By SUSAN MYKRANTZ
Ohio Correspondent

WOOSTER, Ohio — The Wayne County Historical Society’s newest exhibit, Yesteryear on the Farm (farming in Wayne County prior to 1950), is open following a ceremony on May 23.

The exhibit will run until July 31. Admission is $5 for adults, children age 12 and under are admitted free. The Wayne County Historical Society is located at 546 E. Bowman St. in Wooster. Regular museum hours are Friday and Saturday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tours can be arranged by calling the museum at 330-264-8856.

This exhibit is sponsored by the Fredericksburg, Northwestern, Smithville and Westwood Ruritan Clubs (rural service clubs) in Wayne County.

There will be special exhibits in campus buildings.

In the Kister Building, there will be a special tribute to farm wives and the role they played in Wayne County agriculture. Other exhibits will recognize the farm enterprises found on farms in the county including dairy, poultry, sheep and wool, swine, fruits and vegetables - specifically potatoes and potato equipment.
The exhibit will also include dairy equipment, historic barns, farm tools, and a look at the permanent agricultural display room in the basement of the museum.

Service and social organizations important to farmers, such as the Extension Service (4-H), Farm Bureau, FFA and YFA, Grange, Experiment Station (OARDC), and the Soil Conservation Service, will be featured, as well.

In the Fire House, there will be a display of fire equipment and a tribute to the importance of the local fire departments during a disaster on the farm.

The Dress Shop will highlight farm wives and their sewing, needlework and quilting. The General Store, often the hub of a rural community as a source for groceries and other supplies, is also a social “gathering place” for farmers and their families. The store will have an exhibit of tools and utensils needed to keep the farmstead operating smoothly.

The Wayne County Historical Campus is located on what was the Reason Beall Farm and the Beall House built in 1825. The farm will be open for tours. The house is being restored to what it possibly looked like during the time that Beall family resided on the property.