Ireland Historical Society celebrates 30th anniversary

Gary Eck, Dubois County Historical Society President, with the 250th of the USA display, held the Dubois County 250th Lantern. His display included a Betsy Ross Flag and a lantern of the kind Paul Revere could have used- **photos provided by Delbert “Junie” Himsel.**

More than 100 people gathered on Sunday as the Ireland Historical Society marked its 30th anniversary.

The free event ran from 1 to 3 p.m. and included the Liberty Tree Dedication. The Ireland Fire Department supplied tables, chairs and a grill, cooked the hamburgers and hot dogs and brought three of its fire trucks. Myron Schmitt, president of Ireland Youth Sports, ran the popcorn machine.

Displays tied the afternoon to the nation’s 250th birthday. Gary Eck, president of the Dubois County Historical Society, brought a 250th display with the Dubois County Traveling Lantern, a Betsy Ross flag and a lantern like those hung in Boston’s Old North Church on the night of Paul Revere’s ride. Other displays listed the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence and the eight Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Dubois County.

*The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.*

The society formed in May 1996 after the final service at the Ireland Methodist Church. It took ownership of the 1878 building, the oldest in Ireland, on Aug. 2, 1996. Its basement holds the “Walls of History,” more than 1,000 area photos, each paired with a piece of local history.