LAKE PLACID – Things are always changing at The History Museum on Station Street.
Exhibits are rotated every year, research is constantly being curated for new displays, and the Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society continues to explore new ways to make their archives more accessible to researchers and residents here at Lake Placid’s old train station.
Chronicling and preserving more than 200 years of history takes work. In Lake Placid, there’s a cohort of people passionately dedicated to preserving what has happened here, when it happened, and who has made an impact on this community.
“I think that’s crucial,” said Courtney Bastian, the historical society’s administrative director. “Lake Placid is world renowned, so connected to the world. It’s important to preserve our social history. It’s also a destination for so many visitors, we like to provide information from when Lake Placid was founded to present day.”
This spring, the museum unveiled a series of new displays.
One exhibit explores how residents got from one place to the next. Photos show how transportation has changed here over the years as it did across the world, slowly progressing from horses to locomotives to automobiles.
Another looks at education, tracks how local one-room schoolhouses morphed into expansive school districts, and looks at how private schools like St. Agnes School and Northwood School came to be. The third new display outlines the history of local churches and the Lake Placid Synagogue. It pulls into focus the impact religious organizations have had on the community.
“We do updates every year,” Bastian said. “We’re constantly putting up new artifacts and updating the text to make it more comprehensive.”
For the last year, the museum has also had an exhibit revolving around the centennial of the Suffrage movement. The small snippets on the life and achievements of local women today stand side-by-side with the influential movers and shakers that helped usher in women’s right to vote.
Visitors’ response to the expansive exhibit – which takes up a sizeable room in the museum – has been “very positive,” according to Bastian.
“A lot of people are appreciative that we’re acknowledging women in this community and their impact.”
The display wouldn’t have been possible without the community’s input, Bastian said.
So as historical society officials continue to brainstorm new ideas for the next exhibit, which will likely come sometime next year, they’re seeking input from the community on potential topics.
“We’re definitely taking suggestions,” she said. “We always like to hear from the community. We are a community resource.”
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Archive, building improvements
For Bastian, being a community resource means making the exhibits on display interactive and engaging people who live here. In the “Suffrage Centennial” exhibit, people are invited to write stories about women who have influenced them and post them on a board. Historical society officials also try to find ways to ensure that their archives are readily available for people seeking information.
The historical society’s archives are scattered throughout the area. Some documents, photographs and other materials are stashed on the grounds of The History Museum. Others are at the Lake Placid Public Library or at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts.
Over time, Bastian hopes to help create an overarching collection inventory that will allow researchers, students and visitors to be able to easily find what they’re looking for, and where it may be.
“We have an extensive collection with a wide range of themes,” Bastian said. “This will make things a lot easier.”
Digitizing photographs and other records is another component of making their collection accessible. That’s a long process that’s been ongoing since at least 2012, she said.
Work on the historic train station that houses the museum will also begin soon. The historical society plans to work on the basement, make roof repairs and update the climate control system in the building.
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Upcoming events
On Aug. 17, The History Museum will host its annual Heritage Day event. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the museum grounds will be filled with live music, food, books and baked goods for sale.
“That’s one of our largest fundraisers of the year,” Bastian said.
The historical society is still searching for volunteers to help staff the event and will be accepting donations of used books, flea market items and baked goods to sell.
On Sept. 13, the historical society will bring visitors on a tour of cemeteries around the village of Lake Placid and town of North Elba. Those who reserve one of the 30 to 40 available slots will have the opportunity to ride on a bus with a local historian and ask questions.
“It’s a really fun time,” Bastian said.