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I attended the recent Yellow Trail Museum's Annual Meeting at WILLow LeaVes which was well attended on a cold January winter evening. 

The keynote speaker was Michael Cartwright who discussed his research about historian and author Mildred Harrod Dixon. Her family was very involved with the “Hope Star-Journal” for many years. As always, Michael was excellent and challenged the museum to look toward the future and the continual involvement of young people. 

Afterward, Bill Johnson, President, conducted the business meeting expressing special thanks to WILLow LeaVes for hosting and providing an excellent dinner and stressed the importance of the generous support of the Columbus Area Visitor's Center. Kathie Clouse, Treasurer, gave a financial update and recognized volunteers Evelyn Blackburn, Darlene Allen, and Susan Thayer Fye, along with other board members, who greeted over 1,200 guests throughout the year, with several additional guests not signing the registration book. In addition, Kathie had high praise for Donna Robertson and her IT expertise. 

Kim Ray, Research Center Director, then presented some highlights of the Yellow Trail Museum Research Center, and I thought our readers would appreciate the opportunity to read Kim's speech which follows:

When I reflect back on how I got started with the museum, it always makes me smile. Barb Johnson had asked if I would sort and organize some boxes of papers and stuff. We met at the museum. She opened the door to the back room of Building 2 and asked, “What do you think?” I looked at an empty room with a long wooden table and six cane chairs, and responded, “What do I think about what?”

Barb had a gift to get volunteers involved in her plans. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I had recently retired from Cummins and was up for the challenge. So, I started working the next day, Aug 5, 2015. That was the day Barb’s vision to have a research center became my vision to create a research center - with absolutely no experience – unless you count the years of genealogy research where I frequented such places.

Working several days a week, it took me almost two years, but in coordination with the opening of Building 2, the Yellow Trail Research Center opened to the public June 5, 2017. Long before we opened, I had two goals that I still follow today. First, to educate myself; second to digitize the museum’s collection. For my first goal, I attended six trainings, two weekend conferences, and visited five museums requesting a “Behind the Scenes Tour” within the first five years. Barb helped with my second goal by recruiting six great volunteers to help scan the museum’s collection. One of those volunteers is now our 3D Collections Manager – Kathie Clouse.

The research center was only open three years when forced to close due to Covid. During that short three-year period, and thanks to the overwhelming support of pubic donations, we maxed out our space. In 2019, the museum purchased the two adjoining buildings, one for the Rural Carrier’s Museum, the other for an expanded research center. I wanted this new area to reflect the three main things we do, so I designed the building by dividing it into thirds: one third for the public to do research; one third for the staff to do our work; and one third for archival storage. The old research center remained closed after Covid, while I tried to figure out how to manage this massive move during the remodeling of the two buildings. Again, I found myself working several days a week, this time dragging my husband, Chuck, along for help. Two and a half years later, in coordination with the museum’s opening in the spring, the new Yellow Trail Museum Research Center opened to the public on April 4. 2022.

I am very proud of all the accomplishments over the last ten years, and I would like to share a few highlights:

* During the time we were in the old research center, the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center – the second largest genealogy library in the world - digitized and reprinted 57 volumes of five old church record books. Most of these churches no longer exist. This allowed us to preserve the old, fragile books while allowing the public to research the original handwritten books. Truly, this is like having your cake and eating it, too!

Also during the time we were in the old research center, we were awarded a grant from the Indiana State Library to digitize and upload material to their website. We chose the Rural Letter Carriers Museum as our project to bring awareness, as the museum was actively trying to find a new building to house the artifacts that were saved when the building on the square was torn down. We set up a Working Lab in Building 2, so the public could watch as we sorted, scanned, and documented the Rural Letter Carriers Museum collection. We capitalized on that grant by an offer from the Bartholomew County Library to not just upload the material, but also to tell the rural carrier’s story on their website. We successfully completed the project in about a year.

* In 2019, we started using Past Perfect. This is a museum grade software that allows us to catalog each and every item in the museum’s collection. Yes, every artifact, every book, every document, and every photo within the museum’s collection is being recorded in this database.

* The last two years, we supported the Bartholomew County Genealogical Society’s First Families of Hope project by hosting 19 monthly public talks, as well as digitizing the photos and information the public brought in to share. The Yellow Trail Museum Research Center was the beneficiary of the Genealogical Society’s project, which gifted us 100 decks of the First Families of Hope Cards to sell as a fundraiser. (We still have some left - $20 each.)

* In Jan 2016, a few months after I started working in the research center, I requested $1,000 from the museum's board to purchase archival material for the first year. This request continued for the next three years. I am very proud to announce the research center has been self-sufficient and has not requested funds from the museum for the last six years.

* Lastly, I am very proud of my new team of volunteers. Brenda McDonald, Nancy Sallee, and Mary Smiley have been with me since our reopening in 2022, and Norma Johnson joined us last year. These gals do all the scanning, work on projects, and have been known to even wash windows and sweep floors! I couldn’t ask for a better team! Also on my team is Janice Taylor, who has been with me since 2024. With Janice’s librarian background, she picked up Past Perfect quickly and has been a valuable asset in documenting the museum’s collection. We are extremely fortunate to have her on the team too!

You are always invited to visit the Yellow Trail Museum, an outstanding community resource due to many dedicated individuals interested in preserving our town's long history. One of the most recent exhibits is the farming one which local historian enthusiast Debra Sloan helped create, Agricultural Heritage of Flat Rock and Hawcreek Townships, which features local farm families. And, there is now the Town of Hope Historic Walking/Driving Tour booklet and map designed by Nicole Edwards. It is filled with interesting historic information and photographs which was compiled by the Main Street of Hope Walking Tour committee and based on research by Barb Johnson and updated by Jessica Deckard. I am well aware of this wonderful booklet due to being asked to review it several times. I'm sure many people in Hope and outside of Hope will gladly take this tour in the future.