About Us | Phelps County Historical Society

Our Mission

The Phelps County Historical Society is a not-for-profit historical institution with a mission to preserve and provide access to architecture, artifacts, and educational materials that portray the history of Phelps County, Missouri; and to increase public interest and involvement in local history projects.

Our History

The Phelps County Historical Society began in the summer of 1938, when about ninety members of Phelps County signed their names to a listing circulated by the first president, Charles L. Woods, and his secretary, Dr. Clair V. Mann, supporting the creation of a county historical society. In early August a call for members was published in all the county newspapers; on August 26, 1938, a mass meeting was held at the Edwin Long Hotel in Rolla, Missouri, at the meeting the constitution was adopted, the first officers were elected, dues were set at $1 per annum, and a historical society was born.

“The Phelps County Historical Society was organized on August 26, 1938, for the purpose of collecting, preserving, organizing and publishing in legible and available form, the rich historical materials that relate to the people and institutions of Phelps County, Missouri, and the immediately surrounding territory.”

-Dr. Clair V. Mann & Bonita H. Man

Since that date the Phelps County historical society has maintained a steady membership, published a newsletter that captured important historical information about people, events, and places across the county, assumed care for the county’s historic building, and displayed and interpretated historical artifacts from our community in the Old Courthouse Museum. The Phelps County Historical Society has maintained the public trust for over 80 years. We need your help to continue preserving Phelps County history, get involved and find out how you too, can preserve local history.