Ravenna was incorporated in 1886; eighty-eight years later several local citizens decided the town needed a historical society. They began meeting in various homes and at the local library. The Ravenna Historical and Genealogical Society received its non-profit status in 1984.
Another decade passed without a building of their own. In 1995, Ken Kinkade deeded a historic building to the Society. Built in 1893, the three-room building stands at 210 Grand Avenue in Ravenna. Society members immediately began restoring it; a Grand Opening was held in June 2000.
In 2010 the Society changed its name to the Historical Society of Ravenna (HSR). The all-volunteer HSR has five formal meetings a year—a business meeting followed by a historical presentation. While the building does not have regular hours, it is open by appointment; if you contact an officer, someone will meet you there. The town hosts Annevar in mid-June. The HSR building is open on Friday and Saturday of that celebration.
HSR’s mission is to “promote the history and genealogy of the area, aid individuals in the pursuit of education and research regardless of religious, racial, social, economic or political status.”
HSR has a large collection of historic photos, family files, and family histories in book form, plus artifacts from various businesses, the military, and the railroad. They have high school yearbooks from 1927 to present, with some missing from the 1920s and 1930s, and maintains files on each of Ravenna’s high school classes. Another collection includes various uniforms from the high school, military, railroad, and fire department. Local churches are also well represented in the collection, as well as local organizations, past and present.
Father Joseph Macourek
Father Macourek’s Clock
One of HSR’s most interesting items is the world clock made by Father Joseph Macourek, a Catholic priest who served the Ravenna area from 1907 until his retirement in 1949. The clock is mounted on a two-foot wooden surface with its outer edges made of decorative carved wood. In the center is a clock showing Ravenna time; surrounding it are twelve other clocks set to various cities in the world. At the time of completion, the clocks were all operable, attesting to Father Macourek’s impressive skill. Father Macourek died in July 1952 at age 84. He willed the clock to Joseph and Rose (Krummack) Mudd. In July 2002, their son, Thomas Mudd, donated the clock to HSR. It is on display in the front room.
Another interesting item is the two-thirds scale bronze statue of John Pesek, a life-long Ravenna resident who achieved fame as a professional wrestler, earning the title of World Champion in September 1937. Two of Pesek’s most famous greyhounds stand at his feet. In May 2024, at the request of the current president, the town of Ravenna donated the statue to HSR. A local sculptor, Nick Moffett, created the statue in 1977; it was dedicated in May 1978, two months after Pesek died. The statue stood at the bank corner for 44 years until it was removed due to a curbing project in 2022. At present, the statue is awaiting a new base.
The Society has written several books dealing with Ravenna’s history; most are still available for purchase. The collection also includes books written by local authors; some of these are also for sale. Since 2008, we have published an annual calendar using our historic photos.
The current president, Valerie Vierk Behrendt, can be reached via email at valvierk@hotmail.com with a subject line of Annevar. At present HSR does not have a local website but hopes to create one in the next year. HSR is listed on http://www.negenweb.net and https://museumsdatabase.com. The physical address is 210 Grand Avenue, Ravenna, NE, which is the town’s main street.
