Join us at the Corvallis Museum on Thursday, February 20 at 6:00 pm for a celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Horner Museum. We will be celebrating with hors d’oeuvres and drinks, fun activities, and an exciting sneak peek of a new exhibit upstairs in the Verhoeven Gallery!
Tickets are $45, refreshments included. Due to our large constituent base, this event will be first come, first served.
The Horner Museum
The Horner Museum opened in 1925 as part of Oregon Agricultural College, now known as Oregon State University. It was the vision of Professor John B. Horner and College Dean Bexell. Years before its opening, Horner assembled artifacts of global and natural history from his many contacts throughout Oregon. The majority of these came from private collectors and a variety of OSU departments that contained their own research specimens.
The museum was originally housed in the library's basement—now known as Kidder Hall—but made several moves over the decades to accommodate expansion. It finally ended up in the basement of Gill Colosseum, where thousands of OSU students passed through it as part of their orientation to the University. The Horner Museum is still remembered fondly by many of our constituents and is deeply rooted in the history of Benton County and our organization, the Benton County Historical Society.
When the Horner Museum closed in the late 1990s, the nearly 60,000 artifacts in its possession were put into storage. After a long negotiation, those artifacts were transferred to the Benton County Historical Society. They are now housed and cared for in the Johnson Collections Center with select artifacts on display in both the Corvallis and Philomath Museums.
What Are We Celebrating?
This year, we are celebrating the collective memory of Benton County. For many of our constituents, the Horner Museum was their first museum experience. We are celebrating 100 years of preserving our history, of the stories that make up our community. We are celebrating how far the Benton County Historical Society has come, as we introduce exciting new things to the Corvallis Museum and revitalize the richness of our historic Philomath Museum.
It is also important to acknowledge what will be absent in our celebration this year. Some elements of the Horner Collection will not be on display. The museum industry and the practice of collecting have changed significantly over the last 100 years, often including controversy around why and how we collect and preserve history. The Horner Museum—and our Corvallis and Philomath Museums—are not exempt from these discussions of civics and ethics in the industry. While much of this year will be a joyous celebration of Benton County history, we also plan to take this anniversary as an opportunity to engage our community in these important discussions about what makes something an artifact, who should tell our stories, and what purpose museums serve in a community.
