The Mission

Our mission is to tell the story of the people, places and events that have influenced the Towanda Area of today, through historical artifacts, family narratives and educational, cultural events. (e.g., Pow Wows, art & music festivals, seminars, etc.)   ​

What's An Artifact? 

An artifact is, typically, a man-made object that provides clues about the past. By this definition, anything that is historic or a few years old is an artifact, right? - Not quite. What distinguishes an artifact from another object is it's significance. An object may be considered significant if it:

• Is associated with a major event or period in history
• Belonged to or was important in the life of a significant person in the past
• Embodies unique artistic elements
• Provides information important to history  

What Makes An Object Worth Collecting?

To become part of the museum's collection, an object must fit on of our collection themes and meet certain standards. 

These standards include: 

• Does the object have full ownership history or provenance? 
• Does it meet the mission of the museum?
• Does it fill a void in our current collection?
• Is it a unique or rare example of Kansas or the Towanda area's heritage?