Eagle County Historical Society

A nonprofit organization

Before world-class ski resorts and high-end real estate, Eagle County had a colorful history. Eagle County Historical Society works to preserve this history. Knowing and understanding the people and forces that shaped the past makes us a better community today.

Testimonials

"The Eagle County Historical Society strives to preserve Eagle County history through collection of artifacts, operation of a museum, book publication and special events. The Eagle Valley Library District partnered with the Society to make a tremendous contribution toward preserving local history."
Colorado Preservation, Inc.
May, 2014 - Dana Crawford Award presentation

"The Eagle County Historical Society has presented top-notch events to showcase the importance of preserving our past. The events have included a snowshoe history tour through Sylvan Lake State Park and a tour of Diamond S Ranch, a unique opportunity to visit a private museum and restored historic meetings. The Historical Society recently installed marker signs around Eagle to call attention to historic buildings."
Jon Stavney
(Former) Eagle Town Manager
Oct. 31, 2013

"The Eagle County Historical Society makes history come alive, for both children and adults in our communities â€Ĥ The Historical Society has become a cornerstone of life in Eagle County. Those of us who live here rely on it for events, speakers, books, ad displays about mining, agriculture, skiing, and all the pioneers who came before us. Visitors to the County get a little taste of what makes us unique by visiting the Historical Society."
Kathy Chandler-Henry
Eagle County Commissioner

Mission

The Eagle County Historical Society is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to educate Eagle County residents and visitors about Eagle County's rich history. To that end, the society will maintain archives that are available to the public, operate a historical museum, and offer educational programs and special events related to the county's history.

Background Statement

The Eagle County Historical Society was started in 1974 by a group of local residents who had long-term ties to the county, and were eager to preserve local history. They obtained a non-profit status, which we have maintained to this day. They collected artifacts and written histories of the county.

The current Board of Directors has over the past 10 years, "modernized" the ECHS by creating a digitized accession record system for the museum, organizing a staff of volunteer and paid museum docents, creating a website and Facebook page. The Board has also developed a close relationship with the Eagle Valley Library District, which created a position for a professional archivist who catalogs and maintains our archives. We have over 7,000 digitized historical photos accessible on-line, and extensive archives at the Eagle Library. Our collection has become much more accessible to the public through this partnership.

We are a volunteer-run organization, with fifteen ECHS members regularly volunteering. Our paid employees include ten part-time seasonal museum docents, in addition to a part-time administrator, a part-time grant writer, and a part-time accountant.

Although we are a small organization in a resort county that is overloaded with non-profits, the ECHS has in recent years gained recognition and participation through its various services and special programs. We are grateful to our volunteers and for the support from the community.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Eagle County Historical Society

other names

ECHS

Year Established

1974

Tax id (EIN)

74-2139788

Category

Arts, Culture & Humanities

Organization Size

Small Organization

Address

PO Box 192 100 Fairgrounds Road (Museum)
Eagle, CO 81631

Service areas

Eagle County, CO, US