The military life of H.F. Ransford on display at the Eagle Grove Historical Museum

The Eagle Grove Historical Museum has been a part of this community for decades.

But now, this once diamond in the rough is starting to show its true brilliance in commemorating all the wonderful people who have come from our town; events that have shaped this history of this town, and memorabilia that will always hold special value because it came from this town. None of this would be possible without families who are willing to part with their own or their loved ones things in order to preserve time and the parts Eagle Grove people have played in it.

Take for example one of the museum’s latest donations. It comes from Barbara Hansen of Depoe Bay, Oregon just in time for Memorial Day. It’s a military collection unlike any other. It belonged to her father, Howard Franklin Ransford, also known to his Navy friends as “Shorty” and “Shag.”

“I was lying in bed one night and thought, ‘What am I going to do with all of his things...’then I bolted upright and thought, ‘Eagle Grove,’” said Hansen of her father’s extensive collection of books, awards, newspaper articles, uniforms, letters, and so much more.

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