The main building of our Museum was donated by Murray Windle and Pat Webber (daughter). The building is located in an area of Chillicothe that was once known as Veteransville. The building itself originally served as the maintenance building for the Chillicothe Business College Campus. Currently, the building has been incorporated into the museum and is the first of three exhibit halls.
History
George W. Somerville organized the first Grand River Historical Society meeting on Tuesday, November 16, 1954. Meetings were held on the second floor of the Livingston County Library beginning on February 15, 1955. Mr. Somerville served 11 years as president. Mrs. Minnie Hedrick was Vice President and Miss Roberta Perrine served as Secretary-Treasurer.
Charter Members: George Somerville, Mrs. Ira Hedrick, Miss Roberta Perrine, Howard Rion, Joseph Stewart, Miss Kate Johnson, Miss Mabel Cranmer, Mrs. Alice Kesler, Mrs. Elsie Somerville, Mrs. John Elliott, Mrs. Lillian Meinershagen, Julius Meinershagen, Mrs. Harriett Casebeer, Harry Cole, Bill Cole, Kirk Marshall, Leo Hopper, William Stillwell.
By-laws were adopted in January of 1970 under the 4th president, Howard Leech. Co-curators were Jane Stark and Dr. John R. Neal.
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New Open Hours
Open Year Round | Open Most Holidays Except: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter
Weekdays | 10:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m.
Weekends | 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
FREE ADMISSION
Call 660-646-1341 for tours anytime
The museum may not open during periods of inclement weather during the winter months.
Meet the Team
The Grand River Historical Society & Museum features a twelve person
Board of Directors that are elected for three year terms.
Accessibility
The rights of all citizens to access public information is an integral function of our museum. The Grand River Historical Society & Museum is committed to making websites, exhibits, and services accessible to all.
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Some users may not be able to see, hear or process information in particular formats, may have difficulty reading or understanding text, or may not be able to use a keyboard or a mouse. We have developed our content to ensure compatibility with common adaptive technologies by utilizing the State of Missouri’s Accessibility Standard, which is based on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (as amended) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0.
If information on our web page, document or application is not accessible to you, please use our "Get In Touch" icon directly below this paragraph to email us, or enter chillicothemuseum@gmail.com into your email "to" line. Please provide your contact information, the URL (i.e., link or web address) of the material and the problem you’ve experienced. We’ll respond with the information you are seeking as well as ensure the accessibility issue is corrected. We will continue to review and update our websites to ensure compliance with current and future standards.