How we began...
On April 19 1969, a meeting of interested people was held for the purpose of forming a Historical Society for DeKalb County. Those in attendance were Dorothy Caldwell, Associate Editor of the Missouri historical Review, published by the State historical Society, Mrs. Dayle C. Mc Donough, President of the Missouri Federation of Women's Clubs, Bessie L Whiteaker, Lora Lockhart, Ruth Lybarger and Martha Spiers.
A constitution and by-laws were written, a slate of officers was drawn up and the place and time of the organizational meeting was considered.
The following day, April 20, 1969, 34 people who were interested in the preservation of the county's history met in the Community Room of the courthouse and formed a Historical Society. Mrs Dayle McDonough presided as temporary chairman and her husband, Judge mcDonough, read the proposed by-laws and conducted the discussion after which the Society accepted the corrected form.
A motto, which had been suggested by Harley Fisher, was chosen, "A county that forgets its past will never have a future." The purpose of the DeKalb County Historical Society is to "study, preserve and record our heritage."
By the end of 1969, 167 members from many areas of the United States had joined the Society.
