than 10 people. Visit Facebook.com/MCLHR for updates to this situation. Read More

February 17th 2020

“Coming to your Census: A History and Overview of the Census and its Records.” A public history presentation which was scheduled for Tuesday, March 31st at the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum, 200 Main St., Sparta, will be rescheduled for another date. In honor of the upcoming 2020 Census and National Census Day on April 1, UW-La Crosse archivist Laura Godden will explore the history,... Read More

February 10th 2020

In 1980, the Mariel Boatlift brought 14,000 people to the refugee compound at Fort McCoy. This exhibit explores the lives of the Cuban refugees who began their journey in the U.S. here and how it impacted Monroe County, Wisconsin. On display at the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum, 200 West Main Street, Sparta, from January 31 until March 28, 2020. Open Monday – Saturday, 9-4:30. Free... Read More