Founded in 1968, the Boone County Historical Society, Inc. built the first section of its museum in four years, finishing in 1972. The museum almost doubled in size thanks to an addition in the 1980s. Today the Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to acquiring, preserving, interpreting, and displaying our county’s historical artifacts and records.
The newly completed agricultural building.
During the winter and spring of 2025-26, the main building was given a facelift while our new 2024 Agricultural building was filled with a collection that includes fire engines, cars, trucks, wagons, and horse-drawn farm implements.
With more than fifty displays, the museum has a large collection of Boone County artifacts from the 1880s through World War II. Some of our well-developed displays feature the military, historical clothing, and Albion’s famous popcorn wagon.
The interior of the new agricultural building.
One of the most interesting features is the Smoyer-Wathen display, which tells the story of the June 1937 murder that remained unsolved for eighty years until 2017. During that case, Sheriff Smoyer and Constable Wathen went into the Bonanza precinct near Akron, Nebraska, following reports of two strange men in the hills. As Smoyer went to open a pasture gate, a car came over a hill, and one of the men inside opened fire, killing the Sheriff and seriously wounding Wathen.
The District 25 Schoolhouse.
When the two men were found the next day, Wathen was able to write a description of the car and its occupants; Wathen died in October later that year.
We have placed a monument in the hills where the murder occurred, and at the Boone County Courthouse, a memorial recognizes all officers who give the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty—including Sheriff Smoyer and Constable Wathen.
Through educational outreach programs, we promote public awareness of the region’s diverse heritage. Partnering with local county schools, we’ve introduced field trips to the museum or “topic” presentations hosted at their schools. Albion’s assisted living, area daycare of 4-to-5-year-olds, Alumni Weekend attendees, and family reunions all bring visitors to enjoy the museum.
District 25 was once 1 of 93 country grade schools in Boone County. Donated by the Mundschenk family, it is consistently enjoyed by Boone CO. schoolchildren!
We have wonderful participation from our membership and “Friend of the Museum” programs. The organization has been operated by volunteers since its inception. We are honored to be supported, in part, by Boone County, and the donations and memberships that make our museum a fantastic place to visit and do family research. Currently we are working with county residents to fill in our family histories from 1985 to the present. (The county’s population is just over 5,000 people.)
The Boone County Museum is located in Albion, NE, at 935 W. Fairview, where you will find a casual front porch. Our museum regular hours are 1 – 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Memorial Weekend through September. You can call for an appointment throughout the year. We will accommodate you if we are available. Phone number is 402-741-2527 and leave a message. Events occur throughout the year. Some examples of regular events are Halloween Family Trick or Treating, Big Give December Event, school field trips, and an appreciation dinner for our volunteers.
The Presentation Center, picture above, is used for events and/or meetings. On the walls are 2 of 8 canvas curtains which once hung in our county schools but now grace our display walls.
You can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/boonecountymuseum. Questions may be sent to boonecomuseum@gmail.com, or call us at the number above. We are very proud of what the Museum represents for Boone County. If you are in the neighborhood, come check us out!
—Boone County Historical Society, September 2026
