When we were kids in Lima, we were sometimes taken to the Allen County Museum on school visits. The exhibits were very impressive -- the covered wagon, the old fire engine, the General Store, the Chinese pagoda and so many more.  You couldn't forget them.

Back then, about the only way I had to enjoy local history other than that was by looking through a huge, heavy copy of some old "History of Lima and Allen County"  that I got at a book sale.  It was produced sometime around 1890 and had some neat pictures in it but otherwise was dry as dust.

Today, living far away, it is refreshing and fun to go back and experience many of the old museum treasures via the Allen County Museum web site -- especially the A-Z Section.  It is a real treat to do so.  I sometimes send links to other friends around the country of some of the pictures and pages that bring back twinges of old Lima nostalgia.

However,  the rest of the site draws us in much further, even more than its simple online picture albums ("scrapbooks") do. 

The  "Minutes of History" Section (narrated vignettes) is an interesting podcast on social history, with many intriguing subjects: sleigh races, the old opera house, a public hanging, etc.  The stories are kept short, and are narrated along with apt and sometimes amusing sounds and background music.  These keep the stories fresh and prevent your bogging down.  You can just hear schoolkids laughing at the different sounds used (I know we all would have laughed!) and trying to guess what sounds the next story was going to throw at them.

Each of these stories offers some written thought questions beneath its theme picture that would be especially good for teachers who are looking for ways to build on the stories for classroom discussion or for essay assignments. Oh, gosh -- did I really just say that?  Forget about the essay assignments.   But parents might like the questions.

I also enjoy the "Spirit of Allen County" section with its people profiles (also short narrations). These give warmth and dimension to many of the big names that other kids and I always heard tell of but were never close enough to in time to really feel anything about (Helen O'Connell, Samuel Baxter, Dr. Joseph Bradfield, etc.).

The museum site also lists  upcoming scheduled events.  Boy.  Looking over the programs to come -- on the life of a Civil War solider, or a child's life 100 years ago, or true facts and humorous stories about Lima and Allen County -- it kind of nudges me to wonder if I can't find some excuse to get back to the old sod so I can partake of some of the fun.

Until then, though, the museum site is a warm, friendly, and   interesting place to go from wherever you are.  I'm glad it can talk to me and my old Lima pals across the miles and across the years.

Congratulations to the Allen County Museum, its curator Pat Smith, its staff and all of its generous and wonderful 85 volunteers  on its 100th Birthday!  Your web site is doing you proud.

--Robb Murray -- Chicago, Illinois