Tipton County Heritage Center Dedication
We dedicate the Tipton County Heritage Center to all of the citizens of Tipton County. It will rank with the many important milestones of county's growth and progress. This program has come about by the efforts of hundreds of citizens from all over the county. The Tipton County Historical Society is proud to be only a small part of the efforts to bring this Heritage Center to a reality.
It is not possible to thank all of the people who have helped with this project. Many people have asked how they can help. Some walk in and say that they have pictures or artifacts that are important to the history and future of the county. Many people have provided storage for furniture and materials for the museum for several years.
The Tipton County Foundation and the Lilly Endowment have been crucial to making this building possible. We all thank them for their thoughtfulness and determined efforts get this project started. We wish to thank all of the donors who have quietly given their time and financial aid.
We thank the Tipton City Mayor and City Council for making it possible to build on this lot in their City Park. It was necessary for them to make major changes in their plans for other projects. We also thank the City of Tipton for allowing us to use their storeroom for many of the things that you see here today.
We are grateful to all of the members of the Board of Tipton County Commissioners of the past and of present. They have given strong support to the Tipton County Historical Society all through the years of Tipton County. We also thank them for their valuable council as we planned this Heritage Center project. Their guidance as Board members and as individuals have given good directions for our goals of the project. We could not have been able to furnish this new building, if they had not provided storage for our artifacts for the past several years.
We thank our closest neighbors, the Boy Scouts, and their leaders, for helping to move the heaviest articles from storage to the Heritage Center. The Boy Scout's participation in our ceremonies today is very much appreciated.
We owe gratitude to the local librarians who are helping us sort, set up, and catalog our history library. We thank many, many other people who have worked on this property, including those who have reduced their prices or have not billed us for their services. Our thanks go out to all of the citizens who have contributed to the museum of the Tipton County Heritage Center.
We are grateful for the counsel of the local contractors as we planned and constructed this building. Several local contractors were hired for the construction of the building and the grounds in addition to the general contractor.
We are grateful to the F B i builders. Their supervisors have provided good counsel for the construction of a quality building. They have designed a structure that will store old artifacts and valuable old documents and books under archival conditions for long-time preservation. Their construction manager worked tirelessly to make certain that quality work was done in a timely manner. Their architect has made it possible to place several important museum features within this small building, and he designed a building that would be compatible with this neighborhood.
This facility is called a Heritage Center because it is more than a museum. It is also a center for the study and the preservation of the history of Tipton County. It is an educational center where people can learn of those who came before us.
This will also be a center to get out the message about the present and future of the Tipton County, as well as the past. It will be a place where the people can learn about the history of Tipton County agriculture, especially about its landforms and its fertile soils. Our citizens will also be able to learn about the businesses, and industries of the past. It also will be a center where people can become informed about the present and future of Tipton county agriculture, its businesses, and its industries.
This is a center that will remind us that people once lived here over ten thousand years before our ancestors arrived. They hunted and thrived upon this very fertile land. The evidence of their past lives is evident everywhere in the form of stone tools, stone weapons, ceremonial stones, trails, and burial sites. The southern boundary of the Miami Indian Nation's last large reserve passed through the heart of this land. This resulted in Tipton and Howard Counties being the last counties that were formed from Indian lands. Those earliest tenants of the land grew lush vegetables and good corn crops in the very fertile soil. Their conservation efforts for thousands of years preserved this magnificent land that we enjoy today. We need a Heritage Center to constantly remind us of the ancient people who lived here before us, as well as reminders of our forefathers who followed them.
Every family in Tipton County has a historical story to tell. It is probably one that has always been in their family, without realizing how important it is to the preservation of the history of the county. Every family has documents, records, and artifacts that are important to the preservation of the history of the county.
This is only the beginning of our efforts preserve the history of our culture and the heritage of the families or Tipton County. Please observe the painting of the present and future Tipton County Heritage Center. The Tipton County Foundation has agreed to be the depositor for the building fund that will be solicited and accumulated to build the Phase II of the Tipton County Heritage Center.
The Tipton County Historical Society will now dedicate the Tipton County Heritage Center to all of the citizens of Tipton County. Members of the Board of Tipton County Commissioners and the Mayor of the City of Tipton will now accept the Tipton County Heritage Center for all of the citizens of Tipton County.
On behalf of the officers, for the executive board members, and for all of the members of the Tipton County Historical Society we now dedicate this Tipton County Heritage Center to all of the citizens of Tipton County…to those who are present and to those who will come after us.
Tipton, Indiana
12 NOVEMBER 2000