About the Museum History

Schulenburg Historical Museum

SHM History

The Schulenburg Historical Museum was founded in 1988 and first opened in time for the Schulenburg Festival in early August of that year. A gift of the Robert Earl Wolters family to the community, the museum was initiated by John Wolters, son of Robert Earl, and John’s wife, Karen.

The museum is located in a group of historic buildings in downtown Schulenburg owned by the Wolters family. A photograph of North Main Street taken in 1895 shows the G. Bohms Mercantile building with wood frame buildings surrounding it. The F.C. Wolters Saloon is located immediately east of Bohms Mercantile, and E.J. Wolters Saddlery on the east side of the saloon. Both the saloon and saddlery buildings have been replaced with other structures.

John Wolters’ great-grandfather, R.A. Wolters, married the daughter of Gerhardt Bohms, and ran G. Bohms Mercantile until it closed in the mid 1930’s. After World War II, an army surplus store operated out of the building. From the late 1950’s or early 1960’s until the mid 1970’s, the building housed The New York Store.

In the photograph ca. 1895, a wood frame building which no longer exists is visible on the west side of the Bohms building. In its place stands the brick structure built by R.A. Wolters in the first or second decade of the 1900’s, which houses the museum. Great uncle of John Wolters, Albert (A.B.) Wolters, son of R.A. Wolters, is thought to have run a radio repair business from the building until closing shop sometime in the 1950’s. Afterwards, an auto supply store is remembered operating from the building for the next decade, closing in the 1960’s.

Upon insistence of John's father, R.E. Wolters, the contents of the Wolters buildings remained untouched until he acceded to founding of the museum in 1988. Within the buildings were found items from the mercantile store, including several scales, high-top women’s shoes, corsetts, hat boxes, and trunks.

John’s wife, Karen obtained a charter for the museum as a 501c3 non-profit organizatiion, and Darrell Stall compiled a list of exhibit categories and suggested items for display which was published in The Schulenburg Sticker, the local newspaper. Karen Wolters and friend, Collene Story, meticulously dusted, cleaned and catalogued items for display found in the Wolters buildings, as well as an outpouring of items loaned and gifted to the musem by members of the community in response to the newspaper article.

Karen and John, and friends Collene and John Story, also cleaned up the building, installed barn tin on an unsightly rear wall, and stripped paint from the exterior doors and brick storefront. Karen also enlisted Darrell Stall to assist in arranging the initial displays, and conducted a membership drive offering lifetime founding memberships. Prior to opening the doors in time for the Schulenburg Festival parade, Karen conducted an initial meeting at which a board of directors was elected.

Soon after opening, Myrtle Isenesee, the city librarian at the time, took over management of the museum. Volunteers were enlisted to help keep the museum doors open throughout most of the 1990’s after Karen, John & Darrell moved away. Assisting Myrtle with management were Charlie Mangold, Evelyn Kaase and Oscar Gresser. Myrtle made sure there was always something new and interesting for passersby to see in the museum storefront window, and placed Charlie in charge of cataloguing donations and loans that continued to be received from the community. Some rearranging of the intial exhibits took place to make room for newly received items, until capacity of the building was filled to overflowing.

The museum's doors were closed by the late 1990’s and organization languished for several years without Myrtle’s driving force. In 2001-2002, museum holdings were moved next door and stored in the G. Bohms building so the museum space could be cleaned, freshly painted, and an HVAC system and ceiling installed over exposed roof trusses. Work began on redesign of exhibits, but was deterred by a leaking roof system and flooding problems, which were eventually resolved with a new roof funded by John Wolters in 2008.

In 2009, an influx of new members elected a new Board of Directors with renewed interest in the museum, hope for much progress, and thanks for funding to help make the dreams of the Schulenburg Historical Museum a reality.