RESEARCH &
COLLECTIONS
Preserving the material and intellectual culture of Benton County, Oregon
Our collection includes over 140,000 artifacts, including 60,000 pieces in the Horner Collection which were acquired by BCHS in 2008. The collection consists of photographs, historical documents, textiles, quilts, clothing, domestic arts, farm implements, natural history, scientific instruments, and personal possessions.
ONLINE COLLECTIONS DATABASE
Our online collections database is a work in progress! New records are added daily and continuously updated based on new research and review.
Thank you to the Benton County Cultural Coalition (Oregon Cultural Trust) and the many volunteers who continue to assist our team in documenting the thousands of materials in our collection.
RESEARCH LIBRARY
Each year hundreds of scholars, genealogists, students, owners of historic homes, and the curious find answers in our Research Library.
- The Research Library provides access to an extensive non-circulating collection of documents, photographs, architectural plans, newspapers, family genealogies, maps, and more.
- Free to use by appointment only
- Contact Patti Larkin
Philomath Museum
historic business directories
The directories contain information about the history of Benton County businesses from 1867-1914. Included in this database are excerpts from McKenney, Langley, and Polk Business Directories with an emphasis on Corvallis, Monroe, and Philomath.
COMING SOON
donate an artifact
To donate an object/artifact to our collection, contact our Curator of Collections, Patti Larkin.
541-929-6230 x307
email
THE HORNER
COLLECTION
From historic toys and tools to prehistoric animals and natural history artifacts ...
"See the world without leaving Corvallis!" That was the idea of John B. Horner, a professor at Oregon Agricultural College (now OSU) for more than 40 years, who created the College Museum in 1925. With eclectic collections from a variety of sources, the museum attracted tens of thousands of visitors every year. The beloved museum closed in 1995, but the artifacts and photographs live on as part of the Benton County Historical Society's collection.
Oregon State University Horner Museum Collection is sponsored and supported in part by the Horner Museum Fund.
COLLECTIONS CENTER
Thanks to a generous gift from Peter and Rosalie Johnson, our artifacts are protected and preserved in a state-of-the-art climate-controlled facility in Philomath, Oregon.
Our dedicated donors, members, and volunteers are the lifeblood of our museums, helping us preserve and share Benton County’s rich history, culture, and art.
Philomath Museum
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Your support makes a difference to the museums, educational programs, and exhibitions.