Fairbury City Museum

06/19/2026

Flying Off Into The Father's Day Weekend.

06/19/2026

This painted silk 35-star flag served as the national color of the 84th Regiment of Infantry, United States Colored Troops (USCT). Organized in April 1864, the regiment drew from and expanded existing African American units formed by the Union Army after taking New Orleans in 1862. The flag commemorates several engagements in which the regiment participated, primarily during the Red River campaign of 1864.

Notably, the flag lists White's Ranch, Texas, recognized as one of the last battles of the Civil War. As a result, it reflects the service and commitment of Black soldiers through the end of the Civil War. Many Black units continued to serve after the war, assigned to guarantee emancipation and enforce U.S. law and policy as new state governments formed across the former Confederacy. The proclamation in Galveston on June 19, 1865, which prompted Juneteenth, was made possible by units like the 84th stationed across the region.

The flag is now on display in our newest exhibition, “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness,” which celebrates 250 years of American history.

06/19/2026

Come for the mural, Stay for the exhibits!

If you look within the museum you'll be able to find connection to every subject in the mural and how it ties back to the Fairbury area.

06/18/2026

Watch the Scoopers in action.

06/18/2026

06/17/2026

Do you know about the Mercy Dogs? From the curator's desk.

Mercy dogs entered the worst place on earth with a small kit on their backs and a job no machine could do.

The most human detail is what happened when rescue came too late.

In World War I, these dogs were trained to move low through mud, wire, smoke, and shell holes, often working at night when stretcher parties could not safely cross no man’s land.

Their harnesses carried bandages, food, and small canteens for soldiers who could still help themselves. If a wounded man could not move, the dog might return with a cap, glove, or scrap of uniform, guiding medics back to someone still waiting in the dark.

But sometimes there was no way back.

Then the dog stayed.

No speech. No ceremony. Just warmth beside a soldier the battlefield had almost erased.

In a war built to make people disappear, mercy sometimes arrived on four paws.

06/17/2026

July 27th, 2026 "Korean War Veteran's Armistice Day" proclaimed.