Embedded Files
The bell and cornerstone in the front yard are from the old City Hall which was built in 1886 at the southwest corner of Washington & Central Avenues at a cost of $17,000. The building was demolished in the 1950s. The bell was in the tower and rang when there was a fire. By the sequence and number of times the bell was rung, volunteer firemen (and almost everyone in town) knew where the fire was!
The 1920’s Tourist Cabin, owned by Runnion Hi-Speed Gas Station and Tourist Court, was located at 13995 Lincoln Highway. It was restored by Vantage Career Center students and donated by Dr. Tom Wilkin in 2014, in memory of Harold and Natalie Wilkin.
Pennsylvania Railroad caboose is resting on a small track section behind the Van Wert County Historical Museum. The caboose was built in 1951 and restored in 1990.
Marie Harel Statue
Marie Harel was a French peasant girl from Vimoutiers, France, who founded Camembert cheese. She introduced it to Napoleon Boneparte. He enjoyed it so much that he declared that the cheese be named Camembert after the province in which the village was located. In 1928, a statue was erected on Vimoutiers to honor Marie Harel. During WW II the statue was destroyed by U.S. bombing. In 1947, the Borden’s Company began to manufacture Camembert cheese. In 1950, Borden’s vice-president Will Foster heard about the statue’s destruction. The Borden employees collected $1000 and the company matched that amount to restore the statue. In appreciation, the village sent a plaster model of the bronze statue. In October 2, 1956, the two statues were dedicated. After Borden’s cheese left Van Wert, the statue was moved to the museum campus located west of the annex.
Jail cell
JAIL CELLS were from the old County Jail which was built in 1891 and demolished in 1989. It was one of only eleven combined jail and sheriff’s residences in Northwest Ohio.
The Cistern
The wooden cistern located at the south east corner of the log house came from the Cliff Schaadt farm near Convoy.Our museum grounds make the perfect spot for family pictures and or picnics.
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