Will

Travelstead

When the founders of the privately-operated Cobden Museum decided that they could no longer maintain the 1892 building that housed their collection, 76-year-old Union County Historical Society member Will Travelstead stepped up to coordinate the building's restoration. Mr. Travelstead worked side-by-side with the construction crew over a four year period, making regular 4:30-a.m. treks out to the Amish community to pick up a group of local Amish carpenters who assisted in the restoration. He did all he could to maintain the historic appearance of the building, adding period wainscot and trim to one of the restored walls and devising a plan to save and reuse much of the old tongue-and-groove flooring. In addition, Mr. Travelstead helped design and construct displays for the new museum, which opened its doors to the public on June 3, 2006. Thanks to the generous donation of his time, effort, and expertise -- as well as money and construction materials -- the general public and area schoolchildren will continue to have access to thousands of Union County and Southern Illinois historical artifacts. These include a nationally-acclaimed collection of Anna Pottery, Native American artifacts from the region, and a gourd brought to the country in 1818 filled with seeds to start a farm. Mr. Travelstead continues to volunteer, keeping the museum open for his community.