The organization’s staff is being laid off at the end of the year, and board members are trying to figure out what, if anything, can be done to maintain it’s collection.
“We still provide value to our community and to that end this is when we need our members more than anything, and support,” SOHS President, Doug McGeary says.
For 70 years, the Southern Oregon Historical Society has been preserving the region’s history. But that will all change come 2017. The organization’s staff will be laid off, and the programs they once provided will end. It’s a tough pill to swallow for president, Doug McGeary.
“It’s a very emotional thing,” McGeary says.
The doors that are now open Monday through Friday will likely close. And all efforts to preserve southern Oregon’s vast history- from the Oregon Trail, to Bozo the Clown original’s- will be tackled on a volunteer basis. And while current funding is enough to keep the lights on in 2017, board members are now getting creative to make sure access to southern Oregon history is not a thing of the past.
“It’s one thing to put something in a shoebox or what have you and that’s what a lot of people will do with their things,” McGeary says, “but when they’re given to us we look at them in an entirely different way and we have a responsibility to that.”
The Hanley Farm is also impacted by the measure’s failure, and work there will be reduced to minimal caretaking. If you’re interested in helping, the Historical Society is always accepting donations and memberships. click HERE for more information
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.