Boone County Museum of History is an interactive museum of history, art, and popular culture located in the South State Street Historic District in

Belvidere, Illinois Belvidere is a city in Boone County, settled on the Kishwaukee River in far northern Illinois, United States. Known as the 'City of Murals', Belvidere is home to several public art installations throughout the North and South State Street histo ...

. Established by members of the

Boone County Historical Society Boone County Historical Society was established in 1924. Located in Columbia, Missouri, United States, the Boone County Historical Museum has been collecting, preserving and exhibiting artifacts and records of the people of Boone County, Missouri. ...

, the museum's mission is to stimulate interest in Boone County history through education, research, and collection and preservation of artifacts and archival material. An extensive museum complex encloses under its roof an exhaustive Boone County archival collection, thousands of artifacts, several historic carriages and vintage automobiles, an exhibit celebrating 1969 Miss America Judith Ford, and the entire two-story pioneer log cabin of a Manchester Township family farm.

History

The Boone County Historical Society was incorporated in 1903, and began collecting items and records from its first announcements. Converted from the downtown Belvidere Gas & Electric building, the Boone County Historical Museum opened to visitors in 1968. In 2013, the museum was re-opened, enlarged by the addition of a neighboring bank building and a more modern, vaulted creation providing meeting and gathering space. A bronze statue by a local artist honoring Boone County first responders is displayed on the museum's grounds.

Exhibits

Duxtad log cabin

In 1974, the Duxtad family partially disassembled their 130-year old log farmhouse and began moving the entire structure fourteen miles south to be reassembled on a concrete slab next to the museum. By 1976, the entire two-story cabin had been restored and completely enclosed by an extension of the museum's building. Today the first floor of the farmhouse helps demonstrate the tools and artifacts of 1840s pioneer life in Northern Illinois while the second story helps to familiarize young children with concepts of the family farm.

Judy Ford exhibit

In 1968, local Belvidere beauty Judy Ford competed for Miss Illinois and was eventually selected 1969

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

in the national pageant. The museum hosts a number of unique artifacts of Ford's competition and reign, including a short film of her talent competition entry which features Bert Parks serenading Ford with ''

There She Is, Miss America "There She Is, Miss America" is a song written by songwriter Bernie Wayne for the Miss America pageant. It was first made famous in 1955 by master of ceremonies Bert Parks, who sang it every year until his firing in 1979. The song is sometimes r ...

'' as she wore her crown for the first time.

Vehicles

In the collection are several rare conveyances, including horse-drawn brougham and hearse carriages. A 1904 Eldredge Runabout manufactured in Belvidere by the

National Sewing Machine Company National Sewing Machine Company was a Belvidere, Illinois-based manufacturer founded in the late 19th century. The company manufactured sewing machines, washing machines, bicycles, an automobile, home workshop machinery, and cast-iron toys and nove ...

occupies a prominent place in the museum's foyer opposite an ivory 1965 Plymouth Fury II, the first chassis to come off the production line at the

Belvidere Assembly Plant The Belvidere Assembly Plant (BVAP) is an automobile production facility owned and operated by Stellantis North America. The factory opened in 1965 in Belvidere, Illinois, United States, and currently assembles the Jeep Cherokee. History The fa ...

, an early donation to the museum by Chrysler. A 1924

Ford Model T The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relati ...

convertible occupies a space next to an example of the

penny-farthing The penny-farthing, also known as a high wheel, high wheeler or ordinary, is an early type of bicycle. It was popular in the 1870s and 1880s, with its large front wheel providing high speeds (owing to its travelling a large distance for every r ...

, the first bicycle.

Funderburg House

In 2020, the Funderburg House, an historic 1906 Belvidere mansion, was donated by K-B Farms. Since the donation, the society has spent time and expertise restoring the donated property as museum and meeting space, officially opening the facility in early 2022 after a preview in December.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Museums established in 1968 Museums in Boone County, Illinois History museums in Illinois Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums