A ‘Horseless Carriage’ designed by a Syracuse man by the name of Mier Sheldon. Only 10 of the carriages were ever made, and this is the only surviving one. It was constructed in 1906.

SYRACUSE — As the Indiana Bicentennial approaches, the history that surrounds the county becomes more and more relevant. For the next few weeks, “A Summer For History” will produce a story a week concerning a different museum located in Kosciusko County.

The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum concerns itself with the history and prehistory of Syracuse, Lake Wawasee and the surrounding areas. Located at 1013 N Long Drive, the museum sits, tucked away inside the Syracuse Community Center. The one room historical archive is awash with mementos and a fantastic collection of native american artifacts.

“We actually kind of began when J.P. Dolan donated these native american artifacts in 1910,” said Jamie Clemons, the director of the museum, said as she stood in front of a glass counter filled with arrow and axes heads carved from stone. The extensive collection of artifacts available are in thanks to J.P. Dolan and his friend Eli Lily. Lily would write a book entitled, “Prehistoric Antiquities of Indiana,” in 1937 that described the collection that the two friends had gathered.

In more recent history, the museum offers exhibits from one horseless carriage of the same model pioneered in Syracuse in 1906, to an exhibit on a Barbara Bowser, a local woman who joined the Barnum and Bailey circus.

With such a varied museum, it’s no wonder that people come to see it. “Summer time is a very busy time … In a month we usually average from 400 to 500 [people]. In the winter its about 200 a month,” Clemons said. “I love working a museum. I love teaching the public, especially kids, about the history of the town they live in,” she continued.

And with all those people, there is a lot of educating to do. The museum even runs a club to help interested people get to know more about the history of the area. “The Youth History Club is geared for kids from the first to the sixth grade, but I don’t turn anyone away,” Clemons said.

“We run totally on member support and grants,” she continued. A Member of the Board of Directors for the museum, Ann Garceau also spoke, saying, “We could do a lot more if we had more.”

The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday, as well as being open during special events at the community center. For more information, visit the website.