Generous grants from funds within the Community Foundation supports the Appleton’s History Museum at the Castle, and are listed below.

By Dustin Mack, Chief Curator, History Museum at the Castle

With a flourish, John Stephens called the first meeting of the Outagamie County Pioneer Association to order at 10 a.m. February 22, 1872. And the rest, as they say, is history.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of that organization. The Pioneer Association grew into the Outagamie County Historical Society and is now known as the History Museum at the Castle.

For 150 years the History Museum has steadfastly preserved the local history of Appleton, Outagamie County, and the Fox Valley.

Matt Carpenter

“We want to thank the community for 150 years of support and prepare for the centuries to come,” Executive Director Matt Carpenter notes with a smile. “People know they can trust the Museum to provide accurate information and preserve their local history for future generations.”

To celebrate, the History Museum is hosting an open house February 25-27 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Free admission and light refreshments will be provided.

The following funds within the Community Foundation have recently supported the History Museum at the Castle:

Bright Idea Fund
Chuck and Barb Merry Fund
Col. Harold L. and Esther Graef Hamilton Fund
David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund
Donald F. and Marilyn Jens Hetzler Fund
Doug and Carla Salmon Foundation, Inc.
Douglas and Myrt Ogilvie Museum Fund
Dr. Monroe and Sandra Trout Charitable Fund
Houdini Fund
OCHS Doug & Myrt Ogilvie Curator of Collections Fund
OCHS Grignon Family Collections Fund
OCHS Neils C. & Elizabeth Miller Directors’ Fund
OCHS Outagamie Museum Fund
Ogilvie Family Fund
Outagamie Museum Endowment Fund-Edna Ferber Fund
Ronald J. Altenburg Charitable Fund
Ruth S. Gresham Fund
Silton Family – Fox Valley Community Fund

What does a Community Foundation do? Glad you asked! Learn more here.