Current Exhibit

In 1900, forty-two percent of the American population worked in agriculture. A century later there were so few farmers that they were not even listed as a separate occupation on the 2000 census. Advances in technology brought greater yields, consolidation in production and distribution operations, and consequently, lower prices in agricultural markets. While such changes may be seen as benefits on a national scale (lower prices and greater abundance and availability), the strain they placed on rural communities, and specifically farm families, made it increasingly hard for family farms to remain competitive and survive. For decades, fewer and fewer children have chosen to follow their parents into farming; still, through generations of dramatic economic and social change, some families have maintained their connections to farming, their land, and the rural communities in which they live and work. Why do some families tenaciously cling to this way of life while a score of other families leave? What are the institutions they can rely on? What are the strategies they can employ? Farm Life is divided into four sections: the farmhouse, fields, barn, and gathering places in the larger community. In each section, objects and labels tell the story of life on a farm. In the United States, most people are at least two generations removed from farming; focusing on family life and the social structure of the rural neighborhood, Farm Life encourages visitors to make connections to their own families and communities.

The Edmond community is invited to a family-friendly educational event celebrating farm life coming in March 2012. The event will feature hands-on activities, a petting zoo and horticulture experts along with local food producers and growers. The event will be held in Stephenson Park, alongside the Museum:

"FARM FEST"

March 3, 2012    from    1:00-4:00pm

For current calendar of exhibits and events click here

Made Possible by the Oklahoma Humanities Council

and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website and exhibit do not necessarily represent those of OHC or NEH.

Coming this Fall:

September 2012 

the Untold Story of Women's Baseball

Sounds of America’s pastime: the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, the cheers of “Atta girl!” While the 1992 film A League of Their Own introduced contemporary audiences to the WWII-era All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, women’s baseball actually began with the creation of the Vassar College team in 1866.

Women were paid to play ball less than a decade later, and a surprising number of women were included on 20th-century men’s teams. Linedrives and Lipstick: The Untold Story of Women’s Baseball documents this forgotten side of America’s pastime with 45 images and 10 objects selected from one of the nation’s largest collections of women’s baseball memorabilia. A 1910 postcard featuring the Boston Bloomers, “Ladies Champion Baseball Club of the World,” touts the game as “A High Class, Moral Amusement,” while a 1931 soap advertisement depicting a cherubic, skirted blonde sliding into first base asks, “What’s wrong with the world when girls just will be boys?”

  Images Courtesy of Exhibits USA

About the Main Gallery of EHSM

The Main Gallery of the Edmond Historical Society & Museum is the site of many local and national exhibits. These exhibits are on a rotating schedule throughout the year. Patrons will enjoy a broad variety of exhibit content ranging from history to art. Edmond's rich history is reflected in our extensive collection and is frequently featured in rotating displays throughout the year. The Categories of Exhibit in the left-hand column of this page contain information about our permanent collection displays in the Main Gallery.

At the Heart of Edmond's Art and Culture

The Edmond community has a rich cultural district which encompasses the Edmond Historical Museum site. The Museum is proud to host local artists, authors, craftsmen and musicians as the focus of events and exhibitions. The Edmond Historical Society has partnered with the University of Central Oklahoma's College of Arts Media and Design, commissioning Dr. Sam Magrill to compose a historical opera, "Showdown on Two Street." Our Exec utive Director Jena Mottola provides an important cultural perspective of the community, serving on the Board of the Visual Arts Commission. The Visual Arts Commission strives to enhance the "Art of Oklahoma:" a popular campaign to place Art in Public Places within the City of Edmond. Every year the Edmond Jazz and Blues Festival takes place next door to the Museum in the adjoining Stephenson Park. A new bronze sculpture, "The Water Bearer II," will be located in nearby the Museum in Stephenson Park.

Past Exhibits

Notable past exhibits have included Anne Frank In the World 1929-1945, international traveling exhibit; Edmond's Place in Space: The NASA Connection; the national tour of The Varian Fry-Assignment: Rescue, 1940-41, from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C., and The Traveling Vietnam Wall Experience, hosted by the American Veterans Traveling Tribute and The Purse and Person: A Century of Women's Purses, hosted by Smith Kramer.

Some of our Favorites:

Bubbles & Beauty - June - September 2010

To see our Summer Construction Photo Gallery

and updates about our new Exhibits and Events

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