SYRACUSE — The Kenneth and Lela Harkless Foundation has awarded $99,300 in grants to organizations in the Syracuse community. The announcement was made by James E. Caskey, president of the foundation. Grants were awarded to the following: Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum, $16,000 Teen Parents Succeeding, $16,000 Syracuse Cemetery Association, $10,000 Syracuse-Wawasee Park Foundation Trail Committee, $10,000 …read more.

SYRACUSE — Wade Tharp, archaeologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, will be giving the presentation, “Archaeology in Your Community.” The event is free and open to the public. It will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, in the Syracuse Community Center Kiwanis Room, 1013 N. …read more.

SYRACUSE — Centennial Home Series will be presented 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 18, at the Syracuse Community Center, 1013 N. Long Drive. It is the second in the 2018 series sponsored by the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum. It features 100 or more year-old houses along the south shoreline of Lake Wawasee.  The five homes were built at …read more.

SYRACUSE — During the 1960s, watching the WAWA Skiers in front of the South Shore Hotel on Lake Wawasee was a thrilling Saturday evening ritual. In 1963, teenage sisters Carolyn and Cathy Smith started tournament skiing, specializing in tricks, jumps and slalom events. Carolyn became the Indiana Overall Champion in 1965 and 1967, and younger …read more.

SYRACUSE — A big day for learning about some Indiana history is May 8. Syracuse Public Library and the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum are hosts for two presentations by Jeannie Regan-Dinius Tuesday, May 8. A presentation on the Symbols in the Syracuse Library will take place at 1 p.m. at the Syracuse Public Library, 115 E. …read more.

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum, in collaboration with Ball State University’s Applied Anthropology Laboratory, has begun curating the J.P. Dolan American Indian artifact collection. This year-long project is being funded by a $17,000 Heritage Support Grant from the Indiana Historical Society made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc. and a matching fund of $3,550 contributed …read more.

SYRACUSE — The 9th annual Wawasee Kiwanis Soup supper appears to have been a success Friday night, Jan. 26. Alexis Mast, event organizer and club president-elect, reported she needed to print out more ballots at 6:40 p.m.  Five more tables had to be set up as well. Mast said in the past the event usually …read more.

SYRACUSE — The Kenneth and Lela Harkless Foundation, Syracuse, has awarded $95,000 in grants to organizations in the Syracuse Community, according to James E. Caskey, foundation president. The grants were awarded to the following: Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum, $14,100 Rose Home North, $8,000 Syracuse Cemetery Association, $8,000 Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce, $8,000 Teen Parents Succeeding, $6,400 …read more.

  SYRACUSE — Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum received a $17,000 Heritage Support Grant from the Indiana Historical Society made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc. It will be used to curate the American Indian artifact collection during 2018. It was made possible by a matching fund of $3,550 contributed by local residents, for which the museum board …read more.

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse Community Center, 1013 N. Long Dr., was as busy as Santa’s workshop Saturday, Dec. 2, as friends and families gathered to enjoy Breakfast with Santa,  featuring a pancake breakfast provided by the Wawasee Kiwanis Club, live music from the Wawasee High School Christmas Band, sleigh rides, a host of arts and …read more.

SYRACUSE — As the old saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Many people are looking for good bargains and one place to find those is a garage sale. Syracuse Parks Department hosted its annual Community Indoor Garage Sale Saturday, Oct. 21, in the Syracuse Community Center. For about five hours Saturday, the …read more.

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum, located in the Syracuse Community Center, North Long Drive, Syracuse, is hosting “Eli Lilly and the Dawn of Indiana Archaeology,” at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23. The event will be held in Celebration Hall. The event is being held in conjunction with the Indiana Department of …read more.

SYRACUSE — The Kenneth and Lela Harkless Foundation announces the foundation has awarded $90,000 in grants to organizations in the Syracuse community. According to James E. Caskey, foundation president, grants were awarded to the following: Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum — $13,000 Syracuse Cemetery Association — $10,000 Syracuse-Wawasee Park Foundation — $10,000 Syracuse Parks Department — $8,000 …read more.

SYRACUSE — Savannah Shelby, Brianna Haessig and Judy Smith were named winners in the Syracuse Parks and Recreation Department and Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce Scenic Syracuse Photo Contest. The contest ended Oct. 5 and was organized with the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum.

LAKE WAWASEE — The first Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation Lilly Pad Cruise, as part of its annual summer Lake Talk and Eats appears to have been a success with a boat full of people of all ages participating. The cruise combined lake history with the ecology of the lake through WACF programs and research by the Center for Lakes & Streams.

SYRACUSE — Centennial Lake Wawasee cottages were honored by the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum during a presentation by the owners on their homes. The awards were given Saturday, July 23, at the Syracuse Community Center, home of the museum.

