4-H Museum moves to the Heartland

“The one-room schoolhouse in Gazebo Park is Wright County’s own contribution to American History.”

So stated an article in the June 17, 1982 edition of the Wright County Monitor, which highlighted the schoolhouse as the symbol of Clarion’s Festival in the Park.

Last week, the old 4-H Schoolhouse Museum, which had been located in the Gazebo Park in Clarion for close to 65 years, was moved to property owned by the Heartland Museum. The change should allow more people to learn about and appreciate how 4-H got its start.

The 4-H Museum was originally Wall Lake Schoolhouse #6, and was located a few miles north of Clarion just west of Madison Avenue. It was where county school superintendent O.H. Benson first got the idea for the 4-H emblem after interacting with some schoolchildren there.

In 1952, the building was purchased by the Clarion Chamber of Commerce and moved to Gazebo Park just off Central Ave in Clarion. After the building was restored, it was opened as a museum in 1955.

Read the full story in the December 28 edition.