On June 14, 2010, more than sixty-five people gathered in the upper level of our new Museum on Main as we celebrated our fourth anniversary with the joyful sound of a quartet playing the hammered dulcimer and three guitars.  There were smiles all around and simple summer pleasures in the small town of Tiskilwa, “The Gem of the Valley.”

Since January of 2006, we’ve grown from a group of eight people sitting around a dining room table to discuss start-up ideas into a thriving organization with almost 300 members.  Only about one-third of our members live nearby, and the rest are long-distance friends whom we affectionately call “Tiskilwannabes.”

By August 2006, our goal of establishing a museum of local artifacts and documents was made possible by the Board of Trustees of Arispie Township who donated their office building on Main Street to our organization.  By early 2007, we had begun offering several programs a year to help tell the story of own local history as well as our citizens’ contributions and experiences in the larger world.

Being conscious of the importance of instant recognition, one of our first activities was to develop a concept for a logo, design it, and ask one of our watercolor artists to paint it. We wanted it to suggest our unique connection to a Native American heritage, as well as represent the hills that distinguish our area and the corn crops that are important to past, present and future sustenance for our community. 

When our Museum on Main first opened its doors in August 2006 during town celebration of Pow Wow Days, we emphasized a special exhibit focused on the history of Tiskilwa schools.  More than 200 visitors flooded our museum on that weekend alone!  And that little museum was open every Saturday – rain, shine, snow, heat, cold – from August 5, 2006 until February 1, 2009.  At that time, we closed the old doors for six weeks in order to pack and move to our new facility, the former United Methodist Church, also on Main Street, Tiskilwa.  We continue to host an average of 15 visitors a weekend and scores more during town festivals and special museum events.  

Now, in 2010, we’ve moved from our tiny three-gallery museum, a great starting place that, at the time of our move, was bursting at the seams with over 2,000 items donated by more than 200 families.  Our new facility offers us the chance to create several separate exhibit areas within two large rooms in addition to several hallways, and yet keep a feeling of openness.

 
We are a small group with big ideas, and we hope to continue to grow in accomplishments as well as membership.  By preserving the past and honoring the present, we want to contribute to the future of our little village in the valley, a gem with many sparkling facets.