4 February, 2012
Museum News
The Gathering at Garst Information
Updated 3 Feb, 2012
The 2012 Gathering at Garst will be held on July 28 and 29. Please visit the Gathering's website for all of the details!
Gathering's Website
Free Speaker Series 2012 Contiunes
Updated 1 Feb, 2012
Join us for our next free presentation on Sunday, February 19, 2012. Roane Smothers topic will be "Remembering Freedom: James Clemens and The Longtown Settlement."
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Exciting Annie Oakley Center News!
Updated 1 Feb, 2012
There has been quite a bit of behind the scenes work going on with the Annie Oakley Center.
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Darke County Parks 40th Anniversary at Garst
Updated 1 Feb, 2012
The Garst Museum is joining in the Darke County Parks 40th anniversary celebration!
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More Museum News
Featured Exhibits
Crossroads of Destiny
Crossroads of Destiny is a stunning exhibit telling the hiSTORY of the Treaty of Greene Ville. Greene Ville was the largest stockaded fort ever built in North America and it was the scene of the most significant American Indian treaty ever negotiated. The Treaty of Greene Ville of 1795 opened the door to the settlement of the Midwest and resulted in Ohio statehood eight years later. The Treaty also ended forty years of conflict over the upper Ohio Valley.

The Annie Oakley Center at Garst Museum

Annie Oakley
Walk with Annie Oakley as you visit the Annie Oakley Center at Garst Museum's exhibition of her life and history. You may be surprised as you discover Annie's true personality. Unlike Hollywood's image of a wild west, rough and tumble tomboy, Annie was a petite woman who loved lace, silver, beautiful furnishings and elegant clothing who was blessed with physical athleticism.
The Military Room

Uniform Display
The second floor of Garst Museum houses a treasure of Military uniforms and a vast array of military artifacts. All five branches of the US military services are represented. There are original uniforms from all the wars fought by the United States with the exception of one. Starting with the war of 1812, there are uniforms from the Civil War, Spanish American, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and the current Iraq War. The lone exception is the Mexican American conflict of the mid 1800's. There are also uniforms from the three US military academies.
Lowell Thomas--famous broadcaster

Lowell Thomas
The name Lowell Thomas evokes a number of images--Adventurer, explorer, world traveler, author. However, he was best remembered as a radio news commentator on the CBS Radio Network. The vast Lowell Thomas Exhibit at Garst Museum was donated by Thomas in his later year.
Around the Museum
The Story of Longtown

The Garst Museum is pleased to introduce its newest exhibit entitled, "Diversity in Darke County: The Story of Longtown." The exhibit was created and designed by Noel Rihm, a Wright State University public history graduate student.

This premier exhibit highlights the history of Longtown, a tri-racial settlement situated on the border of Ohio and Indiana. The exhibit offers a chance to explore the settlement and development of this unique community situated in Greenville, Ohio. It also explains the settlement, the farmland and development of the area, and the community's involvement in the Civil War. The exhibit features two foundational aspects of the town, which include the Union Literary Institute and the two main churches, Bethel Wesleyan and the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The legacy of Longtown is equality, diversity, and community. The permanent exhibit is located in the Village Wing of the museum.
A Museum in a Suitcase Program

The Garst Museum is now offering a traveling program featuring “A Museum in a Suitcase.” Garst Museum’s new program is available at no cost for local adult groups who are interested in learning about items of yesteryear. Museum docents will bring a suitcase of items to your facility for a forty-five to sixty minute program. The “Museum in a Suitcase” program includes a unique opportunity to handle the artifacts and reminisce about times gone by.

For more information about the “Museum in a Suitcase” program, please contact the Garst Museum at 937-548-5250 or via email at information@garstmuseum.org.

Annie Oakley Center Foundation
The purpose of the Annie Oakley Center Foundation is to promote the memory of Annie Oakley, to create and maintain exhibits in cooperation with the Garst Museum of Darke County, Ohio, to receive funds for the support thereof, to acquire and preserve Annie Oakley memorabilia and to conduct any and all activities in to further these objectives.
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