About Us

A group of local historians in the Village and Town of Kingston (including the unincorporated community of Dalton), treasured, collected, and maintained relevant historical items in their homes, barns, and garages.  In 1998, this group and others, in celebration of the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial, compiled and organized a book featuring the history of the area.  150 hard-bound copies of “Common Threads” were printed, with multiple future printings in a soft-cover format followed. Community interest was high, and the initial printing soon sold out.   

A meeting was called to order by these local historians at the Kingston House in Kingston, Wisconsin to address the idea of starting a local organization to collect and maintain our history. With help from the Wisconsin Historical Society, a 501c3 organization was established in September 2002. Bylaws were written, and a new board of directors searched out membership for the Kingston Historical Preservation Society.  The new Board’s mission is to preserve, advance, educate, and disseminate the knowledge of history for the Village and Town of Kingston, bringing together generations of community members.

The first museum was created in the old library building and was soon outgrown.  Many programs were presented, featuring local talents, hobbies and collections. Two more books, “Treasured Memories” and “Memorable Moments,” collected and featured local stories and legends.

Bursting at the seams, in 2010, a new museum was constructed on donated land in Kingston. The collection of objects, clothing, furniture, photos, military and genealogy records continued to grow.  The board of directors diligently expanded their knowledge of proper storage and maintenance of the collection, and in 2018, the Board examined how the collection continues to grow exponentially.  The Board realized that the collection would soon outgrow the existing building.  As the museum’s programs improve, the need for space to meet the education component of the Board’s mission becomes another factor. A new collaborative initiative in Green Lake County with the local historical societies for sharing programming will also increase the need for more community meeting/programming space.   

In 2024, the Village of Kingston celebrates its Centennial.  The museum will be involved in activities throughout the year, including the presentation of a Quilt of Honor with the local Legion organization and the writing and editing of a commemorative booklet of the community’s history.    

A planned estate donation in 2019 from a board member’s estate provided the financial foundation to begin the process of constructing an addition to the existing museum. Ground is planned to break in the spring, with planned completion of the building addition by September, 2024.