Walworth Historical Society

The purpose of the Walworth Historical Society is to collect, preserve, and display items and artifacts that are of historical importance to the people of the Town of Walworth. Its membership has almost doubled in the years since 1975. Current members reside from Hawaii to South Carolina and many places in between. Many collections and individual items have been donated to the museum over the years.

The WHS is a volunteer organization that was officially established in 1975. Prior to this time, meetings were held at the homes of those interested in preserving the local past. Some of the people who were instrumental in organizing the Walworth Historical Society were: Ethel Henning, Dorothy Petty, Chuck Bills, Hazel Bassage, Howard and Pearl Billings, Cliff and Bernice Nortier, Cliff and Emily Huntley, Gene Bavis, Joe Finley, and John Traas to name a few. A provisional charter was received from New York State in January of 1979 and was extended in 1985 and 1987. The permanent charter was finally received in 1996.

The museum has collections of books by Walworth authors. Other collections include sets of old china, dishes, and local advertising memorabilia. Scrapbooks containing hundreds of newspaper articles concerning local, national, and international people and events, were compiled by Anna May, Dorothy Petty, and others. A recent donation to the Walworth Museum is an index of records from all eight local cemeteries. WHS member Doug Churchill has organized this cemetery information into books that have information on dates and grave locations. For more information on the WHS, visit the website at http://walworthhistoricalsociety.org.