SYRACUSE — As the Indiana Bicentennial approaches, the history that surrounds the county becomes more and more relevant. For the next few weeks, “A Summer For History” will produce a story a week concerning a different museum located in Kosciusko County. The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum concerns itself with the history and prehistory of Syracuse, Lake …read more.

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum will host a visiting display of early 20th-century medical supplies. The supplies were loaned to the museum by Jaqueline Wonso, a granddaughter of Celia Smith Kuhn. Celia Smith Kuhn, a 1910 graduate of Syracuse High School, married Dr. (George) Benjamin F. Kuhn, to whom much of the collection belonged, …read more.

SYRACUSE — The Kenneth and Lela Harkless Foundation announces it has awarded $94,000 in grants to organizations in the Syracuse Community according to James E. Caskey, foundation president. The grants were awarded to: Syracuse-Wawasee Trail Committee, $13,500 Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum, $11,250 Syracuse Parks Department, $9,900 Syracuse Cemetery Association, $9,000 Teen Parents Succeeding, $9,000 Lakeland Learning …read more.

A new visiting display is being featured at the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum, inside the Syracuse Community Center, 1013 N. Long Drive, through mid-May. The display focuses on Margaret Mead and her connection to the Syracuse community. The display was organized by two Cadette Girl Scouts from Mishawaka Troop 30134, Patrice and Catherine Serianni, Wakarusa. An …read more.

By KAREN KELSHEIMER Director, Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum is hosting a visiting display of ice harvesting equipment in March and April. The display, courtesy of John Heckaman, features an ice plow and saw, used to cut channels and then blocks of ice from the lake, as well as several ice picks and …read more.

For a second year in a row, the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum is inviting members of the public to take a free guided tour in February. Guided tours will be offered Feb. 14, 21, and 28 (Saturdays) starting on the hour at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 1 p.m. Guided tours last about 40 …read more.

By KAREN KELSHEIMER Director, Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum There is a new visiting display at the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum during January and February. Jean Orcutt of Atwood has been collecting miniature horses for over 50 years. Horses in her collection have come from all over the world, most of which were collected during her travels. This …read more.

James E. Caskey, president of the Kenneth and Lela Harkless Foundation, announces the foundation has awarded $84,250 in grants to organizations in the Syracuse community. The grants were awarded to the following organizations: Junior Achievement Wawasee, $3,000; Lakeland Learning Center, $6,500; Rose Home North, $9,500; Syracuse Cemetery Association, $10,000; Syracuse Parks Department, $10,000; Syracuse Wawasee …read more.

By KAREN KELSHEIMER Director, Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum The Syracuse-Wawsee Historical Museum has a new visiting exhibit for the month of November; hand-crafted goblets that show off 76 species of wood. When Bob Ibach of Winona Lake began turning wood on his lathe, he practiced by making small goblets. To learn the characteristics of various woods, …read more.

By KAREN KELSHEIMER Director, Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum is excited to announce the following events to the general public. New Visiting Display World War II Victory Mail Comics by U.S. Naval Lieutenant Don Fassler to his wife “Ruru” in Syracuse, on loan through December by Diana Castell. Lt. Fassler, stationed aboard the …read more.

Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum is currently hosting a historic button collection display by Sue Nadin of Plainfield, Ind. Nadin has been a member of the Indiana State Button Society and the National Button Society for over 25 years. The display shows how buttons are sorted or grouped onto “cards” by characteristic and decade, e.g., celluloid buttons …read more.

The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum will host a free talk on historical hotels of Syracuse at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20. Guests will learn about the earliest area hotels and destination resorts of the lakes and town through a picture-based presentation. The talk will take place in the celebration hall of the Syracuse Community Center. …read more.

During the month of August, there is a visiting collection of antique croquet sets on display at the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum. Featured croquet sets include tabletop, parlor and traditional outdoor sets from the late 1800s through the 1960s, and are the private collection of local croquet aficionado David Sheets. Museum hours are 10 a.m to …read more.

The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum is proud to announce the receipt of a NIPSCO Community Investment Grant in December 2013. The $600 grant was awarded to help fund the cost of new technology at the museum. The computer equipment and software purchased with the help of these funds are vital to carrying out the museum’s mission …read more.

The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum is proud to sponsor a two-part presentation entitled “A History of Syracuse and the Indians of Kosciusko County” by Jack Elam, local historian. The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, and will take place in Syracuse Community Center’s Celebration Hall, located at 1013 North Long Drive in Syracuse. …read more.

The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum will welcome 18th century Potawatomi Chief Five Medals to the Syracuse Community Center’s Celebration Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31. Chief Five Medals, played by historical reenactor Dan Lima, will give a 45-minute presentation about the lifestyle of the Potawatomi and their history in the Syracuse-Wawasee area. …read more.