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The Nemaha Valley Museum, Inc was started as a bicentennial project in 1975 with dedication of the building on July 4, 1976.
Serving on the first NVM board were Lowell Hahn, Chris Simon, Bill Coulter, Merlin Nincehelser, Frank Zimmerman, Della LaVigne, Faye Mathews, Henry Russell, J. Sterling Vanderford, Eldo Coulter, John Sanders and Deloris Seid.
The main museum building, located at the southwest corner of Courthouse Square, was constructed in the early 1880’s and the architecture is of the Italianate style. It has housed a number of businesses over the years, including Gus Moore, W. W. Harris (Daylight Store); J. W. Armstrong (Furniture, Hardware & Undertaking); Ed Kuenning (Cream Station); Rudy Tuxhorn (Rudy’s Market), and Orval Hecht (Hardware).
The west half of the building was purchased with memberships, donations and fund raising activities. Very little has been changed in this portion of the building. The stairway was added in the remodeling, but it was made up of elements from an existing stairway in the museum. In this section, there are three display levels open to the public – basement which houses tools and small farm equipment, main level, and second floor with balcony. These two floors are home to many displays including town information, wedding displays, a parlor & sewing rooms.
The east half of the main museum was given in memory of Mr. and Mrs. William Hahn and Mr. and Mrs. Justus Grube in 1976. This part of the building houses our room displays: kitchen, law office, school room, church, barber/beauty shop, bank and military displays. The second level of displays shows off quilts, china, advertising history of various business, sports.
A fenced-in brick patio located behind our main museum is home to some horse drawn farm and road equipment.
A third building, located at the northwest corner of the Courthouse Square, was purchased on July 1, 1983 to house the larger vehicles and farm equipment. This building is called the Agricultural Museum or Ag. Building.
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