Objects & Exhibits
The Fillmore County Historical Society collection highlights the stories of one of the most instrumental counties in the growth of our state. Our collection is more than a sampling of antiques – the pieces housed within our museum convey the stories of the people, places and events which shaped our communities.
Our collections and exhibits are teaching pieces at heart and act as bridges between the generations.
Main Gallery
Featured and Seasonal Exhibits
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Fillmore At War
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Willies Locker
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Freaky Fillmore
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Historic Newspapers
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Rural Schools
Rotating Exhibit
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Forging Ahead for 165 Years: Preston's Iron Working Heritage
Items on loan from the Preston Area Historical Society. Special Thanks to Joanne Hall, Sheila Craig, and Norma & DeWayne Vogt.
Hallway Gallery: Recipe for A County
A unique mix of events, occurring over eons, have contributed to the making of the place we call home.
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Geology Foundations
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A Plethora of Plants and Animals
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Era of Immigration
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It Looked Like Home: Norwegian Settlements
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New Immgrants: The Amish
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Stories in the Sinkholes
Balcony Gallery:
Business Beginnings
With opportunity accompanying waves of new settlement, these places (and people) made significant contributions to Fillmore County's early growth.
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Rural Post Office
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Funeral Homes
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Doctors Office
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Hotel
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Barber
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The Railroad
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Lawyers Chambers
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General Mercantile
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Bank and Telephone Co-op
Arena Gallery: The Ties That Bind
Our needs, beliefs and interests connect us. Even though they may change over time they continue to form and strengthen the fabric of our communities.
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Vintage Kitchen & Bedroom
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Religions Roots
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Clothes & Fashions
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That's Entertainment: Music, TV & Toys
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Clubs and Organizations
Bernard Pietenpol Collection
We're extremely proud and honored to boast that our museum complex is home to a 1932 Model "T" Sky Scout, built by Bernard H. Pietenpol. Known as the "Grandfather of the Experimental Aircraft", Pietenpol was a native of Cherry Grove, Minnesota and a hometown hero. He became world famous for designing a home-built airplane powered by an automobile engine. He was a self-taught engineer who sold airplane building plans and built twenty planes himself. The Model "T" Sky Scout was added to our Pietenpol Collection at the History Center in 1990. On December 27, 2006, another of the late Bernard Pietenpol's airplanes made its "final landing" in Fountain. This aircraft, an Air Camper, was built in 1947. Both Pietenpol aircraft can be viewed year round in an attached building of our main museum. Please check our our Pietenpol exhibit and mural in the main museum. Located outdoors on our open air campus you'll find an original Pietenpol Hangar.
Oliver Tractor and Agriculture Collection
Pleasant-Dale Watson
One-Room Schoolhouse
Rural School #78 has sat on the grounds ofthe FCHS since XXXX. District 78 was organized in 1857, and a log schoolhouse was put together located in the northeastern corner of section 33. The first school was taught immediately after the completion of the schoolhouse by Abraham Sheldon.
Sinkhole Capital of the U.S.A.
Visit our outdoor Sinkhole Interpretive Kiosk near the entrance to the Center. Learn about the unique geology of the area and be directed to view natural sinkholes on your own. Sinkhole Informational Website >
