Derby Historical Museum

06/19/2026

FUN FACT: Did you know that retired Col. Michael Dillard has served as the parade marshal of Derby's Independence Day parade twice? First in 2015 and again in 2018.

Still currently serving as the Head instructor for the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps at Derby High School, organizers chose Dillard as the grand marshal “to recognize his years of service instilling values to the youth of Derby.”

“We veterans have paid the price so everybody in America can enjoy their freedom now," Dillard said. "I know how precious it is. I don’t take it for granted.”

Follow along for more Independence Day facts, ahead of America's 250th birthday and read more about Col. Dillard's story in The Derby Informer .
• 2018 article: https://www.derbyinformer.com/news/derby_news/grand-marshal-for-fourth-of-july-parade-loves-derby-s-patriotism/article_a33ffd86-73f4-11e8-b695-5327f97cb166.html
• 2015 article: https://www.derbyinformer.com/news/derby_news/veteran-teacher-honored-to-be-parade-grand-marshal/article_ccbbf4c0-1f3e-11e5-a1dd-43bc0fdf0955.html

06/17/2026

PICTURE FROM THE PAST: In honor of America's 250th birthday, we are sharing old photos of Derby's Independence Day parade over the years, ahead of the celebration. This photo is from 1984 and shows Mitchell Ham and J.D. Ham riding their bikes in the parade, past Merle Norman Cosmetics. Do you remember this parade?

This photo, courtesy of Andee Ham, was included in the book "Celebrating Derby - 150 Years" that was published by Derby Informer in 2019. The Derby Historical Museum was a collaborator. Copies are available for purchase at the Derby Public Library or at the museum.

06/16/2026

Many outdoor activities of the past have been forgotten... So, to recall a few of the once-common outdoor games, Derby Historical Museum has planned a special and FREE event for people of all ages. Enjoy Games... Old & New!

🗓 Saturday, June 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
📍 Derby Historical Museum, 710 E. Market

Featured games:
• horseshoes, along with currently popular corn hole
• marbles, and also kerplunk
• roll the hoop and the more-recent hula hoop
• hopscotch and stepping-stones
• pickup sticks, which was originally played with straw or twigs and is now presented as colorful sticks of plastic.

It’ll be a fun day to get the family involved and perhaps share a few memories of earlier times with them. You can also show them other non-electronic toys from the past in the museum’s toy exhibit. The museum will be open and free to view.

06/16/2026

Hope to see you Saturday!

Kids will love this! Mark your calendar and plan to attend! https://derbykshistorymuseum.org/events

06/14/2026

Since last fall, June 2026 has been shaping up to be a big month for the Derby Historical Museum.

06/12/2026

FUN FACT: Did you know that the Panther Marching Band was the parade marshal of Derby's Independence Day parade in 1984? The group was selected in honor of the band members’ trip to the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Ariz. in December.

Shown are photos of the band marching in various parades over the years (Fiesta Bowl trip not pictured). Follow along for more Independence Day facts, ahead of America's 250th birthday.

06/11/2026

To recall a few of the once-common outdoor games, the Derby Historical Museum is planning a special event for people of all ages. "Games... Old & New" will showcase a few of these games along with modern variants of the activity. We hope to see you at the museum for this fun day on Saturday, June 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.!

06/10/2026

PICTURE FROM THE PAST: In honor of America's 250th birthday, we are sharing old photos of Derby's Independence Day parade over the years, ahead of the celebration. This photo is from 1967 and shows the Derby Volunteer Fire Department's parade truck, Hose No. 1.

In 1954, a plan was presented to the City Council to adopt an ordinance that formally recognized the group as a Volunteer City Fire Department and the first truck was the 1947 sand truck that they stripped down to turn into a fire truck. Volunteer firemen organized fundraisers to assemble their first fire truck. However, Hose No. 1 was acquired later by the department and only driven in parades through the years, including the July 4th parade in 1967, pictured here.

Dale Trainer and Darrell Butterfield are in the front and riding in the back are Anita, Donna and Susie Trainer (Dale’s daughters), Lee and Dale Wilbur (Dale’s grandsons), with children of other members of the Derby Volunteer Fire Department.

This photo, courtesy of Donna Tapley, was included in the book "Celebrating Derby - 150 Years" that was published by Derby Informer in 2019. The Derby Historical Museum was a collaborator. Copies are available for purchase at the Derby Public Library or at the museum.

06/09/2026

Did you know that co****le is a reinvention of the once popular game, horseshoes? Come try this old game and its modern adaption, along with many other pairs of new and old games at the Derby Historical Museum on June 20 from 11 a.m. -1 p.m.
For more information, view our Facebook event: Games... Old & New

06/08/2026

We are thrilled to announce that we have reached the full $200,000 to receive the matching gift from an anonymous donor, putting us at a total of $400,000!

This is exciting news and means that we are halfway toward our final goal of $800,000. So while we have hit a milestone in our fundraising, the capital campaign is not yet over!

Thank you to everyone who continues to support the museum. We cannot express how much we appreciate you, especially at such an important time of great improvements for our building.