Media Kit

To members of the media:

 

We hope you will find the information below useful and will check in with us on a regular basis. Please contact us directly for more specific information, to schedule interviews or obtain images and additional press materials.

 

Tanis Monday

Executive Director, Putnam County Museum

Mission

The mission of the Putnam County Museum is to collect, preserve, and interpret the natural, historical and cultural heritage of the county and its people through education, exhibits and special programs.

The Museum's permanent collection of over 2,000 Putnam County artifacts offers county residents and visitors a historical overview of the county.

In addition to an exhibit that draws from our permanent collection, special exhibits (which include items on loan) and local art exhibits, the Museum offers educational programs for children of all ages and provides meeting space to many area organizations.

Since its inception, the Museum has grown in its role as the community's historic and cultural center thanks to dedicated citizens who have contributed their time, efforts, talents and resources.

Museum History

In the late 1990s the Putnam County Historical Society sought a permanent home for the collection, preservation and protection of artifacts and stories relating to Putnam County and its people. Public meetings were held in concert with Main Street Greencastle, the Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and interested community members.

In 2002, the Putnam County Board of Commissioners helped secure a location. Volunteers formed a board of directors, elected officers, wrote policies, procedures, and by-laws. With the Putnam County Community Foundation's grant of $20,000 and $10,000 in community contributions, the Museum hired its first director in January 2003.

The Museum's first home was two rooms in the old Jones School, now the Putnam County Courthouse Annex. In 2006 the Museum made a major move to its present location on North Jackson Street. Once again, the community stepped up with extraordinary support. It provided financial assistance as well as volunteer labor. In-kind donations provided much of the skilled labor and materials necessary to convert the large, empty space to an attractive and functional museum.

Over the last several years, the Museum has continued to expand its collection and provide diverse and quality exhibits. As an increasingly vital part of its community, the Museum also provides group meeting space and educational programs for adults and children. It strives to be a cultural hub dedicated to preserving and honoring the past while promoting activities that bridge generations to the present.

About Putnam County

Located in west-central Indiana, Putnam County was established in 1822. Its rural midwestern character has been largely preserved. Typical of the region, the county's landscape includes vast fields, woodland, flat prairie, rolling hills, and farms of crops and livestock. Numerous covered and iron bridges and a half dozen crossroad villages are reminders of the county's agrarian roots. About one third of the county's population of 38,000 lives in the county seat, Greencastle, with a downtown anchored by the 1903 courthouse at the center of an intact commercial square.

Greencastle is home to several historic landmarks: DePauw University, founded in 1837 as Indiana Asbury College; Central National Bank, victim of John Dillinger's biggest heist in 1933, and the site of Eli Lilly's first pharmacy (1861). Greencastle is also where William H. Herndon wrote the first ever biography of Abraham Lincoln, Herndon's Lincoln, in 1887.

Until the establishment of the Putnam County Museum, the county did not have an institution to collect and preserve the artifacts that tell the stories of the county's people, their past and present. Today the Museum is a growing, dynamic community institution. Children and adults alike get to participate in fun events and programs, learn about the county's heritage, and pass it on to future generations. Our staff, interns and volunteers are dedicated to making any visitor's experience memorable, adding to the county's cultural and educational scene.

Publications 

Peeler Pottery: A Retrospective

In 2009 the Museum published Peeler Pottery: A Retrospective. The book is a tribute to the nationally known pottery created by Richard and Marj Peeler, revered Putnam County potters. With a personal message and story written by Marj Peeler, the 342-page book features 756 color photographs of the vast, impressive collection of Richard and Marj’s pottery and sculptures. In the introductory essay, Marj shares their personal story and describes the challenges and rewards she and her late husband faced as they worked in their studio and raised their four sons in rural Indiana. It is an engaging story, with bits of history and advice for any aspiring artist. The colorful photographs bring the artwork and the studio to life.

Our Past, Their Present: Historical Essays on Putnam County, Indiana

John J. Baughman, professor emeritus of history at DePauw University, wrote and compiled articles and essays on Putnam County history in Our Past, Their Present: Historical Essays on Putnam County, a book published by the Museum in 2008. This engaging overview of the county’s history is told through through a combination of history fact, local folklore and personal accounts.

Leadership

Board of Directors

Therese Cunningham, President

Emily Knuth, Vice President

Lauralee Baugh, Secretary

Chris Shuck, Treasurer

Sherry Gammon

Jason Hartman

LaDonna Kelly

Mickey Meehan

Saraellen Peters

Patty McCastle

Greg Rice

Ellie Ypma

Emeritus Board Members

Jinsie Bingham

Mavis Broadstreet

Sally Gray

Diana LaViolette

Warren Macy

Staff

Tanis Monday, Executive Director

Clare Mail, Assistant Director

Media Contact

Media representatives, writers and educators are welcome to use the information on this page as well as other content on the Museum’s Web site for publicity and education purposes. Please contact us for additional inquiries and/or to schedule an interview.

Tanis Monday

Executive Director

765.653.8419

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