Our Team

An update on the Future of Hardin County Museums

Dear Community Member,

My name is Jennifer Ulmer, and I'm the Director of Hardin County Historical Museums. I'm writing to share an update on the Museum's governance and to let you know what's ahead for this important piece of our community.

For many years, the Museum was lovingly cared for by Hardin County Historical Museums, Inc., a private nonprofit that grew out of our community's original historical society. We owe a real debt of gratitude to the volunteers, board members, and donors who kept this organization running and preserved so much of Hardin County's story along the way.

Like many small, volunteer-run museums, the organization began to face challenges that are common as a nonprofit grows: keeping pace with insurance requirements, financial oversight, and the kind of long-term planning that a larger institution needs. In May 2026, the Hardin County Board of Commissioners began looking into how the county could help address these challenges and better support the Museum's future.

The nonprofit's leadership made the decision to transfer ownership of the Museum's artifacts to the County, and the Board of Commissioners hired me as a county employee to lead the Museum going forward. The nonprofit's leases have since ended, and the Museum now operates as a county entity — but its mission, its collection, and its doors remain the same.

This transition has also allowed us to launch something I'm genuinely excited about: the Archival Renewal Program. This initiative is focused on cataloging the Museum's full collection using Dublin Core metadata standards and digitizing our archives — meaning more of Hardin County's history will be preserved, searchable, and accessible to the public than ever before.

Questions about the Museum's long-term governance structure are still being worked through, and I want to be upfront that this process is ongoing. The Board of Commissioners and I are both committed to building something sustainable — a museum that can serve Hardin County for generations to come.

What this means for you:

• The Museum remains open each weekend, and for special events, and the collection you know and love is safe and accounted for.

• We welcome community involvement as we shape the Museum's future — whether that's volunteering, donating, or simply sharing your own Hardin County stories and artifacts with us.

If you have questions, concerns, or would simply like to learn more, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly at director@hardinmuseums.org, or visit our website, hardinmuseums.org, for ongoing updates.

Thank you for your continued support, patience, and pride in Hardin County's history. We're looking forward to this next chapter together.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Ulmer
Director, Hardin County Historical Museums