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It's a Happy New Year! @the Society      (Where its Never To Late to Join Today!)

Renew Your Membership or Become a Member This Year!

While still a youngster among historical societies, its members are proud of their county's history and of their active efforts to preserve it in whatever way they can, in part simply by having joined.

Some members have just recently become residents of the county, while others have family ties that go back to the county's establishment.  Many others join from afar (Three of every seven members reside outside of the county), having discovered that Harrison County was once home to their ancestors, aunts, uncles, or cousins, and would like to learn more about the homeplaces and current historical or genealogical research.  Libraries and other historical societies are members, too, helping to preserve and to pass on the word of the "goings on" of the Harrison County Historical Society.

Whatever your reason, whether coming to the society from near or far, joining the Harrison County Historical Society is relatively easy and inexpensive.

Membership includes an informative monthly newsletter with original articles focusing on the people, places  and historic events of Harrison County's past, along with reports of the monthly meetings of the historical society, as well as news of exhibits and events at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Museum.

If you haven't seen the Harrison Heritage News before or just want to read the fine articles by local historians George Slade, Bill Penn, Harold Slade, and other authors and experts, or if you would like to learn all about past activities of the society, archived issues of the Harrison County Historical Society's monthly newsletter from early 2001 to the near present are available at this website.  Just click on the link above  to begin your trek back in time.

The newsletter can put you in touch with the experts and authors who know Harrison County best, and who may be able to answer any questions you may have about genealogy and local history research.  Queries are always welcome.

And, of course, membership includes an open invitation to attend all of the society's meetings and events in Cynthiana.  Speakers come from near and far to address the society's members for their monthly meetings.  Events such as the annual Raggedy Ann Festival (April) and Grist Mill Day (May) at the museum are popular attractions.

You may not ever be able to make it to Cynthiana, but we certainly welcome your membership and whatever personal contribution you feel you can make, whether it be this year or a few years down the road.

By joining you can help the  active efforts of society members to preserve historic homes and other sites of Harrison County, including the centuries-old Handy Farm as well as Camp Frazer, a Civil War Union encampment just north of Cynthiana.  Public support demonstrated by membership can help to prove to local government and officials that their time, efforts, and investment in historic preservation issues has a firm foundation of interest in preserving the county's past.

Dues are very reasonable, only $12 per year (January thru to December).  Checks and money orders accepted.  To join or to learn more about the society write to The Harrison County Historical Society, P.O. Box 411, Cynthiana, KY 41031, or e-mail any of the following officers or staff of the Harrison County Historical Society:

The President's Corner

Each month the Harrison County County Historical Society's president writes a column for publication in the monthly newsletter, the Harrison Heritage News.  His most current column, will be posted here as well as in an archives of past columns.

December, 2009

By Billy Fowler

As with every organization like ours, we have to discuss dues.  Everyone should have received a reminder in the last newsletter that 2010 dues are due in January.  I know some folks had already paid for next year and we really appreciate the early payment.  But many people like me had not.  I laid one of the green reminders on the kitchen table until we remembered to take Dorothy Slade a check.

I am sure some of you wonder what portion of the dues stays in the treasury for use on worthwhile projects.  The answer is none!  We have looked at the cost of producing and distributing the newsletter and determined that the dues just barely cover that expense.  By the way, the cost of the newsletter is materials only.  We all do everything on a volunteer basis and we are glad to do it.  This discussion brings me to another thing that many people look at this time of year.  Charitable donations are the only source of income other than a small amount of money from book sales each year for the society.  We normally do not do much in the way of solicitation.  I do, however, believe it is time to take a somewhat different approach.

There is at this point a real possibility that the Harrison County Historical Society will enter into a long term lease agreement with Harrison County and Cynthiana.  This lease will allow the historical society to rehabilitate the Handy House but will also place the financial responsibility on the society.  I believe this to be the most aggressive preservation project undertaken by this society in the history of its existence.  We will be aggressively pursuing grant opportunities to help us with the project but we will also be asking for donations to go along with the grants.

As you can se, we now have to start asking for donations and assuring everyone that their money will be well cared for and well spent for this or some other equally worthy historic project.

Merry Christmas to everyone and please remember to be generous to your Harrison County Historical Society.