Blackwell Museum cashes in huge grant for development

The Top of Oklahoma Historical Society Museum has been awarded another grant to continue its ongoing and extensive inventory process.

The museum received $20,000 for the third phase of its collection management project. A museum specialist has been working to identify, research and photograph artifacts and place data into a collection software management system, officials said in a news release. The grant includes $5,000 for creating a storage area for the safe storage of items not currently on display.

The grant was awarded through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program, Oklahoma Historical Society officials said.

“Hidden in almost 12,000 square feet of display space were collection ‘jewels’ waiting to be uncovered at the Top of Oklahoma Historical Society Museum in Blackwell,” Dianne Braden, past president, said in a news release.

“Uncovering, inventorying and organizing these collections is possible because of the grants from the Oklahoma Historical Society. The 2023 grant will allow the inventory of the last third of the museum, which includes collections from industry, daily life and farming, and creates storage space that the museum has never had.”

“Congratulations to the Top of Oklahoma Historical Society on receiving these grant funds,” said Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington. “This grant will go a long way in helping this organization continue to preserve the history of this local community for future generations.”

“The Top of Oklahoma Historical Society plays an important role in telling the rich story of Oklahoma, its many cultures and the events that led to us becoming a state,” said Rep. John Pfeiffer, R-Orlando.

“I’m grateful for this grant funding that will help improve our collections and preserve them for future generations to enjoy.”

The state historical society will distribute more than $575,000 in grant funds, with projects ranging from collections care and strategic planning to exhibit development and educational programming.

“These grant funds continue to empower local communities to collect, preserve and share their history for future generations of Oklahomans with over 150 projects funded to date,” said Nicole Harvey, director of strategic initiatives and grants administrator for the OHS.

The Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program is a grants-in-aid program offered by the Oklahoma Historical Society to encourage the collection, preservation and sharing of Oklahoma history at the grassroots level in all parts of the state.

Open to tribal and municipal governments and not-for-profit historical organizations located in Oklahoma and registered with the Oklahoma secretary of state, this grants program offers funding ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 for projects focused on collections, exhibits and programming.

Applications for this annual program open in the fall, and award announcements are made in January. For more information, visit www.okhistory.org/grants.

The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state.

Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, visit okhistory.org.