NEWS & EVENTS

For Independence Day, the Garst Museum will be CLOSED on Saturday, July 4, 2026. The museum will reopen on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at 10:00 am and resume our regular operating schedule.

In honor of America’s 250th year of independence, the Garst Museum will be celebrating Greene and other generals from the American Revolution who played significant roles in Washington's Generals Lecture Series. Greene, Wayne, and many others will be presented in this year-long series, developed and delivered by Cait Clark, Garst Museum’s Administrative Director. Over the course of the series, Clark will be talking about well-known generals such as Henry Knox and Benedict Arn

INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENT: Darke County Park's Gathering at Garst Website: darkecountyparks.org/gathering Darke County Park's Vendor Applications: darkecountyparks.org/gatheringvendors Darke County Park's Gathering Contact Information: Phone: 937-548-0165 Email: info@darkecountyparks.org Special Garst Museum Hours for the Gathering Friday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Saturday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Sunday: 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Research Center Hours Saturday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Sund

The Garst Museum is opening its doors to fourth-graders who want to take a different look at history. Get an up-close look at why Greenville is known as the Treaty City through the Crossroads of Destiny exhibit. Learn why Annie Oakley was important to Darke County and the world. See and hear why Lowell Thomas's contribution to the new media shaped how we view the world today. Those are only a few of the lessons fourth graders can learn when they visit the Garst Museum. The Fo

The Darke County Historical Society is pleased to announce that funds will be available from the Dr. Harry G. Thomas Medical Scholarship Program for the 2026-2027 academic year. The Dr. Harry G. Thomas Medical Scholarship Program, administered by the Darke County Historical Society, was established and funded in 1971 by Lowell Thomas and his sister, Pherbia Thomas Thornburg, in memory of their father, Dr. Harry G. Thomas. The program was later supplemented by a bequest from

On June 20, 2026, Cait Clark will talk about the exploits of the Marquis de Lafayette, a young man who joined Washington’s staff as a major general at age 19. Lafayette would become something akin to an adopted son to Washington, supporting the commander through the trials of Valley Forge and Arnold’s betrayal in 1780. After the American Revolution, Lafayette would return home to France, where he would face off against Napoleon Bonaparte, a man trying to turn France’s own rev

Longtown was a predominantly African American settlement in Darke County that included people of African, European, and American Indian ancestry. The population had many freed or runaway slaves. With the establishment of a vocational school known as the Union Literary Institute, Longtown created an opportunity for African Americans to become land-owning farmers, craftsmen, skilled workers, and professionals during a period when slavery and racism were prevalent. The Garst Mus

Thank you to the State of Ohio for this opportunity! Related story: https://www.dailyadvocate.com/2026/02/17/i-75-rest-area-puts-spotlight-on-garst-museum/

Mong was honored for his work on the books, “Greenville: My Home Town in the Great Darke County,” volumes one and two. The books featured beautifully painted watercolor Illustrations of landmarks from around the community. All proceeds were donated to the Garst Museum. The captions for each of the pieces of artwork were written by Dr. Steve Gruber. Gruber currently serves as chair of the Darke County Historical Society. Eileen Litchfield, chair of the selection committee for

Starting 05-23-2026, all online Museum Store orders will be shipped on Fridays. If you would like to place a phone order, please contact 937-548-5250 anytime Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM. The Museum Store at Garst Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM....make sure to stop in while you visit the museum!

Thank you to Caleb Michael of Dayton Channel 2/WDTN for a wonderful story about Annie Oakley and the National Annie Oakley Center at the Garst Museum. To view the video and read the article, please visit WDTN here: https://www.wdtn.com/celebrate-250/celebrate-250-the-legacy-of-annie-oakley/#/questions/5882795

Don Mong recently collaborated with Dr. Stephen Gruber on a special project that will benefit the Garst Museum. After his first book of illustrations of Greenville, titled Greenville: My Hometown, was a huge success, Mong has released a second edition – this time with over 50 more illustrations. This newest book will feature everything from the first installment, as well as the new illustrations. Mong grew up in Greenville and although he has traveled the world and currently

Israel Putnam was one of only two generals unanimously chosen by Congress. The other was George Washington himself. But by the end of the war, Washington had quietly stopped giving him commands. So, was Israel Putnam a hero… or just a legend? Join us for our next Washington's Generals lecture to find out. The program will be held on Saturday, May 9, at 2:00 p.m. in the Lowell Thomas Meeting Room at the Garst Museum. It will be presented by Administrative Director Cait Clark.

Horatio Gates arrived in the Continental Army with a distinguished military record and sky-high ambitions to match. He would go on to oversee one of America's greatest victories, as well as one of its most humiliating defeats. Along the way, he may have even set his sights on Washington's job itself. But was Gates truly a villain, or simply a flawed man caught between his ambitions and his moment in history? The program will be held on Saturday, April 11, at 2:00 p.m. in the

America 250 - Ohio is celebrating its entertainers throughout March, and the Garst Museum has exhibits featuring entertainers from Darke County. Annie Oakley and Lowell Thomas are two of the most widely known entertainers who called Darke County home. Oakley toured the world and met heads of state, royalty, and other dignitaries. Her skill at handling a gun was honed in the fields of northern Darke County. Thomas once called Woodington, a small village north of Greenville, ho

On March 21 at 2 p.m., Cait Clark of the Garst Museum will host a PowerPoint presentation titled "Voices, Paths, and Power: Five Influential Native American Women" in the Lowell Thomas Meeting Room. The program explores the lives of Matoaka (Pocahontas), Sacagawea, Buffalo Calf Road Woman, Zitkála-Šá, and Maria Tallchief - five women whose influence shaped American history in strikingly different ways. Spanning more than three centuries, the presentation examines diplomacy, e

The Garst Museum is pleased to announce Washington’s Generals , a year-long lecture series celebrating 250 years of American independence by exploring the key leaders who helped George Washington win the Revolutionary War. March's program focuses on " Daniel Morgan...The Rebel with a Cause." The program will be held on Saturday, March 14, at 2:00 p.m. in the Lowell Thomas Meeting Room at the Garst Museum. It will be presented by Administrative Director Cait Clark. The Washin

Can this really be happening? Yes, and successfully! Jim Buchy “Rep Buchy,” a rural white Republican, and Dale Mallory “Rep Dale,” an urban black Democrat, collaborated to bring this to fruition for the inner cities of Cincinnati and Cleveland. Dale Mallory’s father, William L. Mallory Sr. majority leader in the Ohio House, had a vision to increase 4-H participation in black cities in the state; Dale pursued this to honor his father. Dale, a graduate of Taft High School Nat