Still time to see Oswego museum’s ‘Remembering our Veterans’ exhibit

Area residents still have a few days left to visit the Little White School Museum’s annual “Remembering our Veterans” special exhibit at the museum, 72 Polk Street (Jackson at Polk), just two blocks from historic downtown Oswego.

This is the 15th year the exhibit to honor area veterans has been hosted by the museum. It was canceled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The exhibit will be open this Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 27–28 from 8 to 3 p.m.

Admission to the museum and the exhibit is free, but donations are always gratefully accepted.

Curating the extensive “Remembering Our Veterans” exhibit will be museum volunteer Bob Stekl assisted by volunteers Stephanie Just and Darlene Stekl along with museum manager Annie Jordan, museum assistant Emily Dutton, and Oswegoland Park District Superintendent of Events & Cultural Arts Kristie Vest.

This year’s exhibit completely fills the historic building’s main Roger Matile Room, and includes hundreds of rarely-seen artifacts including dozens of vintage uniforms, was souvenirs, photographs, and documents selected from the museum’s collections, each with a direct connection to Oswegoland residents who served from the Civil War through the current conflicts in the Middle East and Afghanistan. In addition, each year’s exhibit features a “Wall of Honor” recognizing the service of more than 200 local military personnel.

Back this year is a digital slide show featuring Oswegoland residents who served during World War II. It will join the digital photo exhibits featuring Oswego area residents who served during the Vietnam War and the Korean Conflict.

Finally, this year’s exhibit features a special section devoted to military personnel with Oswego connections, from the Civil War through Vietnam, who were killed in action, making the highest sacrifice to the nation.

The Little White School Museum was built in 1850 as a Methodist-Episcopal Church. The congregation dissolved in 1913 and the Oswego School District turned the building into a one-room school in 1915. Classes were held in the building until 1964, when it was used for storage. The Oswegoland Heritage Association began a grassroots effort to save and restore the badly deteriorated building in 1976 assisted by the Oswegoland Park District. The restoration, largely accomplished by volunteers, was completed in 2002. Today the building protects and preserves Oswegoland’s rich history and heritage through a partnership between the heritage association and the park district.

For more information, call the museum at 630-554-2999; send an email to info@littlewhiteschoolmuseum.org; or visit the museum web site at www.littlewhiteschoolmuseum.org