Henry County Heritage Trust holds annual meeting

Henry County Heritage Trust (HCHT) held its annual meeting and regular monthly meeting on March 22, 2023, at their museum in Mt. Pleasant. The following officers were elected for the upcoming year: Patricia Richenberger, president; Mona Gates, vice president; Waunita Gibbons, secretary; and Patricia White, treasurer.

Activities and accomplishments for 2022 were highlighted, to include: welcoming two new board members (Joseph Campbell and Charlene Seggerman), working with IWU student volunteers and UNI student interns, making renovations to the Saunders School building and the Van Allen House (historic mural, windows, solar shades, security cameras, paint), hosting several well-attended programs and events (tag sale, book sale, Old City Cemetery, George Barber Houses, Iowa Civil War Images, Using FindAGrave) and accepting dozens of wonderful donations (oil portraits, Van Allen marriage certificate, Civil War swords, P. Buckley Moss prints, vintage rugs, etc.). In addition, HCHT received 2022 grants from the Enhance Henry County Community Foundation and the Pennebaker Foundation.

Several 2023 events and programs have already been scheduled. Historic Church Tour, Mount Pleasant will be held Sunday, April 30, 1:00-4:00. Saturday, May 6 is the first day the museum will be open regularly for “touring season,” 1:00-4:00. Friday, May 19, a Tag Sale and Henry County History Book Sale will be held. David and Cathy Helman will be speaking Saturday, June 10 about Salem and the Underground Railroad.

The next scheduled HCHT meeting is Wednesday, April 26, 10 a.m. at the Henry County Heritage Center Museum, 403 West Madison Street. The public is invited.