The Moniteau County Historical Society will hold its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. April 11 at the Cultural Heritage Center in California.
This will be a business meeting, and members are encouraged to participate. Reports from all committees are expected with issues discussed and acted on. The society will be celebrating the 50-year anniversary when, in 1966, the year the Moniteau County Centennial was celebrated, the Moniteau County Historical Society was organized with 194 charter members who met in the old American Legion Hall.
The society welcomes new members and meets on the second Monday of each month except December. Meetings are alternated between business meetings and program meetings with refreshments. The strength of the society relates to the good attendance and participation of the members. Annual memberships are $15, and members may join at anytime.
Historical Society's history
Fifty years ago the Moniteau County Historical Society formed when Mr. Perry Wilson announced a public meeting for the purpose of organization. This organizing meeting was held Nov. 27, 1966, in the American Legion Hall on South East Street in California.
One hundred ninety-six people became charter members. They represented every community in the county. Wilson stated the purpose of organizing this society was "to bring together people interested in the history of our county, its people, towns and institutions and to collect and preserve all the material we can on the development and activities and provisions would be made for the accessibility of such material collected to all who wish to examine or study it."
The first officers were Lawrence Cook, president; Mrs. Karl Herfuth, vice president; Mrs. Robert Jungmeyer, secretary; and Perry Wilson, treasurer. The first program was presented by Mrs. Gene Bartran, president of the Morgan County Historical Society, who spoke about how to organize a historical society. The first annual membership dues were $1 and sustaining memberships were $5. Life memberships were $25. Fundraising events included antique shows, ice cream socials and public auctions.
The first regular meeting of the new society was Jan. 16, 1967, with 60 people attending. The first president, Lawrence Cook, called the meeting to order. Six committee chairpersons were appointed; museum, library, publicity, historic sites, nominations, and ways and means. Regular meetings were held on the third Mondays each month.
And so the 50-year history of the Moniteau County Historical Society began. A committee has been organized to celebrate this noteworthy achievement sometime during this year.