MOUND CITY – As part of the local effort to revive the Mound City Historical Society, the Mound City Methodist Church is hosting a fundraiser this Saturday, Oct. 22, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The event will feature hot dogs and games and other food and activities for the community. Everyone is encouraged to attend.
Interest in the Mound City Historical Society and reviving the park has grown recently.
The dilapidated porch on the bungalow in the park is in the process of being restored, and members of the society will meet at the park at 1 p.m. Saturday to tour grounds to see what structural work needs to be done. Although it is not a formal tour, people who are interested in reviving the park and being a part of the organization are encouraged to come.
The park formerly hosted the annual “Village in the Valley” event on a weekend before Christmas. That event included self-guided tours through the old one-room schoolhouse where Santa handed out candy and carols were sung, a visit to the pioneer cabin to get a glimpse of how the first settlers in the county lived, and a visit to the bungalow where hot cider and cookies were served.
However, as time went on and volunteers drifted away, that event fell to the wayside and some of the structures were no longer kept up. The last Village in the Valley event was held in 2018.
The society members are hoping to revive that tradition this year, according to member Meribeth Kehl. She said that if the current volunteers can revive the Village, it may take more than one season to return it to the must-see event it was in the past.
In addition to the events, this weekend, the society is holding its annual meeting next Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Bunker Hill Community Center. Everyone who is interested in encouraged to attend the meeting and become a member of the society.
This article has been updated to make a correction to reflect that the Methodist church is sponsoring the fundraiser on Saturday.