By student Kelsey Coughenour
Hi, I’m Kelsey Coughenour. I am a 10-year-old, 5th-grade student from WINGS (Phelps School for Gifted Children). This is an interview with my grandfather John Sellars, with questions asked by me and answered by John Sellars, Executive Director of the History Museum on the Square. I hope you enjoy.
What started you to do this?
I have been interested in history since I was a little boy. My parents encouraged me and helped me to read and digest everything I could about the history of this area.
When the museum opened as a bicentennial project in 1976, I volunteered to help and I found that I was very good at identifying photographs. I have spent most of my time in the museum working with the photo archives.
What is unique about the museum?
This museum is based on stories that tell about the day to day life of people who have lived here since the time before the coming of the settlers in the early 1800’s. We also delve into why things happened and how they impacted the growth and development of the community.
How does the museum help educate people?
We have outreach programs like our teaching trunks that give hands-on teaching about a specific subject or event in the area’s history. Some of these trunks include topics like the Civil War, Native Americans, and Lewis and Clark. We also give tours and talks to student and civic groups.
How old is the Fox Theater?
The Fox Theatre opened in October of 1916. It was originally called the Electric Theatre. It was a vaudeville and movie house until 1982 when it became a church. It remained a church for 32 years until we acquired it in 2014.
What is going on with the museum next year?
We will be opening two refurbished buildings next door on the Square. These buildings will house a state-of-the-art museum with all the features and electronic educational equipment that is available. This 20,000+ square foot museum will tell the stories of this area in a way that has never been experienced locally.
Why is everything themed around Route 66?
Right now our exhibit is telling the story of Route 66 and its impact on the area. Because of limited space we can only tell one story at a time and this has been one of our most popular exhibits because Springfield is the place where Route 66 was named.
Why doesn’t this museum have all the technology that the new one will have?
This type of electronics is very expensive and requires a significant amount of equipment and power to operate. It would not make sense to install it temporarily in the Fox Theater and then replace it in the new buildings.
What will happen to this temporary museum when the other one is finished?
We will use the Fox Theatre as an exhibition space and rent it out to groups for entertainment events until we have raised enough donations to restore it back to way it looked when it was a movie theater in the early 1950s.
Will the new museum be a good place for field trips for students?
It will be an excellent place for field trips. It will tell about the history and development of this area in a chronological manner and it will highlight the most interesting events in the history of this place we call home. The interactive exhibits and all of the touch screens and videos are the latest methods to tell as many stories as possible to fill in the gaps in our history in a fun and interactive way.
Do you enjoy your job?
I enjoy my job very much. I have never had a job where I came to work and learned something new every day and had the opportunity to interact with so many interesting people. It is so much fun!