By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
A new and improved Northeast Kentucky History Museum will be opening their doors on the July 4 weekend at the Olive Hill Center for Arts & Heritage (OHCAH). Curator Jim Plummer said the museum’s updated exhibit will showcase a lot of regional history for everyone to enjoy, beginning with Native American artifacts and following through to antiques and items from the present day. The museum features guided tours with the museum director, has an art gallery with rotating displays, and features the Matthew B. Sellers Aviation Collection. There is also a gift shop filled with rocks, gems, minerals, fossils, and jewelry.
Plummer said he has been doing a lot of work at the museum lately.
“We want to spruce it up for the Fourth of July festivities,” Plummer said. “The Historical Society has quite a lot going on, and I am setting up displays on the Revolutionary War.”
Plummer said it will be interesting and filled with reproductions and art.
“And I just got some earth science stuff for the science room,” Plummer said. “It’s mostly international rock and mineral specimens and fossils.”
“We also have some Civil War items,” he said. “And items from World War I and World War II. And we are really excited about the Matthew B. Sellers Aviation Collection. That is a lot of nice county history.”
Plummer said he had done some shows for the OHCAH where he had set up displays in the gymnasium, but now he is set up on the third floor of the old high school building.
“It’s given me some elbow room to spread out a little bit,” Plummer said gratefully.
Recently he said he moved the items from the location at Carter Caves Road (where he had been for a long time) to the school.
But even the new location is filling up, Plummer said.
“It looked like a lot of space in the beginning, but it is filling up quickly. There was a lot of stuff to put in there, but it is looking really good. I’ve got a military display for the veterans,” he said. “Especially World War II. But I have a lot of World War I stuff, too. I also have a salute to Korea, to the Vietnam Veterans, and all the way up to current times.”
“And I have run the Sellers equipment all the way through since it is so historical to the state and the county,” Plummer said. “It’s kind of a national treasure too, so I’ve continued with aircraft development all the way up to the B2 Bombers.”
Plummer said that he has a lot in the museum, but his largest number of items are from the World War II era. Plummer’s father was a 22-year veteran, he said, and as a result he always had a pretty good military collection.
The Northeast Kentucky History Museum will be open Tuesday through Friday the Fourth of July Weekend, Plummer said. But he does take appointments for tours, and interested parties can contact him at 606-286-6012.
Plummer said that he is excited to bring his collection to its current location at 120 Comet Drive in Olive Hill, and hopes the city turns out to see the history he has put on display. The old high school location will lend itself well to group tours and other event groups, he said, adding that he looks forward to kids coming in for the 45 minute tour and learning about their history.
“It’s family friendly,” Plummer said of the museum. “A lot of it is geared toward kids, too, and is very hands on. Kids will actually be able to hold Native American artifacts and things like that.”
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
