No matter where in the world a person might be, that location is going to be defined by its history, whether it’s progress that was made or mistakes to learn from. Baxter County has a rich history since its creation in 1873, and the Baxter County Historical and Genealogical Society is doing its part to keep that history from being lost.
Historical society members David Benedict and Jennifer Baker were recent guests of the Talk of the Town on KTLO-FM. Benedict says the society’s motto is “Preserving the past for the future.”
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Baker and Benedict say one thing many don’t realize about Baxter County is that its formation came by breaking away from other surrounding counties.
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The society is a nonprofit organization. It normally holds a number of fundraisers that have had to be canceled over the last couple of years due to the pandemic, but one that’s been successful is the sale of a cookbook titled “Historic Recipes of the Past.” Baker says the group has sold nearly 500 cookbooks since early November.
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Residents and visitors of the Twin Lakes Area are invited to learn more about the historical society. The organization has a meeting the fourth Tuesday of every month in the Knox Room of the Donald W. Reynolds Library with a guest speaker at each meeting. Meetings are open to the public and free of charge, and the next meeting is this Tuesday evening at 6.
Since 2012, the historical society has housed the Baxter County Heritage Center at 808 South Baker Street in downtown Mountain Home. The center serves the dual function of preserving pieces of the past and presenting them in a way for the public to enjoy and learn from. The Heritage Center is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 4 and other times by appointment.
Anyone looking to become a member or donate to the historical society can go to baxtercountyhistory.org. The society can also be found at facebook.com/BaxterCountyHistoricalandGenealogicalSocietyInc.
This month, Our Community Cares, sponsored by Farmers and Merchants Bank, Danny Porter of Century 21 LeMac Realty, H&R Block, Arvest Wealth Management and KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot, recognizes the Baxter County Historical and Genealogical Society’s efforts to preserve the county’s history. Learn more at ktlo.com/ourcommunitycares.
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