Now, with the donation of the entire Iowa County genealogical and historical collection of Netha Meyer, the Society’s collection includes: • Over 33,000 obituaries • Thousands of family histories • Original research gathered through requests over the years • A fully searchable, digitized collection of Williamsburg and Marengo newspapers Along with its presence on the Williamsburg square, the WHS also maintains a representative train depot and one-room schoolhouse nearby. When you enter these
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places, it feels like stepping into a building-sized time capsule. In the depot, handwritten timetables and punched train tickets are posted around the counter. An original bench features a flippable backrest (so those waiting for trains could see
Tour with Friends Club! Details on page 9
them comfortably no matter which direction they were coming from). And an automatic telegraph machine writes out “Welcome to Williamsburg” in crisp, staccato taps. At the WHS museum, Mary says, kids on school field trips are fascinated by these sorts of tactile devices. Most have never seen a working typewriter or rotary phone before – some of them, not even a landline phone. On the other hand, the place stirs memories for those of a certain age on class reunion tours. In the maternity ward, a set of metal cribs sits next to a brass-colored baby incubator that looks more like a bread box. It’s evocative of a time that feels distant but is still in living memory. “I’ve had people tell me, ‘I had to stay in this ward for a month as a baby.” Mary said. “And I tell them, ‘You probably stayed right here.” It’s a place that brings the past to life, connecting generations of Williamsburg residents through shared spaces and memories. And people like Mary would love to give you a tour.
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