MENUWeekly Column
Each week a small segment of Vernon County history is published in the county papers.
For the week of 4/19/2026
by Bridget Van Beckum, assistant curator
It’s hard to put into words just how important volunteers are to the operations of a small local historical society like the Vernon County Historical Society. With only two paid staff members, it would be truly impossible to keep the society going without the dedication and hard work of our volunteers. We are deeply grateful to all of the many individuals willing to offer up their time and talents to benefit the museum. Every single one of our volunteers, whether they volunteer regularly or only occasionally for special events, does invaluable work to support our organization.
As an individual volunteer, it may sometimes be difficult to see how your own small contributions manage to make a difference. But every action, no matter how small, does add up! You, our volunteers, are vital. Your work allows the society to fulfill its mission of preserving and promoting Vernon County history, and your help goes a long way to ensure the VCHS’ continued existence for future generations. We would simply not be able to do what we do without your help!
This week is National Volunteer Week. To celebrate, we’d like to invite all volunteers to stop by the museum any time to enjoy some coffee and treats. In the past, we’ve held a small social to show our appreciation to our volunteers during this week. However, we know that many of our volunteers lead very busy lives, which makes us all the more grateful that they choose to share some of their time with us. That’s why we decided to offer treats all week long this year, Monday to Friday, instead of holding a single-day social. We hope this will allow us to thank even more of our volunteers who may not otherwise be able to fit another museum visit into their schedules. So, if you have the time, please drop in to say hi! We would love to see you and thank you for all your hard work in person.
New volunteers are also welcome! If you have ever thought about volunteering at the museum but didn’t know where to start, we have a “Volunteer” page on our website with more information, including examples of some of the many different types of volunteer work we have available. These opportunities include everything from research and filing, to acting and giving tours. Even if you’re not that interested in history, you could still help out with hands-on tasks such as cleaning, gardening, or maintenance work, or general non-profit work such as fundraising and planning events. Whether you’re outgoing or introverted, big-picture or detail-oriented, young or old, busy or available, or anything in between, there is a place for you here. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer or would just like to learn more, feel free to email us anytime at museum@vernoncountyhistory.org or call us at 608-637-7396. We would love to have you join us!
Thank you again to all our volunteers, and we hope to see you at the museum this week!
Volunteers working hard at the annual 4th of July Strawberry Shortcake Social.
For the week of 4/12/2026
by Kristen Parrott, curator
The history of the village of Readstown, in the Town of Kickapoo, will be the subject of our next public program. On Tuesday, April 21, at 7PM, at the Vernon County Museum and History Center, Julie Roberts and Nan Alexander will present a program about the founding and growth of Readstown. Julie is the president of the Readstown Historical Society, and Nan is a retired teacher who has done a lot of research on the history of schools in the Readstown area.
Rural schools in the Town of Kickapoo included Day Creek, Kickapoo Center, Manning, Sherry, Spring Valley, and Sugar Grove. And then of course there were schools in the village of Readstown itself, including Readstown High School. A copy of the high school’s yearbook, the Vallegian, from 1946 is currently on exhibit in a small display about Readstown located inside our conference room.
Other items in the exhibit include a Readstown souvenir miniature glass canoe, a Readstown sesquicentennial cookbook, and a postcard of the Readstown Church of Christ, circa 1900. On the 2nd floor of the museum, in the general store exhibit, is a store ledger once used by E. J. Anderson of Readstown. Anderson was born in 1882, and married Anna Larson in 1907. He was a businessman in Readstown who ran a number of businesses over the years — general store, car dealership, jewelry and clock shop, photography studio.
Everyone is welcome to attend the Readstown history program, which will be held in our first-floor conference room. We ask for a donation of $2.50 per person to help us defray costs.
You can also learn about the history of the area from the history page on the Town of Kickapoo’s website.
National Volunteer Week will be the week of April 19-25. This special week, held around this time every year, is an opportunity to say thank-you to the many volunteers who help our community. The Vernon County Historical Society relies on our wonderful volunteers to do so much of the day-to-day work of running our small non-profit organization. Volunteers past and present are welcome to drop by the museum and history center from Monday, April 20, through Friday, April 24, to enjoy treats for National Volunteer Week.
Remember that April is the time to eat at Culver’s in Viroqua, so you can participate in their community “Change for Change” campaign, which benefits the Vernon County Historical Society this month. Either leave coins in the jar on the counter at the cash register, or round up your total at the end of your transaction. A little bit of spare change from each customer will hopefully amount to a large donation to our organization at the end of April.
Readstown, circa 1916.
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