You are here:  Home  / Museum

Our Museum

The Union County Historical Society found its origins in the late nineteenth century with the formation of such organizations as the Union County Pioneer Association in 1875 and the Agassiz Scientific, Archœlogical and Historical Society in 1879. The current organization, the Union County Historical Society, was founded in 1949. In 1954, Lieutenant Colonel Dana Woods Morey (1876-1953) bequeathed his 1891 Queen Ann style brick home located at 246 West Sixth Street in Marysville to the Society for use as a museum. The Morey family was prominent furniture makers and undertakers in the community from the mid nineteenth century to early twentieth century.

The museum has been restored to its original condition when the Morey family resided in it in the early twentieth century, including original gas light fixtures, cobalt-blue stained-glass windows , parquet floors, hand-milled oak and burled-maple woodwork, carved mantelpieces, decorated porcelain sinks and a zinc bathtub fed by gravity cistern tanks located in the attic. An annex was constructed in 1965 to supplement and display the larger items of the museum's collection. The front door of the annex is the door from the Union County boyhood home of Vice-President of the United States Charles W. Fairbanks.

The museum contains many items relating to the history of Union County, Ohio. Some of the collection includes prehistoric artifacts from Union County's Native American heritage, the 1905 Turner Automobile, being the first automobile built in Union County and one of the first automobile's built in the state of Ohio, military collection, antique toy collection, the bell from Union County's third courthouse, 1838-1883, one of the largest collections of items relating to Vice-President Charles W. Fairbanks, born in Union County and Vice-President in the Theodore Roosevelt administration, memorabilia from "Colonel" Noah Orr, the "Union County Giant," who stood nine feet tall in costume and weighed over a quarter ton and who performed in various shows, circuses and museums throughout the United States and Canada, and many other displays of local significance.


Our Mission

The Union County Historical Society is the county organization responsible for the collection and preservation of objects relating to the history of Union County, Ohio. The Society actively and energetically collects items of local interest and uses them to educate and foster knowledge of Union County history in the community and continues to the present day to strive to collect and preserve the history of Union County, Ohio.



We had a great experience at the Union County Historical Museum! Lots of great things to see and read up on.


Various Donations

This piano is one of our various donations that allow us to create the atmosphere of the museum. Without these generous donations, the history of Union County would not be prevailed.

Gallery

Col. Noah Orr

Born in Union County, Col. Noah Orr grew to a height of nearly 8ft tall. His chair is currently at the Union County Historical Society. Click below to view more images from our Museum.

Gallery

The Weller Log Home

Next to the museum is an 1830's style log house. This log cabin was donated to the society in 2006 by the Ellsworth Ohnsman family who at one time obtained and preserved a group of original log structures from the area. The cabin was originally located on the farm of Edward Weller (1808-1889), just south of Marysville, who was a local clay tile manufacturer and potter. The cabin, with frame addition, has been restored and is furnished, as it would have been in the early nineteenth century.


The Weller Log Home - completely functional for a family to live in.

The Weller home was currently transported from its original location in the city of Marysville to where it sits now right next to our Museum and Research buildings.

In 1849, Edward Weller purchased the land with the log home to raise his family and to build a successful clay pottery business.


Our Tours

Tours begin as visitors walk through the door that came from the boyhood home of Vice-President Charles W. Fairbanks.

Old Artifacts

The oldest artifact is an extremely dense rock from the Ice Age called a Glacial Breccia. Some of the earliest items in our collection are our Native American artifacts, representing over 10,000 years of history.

Local Celebrities

Noah Orr, Charles Warren Fairbanks, and O.M. Scott are just a few of the local people who have lived in Union County

Become a Member

To become a member, please complete the form on our Contact page and either e-mail it with your payment to the Historical Society, or drop it off while we are open.

History Ohio

  • Visit Our Gallery for more images from UCHS.

  • An Old Telephone.

  • An Old Cabin in Marysville, OH.

Latest News

  • Welcome To Our New Site!
  • We are currently updating our site - stay tuned for more information.
  • Visit us on Facebook! Click here to be taken to our Facebook page.

Quick Contacts

Your message was not sent
It is an error in form!
Thank you!
Your message was sent.