In towns like Owen and Withee, history is a fragile legacy. It lives in keepsakes tucked away in attics and basements, and in the minds of those who remember. When those caretakers and elders pass on, their memories and records teeter on the edge of obscurity — at risk of being consigned to the trash, dismissed as clutter that no one wants. The tragedy is not just the loss of paper and ink; it is the vanishing of our very identity, as if a cherished library had burned and its stories vanished in the smoke.
Carol Mathewson Moore is one of those stories. Carol reached out to me in 2017 to share memories. What followed was a meaningful exchange of information, in which Carol shared vivid details about her historical preservation work, especially regarding the Bacon and Mathewson families of early Owen and Withee. She wrote about a box of old family records and photographs that her uncle Celand Melbinger had promised to pass along to her, believing no one else would be interested. Sadly, that box was never delivered. After Celand’s demise, it disappeared and may have ended up in a landfill.
At the time of our connection, I didn’t know that Carol’s health was beginning to decline. She was actively searching for future homes for her collections, reaching out to local libraries in Owen and Withee. For whatever reason, they weren’t interested. And, regrettably, the Owen-Withee Area Historical Society — of which I am now President — did not yet exist.
Carol was in the process of sending me some of her treasures, but that never happened due to her untimely passing. A reminder of how easily history slips away.
That dilemma is not unique to Carol. In recent years, I have become the caretaker of countless boxes of history — some donated, others rescued from trash dumpsters. Within the Owen-Withee Area Historical Society museum, and my own home, are collections awaiting the time, energy, and space necessary to be sorted, cataloged, and shared. Each box is a chapter of our community’s story, waiting to be preserved and shared.
Consider just a few examples:
• Florence Garbush family (Clark County records): Florence was one of the early leaders and visionaries of the Clark County Historical Society.
• John Isaacs (old area Shoppers): A trove of local advertising circulars and bulletins, chronicling decades of commerce and community life.
• Mary Kathryn Jensen (family and Withee area records and photos): Passed along from the family.
• Donald Rogalski/Janet Stark (family photos and records): Albums and documents capturing the everyday joys, heartbreaks, and milestones of local families.
• Steffie Konwinski (Owen Enterprise newspapers): Nearly half a century of local newsprint donated to me. Documenting births, deaths, triumphs, and tragedies in Owen-Withee and beyond.
• 1897 Clark County Jail artifacts: Boxes and boxes of historical artifacts that were salvaged when the Jail Museum was closed, and are now sitting in storage.
• And so much more….
Now I, Allan Hodnett and the O-W Area Historical Society, are custodians of these treasures, alongside my own massive personal collections. The responsibility is overwhelming, and the challenge daunting: time is always short, storage is scarce, and volunteers are few.
Does Anyone Care? A Call for Community Help
Sometimes, I find myself asking — does anyone care? Will these stories ever reach the light of day, or will they languish, unseen, waiting for hands and hearts willing to lift them into the future?
The answer lies with all of us. The boxes in my care represent not just my passion, but the collective memory of Owen and Withee. If we allow these records to fade, we lose more than memorabilia; we lose the lessons, laughter, and wisdom of those who came before.
Let’s honor their efforts, and those of all who have preserved the history of Owen and Withee. Join me and the Historical Society — help us make sure that our library never burns, but instead grows richer, page by page, for generations to come.