“A Cause Worth Fighting For:” The Ohio Veterans Home Museum, a Web Project

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States, local history flourished as local historical societies and sites were established by wealthy business and community leaders. Today, though, the practice of local history is looked down upon by academics and others as a discipline of “amateurs” and possessing “antiquarian” ideas. This Independent Study examines the struggles faced by local history in the digital era through the development of the Ohio Veterans Home Museum in Sandusky, Ohio as a historical institution. The Independent Study has two components: written and digital portions. The written portion of the Independent Study assesses the construction of local history and its evolving relationship with both the academic and public sectors in the digital era. The digital component consists of a website designed for the Ohio Veterans Home Museum. This study argues that the success of local history depends upon its leaders re-imagining the past and the present to connect with a broader public. The growth of digital history provides local historical organizations the opportunity to facilitate a more diverse, global conversation with the public. Through the development of technological resources, local historical organization leaders possess the ability to redefine and sustain local history for future museum goers