Valentown Greetings,

January has been full of surprises. And we are not quite finished yet. We hope you are warm and cozy and that the extreme elements are staying outside the door.

Over the years Historic Valentown has had many volunteers and visitors who came to appreciate what the site represents. We had some outstanding people get involved with the Victor Historical Society to further the Valentown cause. Every one of these individuals has given their personal time to make a difference.

From the beginning Valentown had a signature different from many other places and remained a unique example of not just the local past but a much larger picture and story of American history. We interpret the past through the lens of Historic Valentown and the wonderful collection of items and artifacts connected to it.

As with any historic site, our purpose is to directly reflect our past and to connect to the bigger idea around that. Being good caretakers of an historic organization or site means making sure that we keep our focus on our best assets and not always try to interpret ideas that others are identified with and doing a great job at interpreting. Like many fellow institutions, we can support each other in our efforts- but not necessarily duplicate them or compete. Right now many historic organizations are coming to terms with changes in their identity in the public view and environment. We are all trying to network other ways to reach out to the more diverse public that we know is out there. Redefining how each of us tells our special flavor of history can be a challenge. The good old days of great stocks of unrelated themes and materials in house has become an ever increasing responsibility of care and housing that must be carried into the future- and somehow financed. As resources shrink for everyone in the historic field it becomes vital to know how and where you will fit into this landscape.

Historic Valentown grows older every day, which only adds to its character, but it is important that we find a way to add new "growth" along with preservation. Over time, perceptions change along the dimensions of historic places and it's important that we don't become too detached from our origins in people's view. We are in a time where the past is easy to recreate in exceptional detail. The lines between authentic and reproduction are sometimes blurred. Trying to make that distinction may seem unimportant to some, but it should be very important that people recognize the real thing. The replica is not the original, but each have a place in helping bring the past forward. Making that important distinction is another aspect of what historical organizations can do for us. We are more complex than just a strictly social organization of history lovers. We are here because... history does matter.

Please keep in touch through our newsletter as we have some exciting events coming. We don't want anyone to miss any of our news.

As always, we are your down home, hometown museum.
Kathryn White, President