By Kim McDarison

The Whitewater Historical Society’s Board of Directors will host its annual meeting Sunday, May 19.

The meeting, which is open to the public, also will include a presentation, titled: “The History of Whitewater.”

The presentation will be given by the board’s president and local historian Carol Cartwright and will feature vintage photographs from the Whitewater Historical Society’s collection of more than 4,000 images.

The meeting will be held at the Cravath Lakefront Community Center, 341 S. Fremont St., at 1 p.m.

The Whitewater Historical Society is governed by a nine-member board. Along with Cartwright, officers include: Jan Goder, serving as vice president; Gregg Gauger, serving as treasurer; Linda Robinson, serving as secretary, and two sets of directors who serve differing terms. The first set of directors, with each serving a three-year term, includes Karen Weston and Dan Richardson. A second set of directors, with each serving a two-year term, includes Bobby Landsee, Kori Oberle and Don West.

According to the society’s website, the board directs the operation of the Depot Museum of Local History, 301 Whitewater St., Whitewater, and approves plans for the exhibits and other museum-oriented activities.

Additionally, the board appoints a curator for the museum, who organizes volunteers and directs the accessioning and storage of historical items, and oversees exhibit installations.

The board meets monthly, during which time its members discuss museum and society business, and it plans the society’s public meetings, which offer history programs and speakers. Typically, there are four each year, the society’s website states. 

Each May, the society holds an annual meeting, its website notes, during which the organization’s membership elects members to the board. Board members serve terms which begin immediately after they are elected. 

The Whitewater Historical Society, according to its website, is an all-volunteer organization that works to preserve, collect and share the history of Whitewater and its surrounding towns.

The society was begun in 1947, and held its first meetings in the old White Library, known to some as the “White Building,” which today houses the Whitewater Arts Alliance and the city’s Cultural Arts Center. In 1974, the society moved into its current depot building, and began operating it as a museum.

Counted among items in the museum’s extensive collection are historical objects, paper artifacts, photographs, and manuscripts.

During an interview conducted by WhitewaterWise last August, Cartwright noted that of the museum’s 4,000 images, most of which are photographs, 90% are digitized, and while many may not yet be available for viewing in the museum, they are made available to those interested in doing research through appointment.

The museum is open to the public annually between the first day of May and the first day of November, on Tuesdays, between 4 and 7 p.m., and Saturdays, between 9 a.m. and noon. 

Hours are consistent with those of the Tuesday City Market and the Saturday Farmers Market, Cartwright said. 

The museum also is made available to interested parties by appointment.

All visits to the museum are free of charge. 

For more information, about the upcoming annual meeting, its presentation, or the museum, contact Cartwright by email: ccart626@gmail.com .

WhitewaterWise’s full interview with Cartwright conducted last August is here: https://whitewaterwise.com/tracking-time-whitewater-depot-museum-offers-historical-journey/.