Salem Area Historical Museum

05/31/2026

Good morning. The Salem Area History Museum will be open today. Standard hours are 9:00 am until 12:00 pm. We are trying to have spring-summer hours 9:00 am until 1:00 pm. Fall and winter hour will return to 9-12. Private tours can be reserved at anytime. Our purpose is to extend hours as a convenience to the community. Buds Minor League & Graphics just installed SAHM information on the door, yet, another convenience and museum improvement. The commission desire is to do whatever will help those visiting the museum holding Salem relics and memories of our community with items that have filtered down to the museum collections since 1863. The Smithsonian Curator was highly impressed with the SAHM in addition to the Wm. Jennings Bryan Birthplace. “Thank You” for all the encouragement the Commission receives from the community we represent. It’s an honor. 🇺🇸 Look forward to seeing you at the museum! 🇺🇸

05/31/2026

05/23/2026

🇺🇸🇺🇸 Salem Area History Museum has had a busy week. Permanent exhibits are being change a tad and it’s looking more interesting each day. The school exhibit is in the far SW corner of the museum. Everything will remain, several new items displayed and the yearly class pictures are being hung by year of graduation accordingly. We have many of the large group photographs that range from 18 inches in length to a length of 4 feet. One doesn’t see this type of class photos in today’s world. Often they were shot at the South entrance of the Marion County Courthouse. Though much was accomplished today, we are not quite finished. Mark Larimer and Brad Crow helped move a display case from the collection room into the Museum room filled with interesting educational
Items used in Salem public venues. We also had a nice group of visitors in from out of town and another group from out of state. I must say…it’s been a perfect day. Have a great Memorial Day celebration. 🇺🇸🇺🇸 I want to share another highlight of the day. A exhibit brace built by Bob Gordon was delivered. Bob is our right hand man. He has really done so much for us in the realm of woodworking. In trying to update our community clubs and organizations exhibits, we were generously given a huge framed cabinet holding the Lions Club vests by the family of Dr. Dewitt Nesmith. Bob took up the job of building a support to safely brace the shadow box cabinet honoring their father. Dr had collected the largest amount of pins I’ve see to date. His two Lions vests are once again on exhibit and safely staged so they are secure at eye level along with Lion hats. Thank you Bob for all you do, and thank you once again to the family of Dr. Nesmith for your generous donation honoring your dad and a wonderful Salem physician and friend to all for many years. Do stop in next week to see this wonderful exhibit. You won’t be disappointed.

05/23/2026

What a blessed assurance. Thank you Lord.

05/23/2026

🛢️🛢️🛢️🛢️🛢️🛢️🛢️The Salem Area History Museum is also updating one of its major Permanent Exhibits, the Salem Texaco Oil Boom with the “Tate #1 discovery well” oil strike, June 21st, 1938 that brought about a large amount of oil along with an overnight influx of oilfield families and a whole new way of life for the somewhat quiet farming Salem community. The railroads, followed by Brown Shoe Company in 1926 along with local farmers made Salem a progressive community in addition to being the Marion County seat, but, was life about to change. It was the “boom” that put Salem on the map. In fact it’s safe to say the word Salem became a household name all over the world overnight as did the town’s population. The village was not yet equipped for what took place, but the community pulled together and made it work…somewhat overnight. I’m confident from conversation the change wasn’t all roses at first; however, in time it was recognized as a great asset. According to a local Salem geologist, Salem still remains the second largest oilfield in terms of production. We’ve had several interesting items donated and on exhibit, along with a large number of photographs in our collections. Do stop in an enjoy what we have to offer you as you reminisce life during “the big boom!” In fact, feel free to share memories on our page. I enjoy when our community shares their memories. The Historical and Patriotic Commission works hard to keep Salems amazing history alive and well. Thanks for your input and help. 🛢️🛢️🛢️🛢️🛢️🛢️🛢️🛢️

05/22/2026

The Salem Area History Museum will be open Saturday, 9 AM until 1:00 PM. You will notice some confusion caused by updating various exhibit areas over the next few weeks. Don’t let that keep you from coming in. Updating the Salem school exhibits with additional class pictures, school items of interest and of course, the well appreciated SCHS Yearbook Collection. Also several framed antique diplomas of graduation, donated by the descendants of early Central School graduates c. 1819-1889. Another area will display pictures of SCHS students in band and sports, etc., activities and the such. Do drop in this weekend and bring guests in Salem to celebrate Memorial Day weekend. All is going together real well. See you Saturday! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

05/06/2026

a GREAT first day at the Bryan Birthplaces summer season opening. One of the many reasons we put so much into it. The youngsters smiles makes it all worth it. Summer hours are the first Sunday of each month, 12 noon until 3 pm. Also private tours with at least a 24 hr. notice. This was our first spring-summer tour 2026. It was amazing.

05/06/2026

What a wonderful day we had Sunday at the Wm. J. Bryan Birthplace. It was our first day open for summer hours. We had this great family ring the bell and the first group in. They were really great kids and interested. We were amazed by their interest in the Bryan objects. Their visit made the day for Jim and I. They were followed by a couple with Salem connections visiting from Florida with family in Salem. How great is that? All the way around, a great way to start the season off. The kids really liked the chair Bryan used while Secretary of State during the Wilson administration. Sitting in it made a real impression on them.