Monroe County Local History Room & Museum













News at MCLHR

History Room closed Jan. 16-22. Reopens Jan. 23.
The Monroe County Local History Room & Museum will be closed to the public from January 16 through January 22, 2024 for exhibit changing and seasonal maintenance...
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LAST CHANCE TO VIEW THE HUGE CHRISTMAS VILLAGE DISPLAY AT THE HISTORY ROOM
Saturday, January 13th is the last day to view the spectacular holiday village display, “North Pole Magic In Miniature,” at the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum in Sparta...
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Monroe County Local History Room & Museum

Gift Shop

DVDs & Gifts  |  Genealogy Books  |  History Books  |  Rare & Out-of-Print Books  |  City Directories  |  Plat Books & Historic Maps  |  Sparta Spartan Quarterlies (1905-1914)  |  Sparta Spartan Yearbooks (1915-1939)  |  Sparta Spartan Yearbooks (1940 on)  |  Tomah Hamot Yearbooks  |  Other Monroe County School Yearbooks

Postcards of the Past Jigsaw Puzzle


Full-color, 513 piece jigsaw puzzle featuring ten detailed downtown scenes of Monroe County, WI cities and villages from 1900-1920. Postcard images are from the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum collection. Puzzle poster included of completed design. Puzzle is 16" x 20" when assembled.

$24.95

1915 Monroe County Plat Map Jigsaw Puzzle


Full-color, 513 piece jigsaw puzzle featuring a striking reproduction of the 1915 Monroe County Plat Map. Map shows the location of communities, railroads, schools, cemeteries, and more. Map image is from the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum collection. Puzzle poster included of completed design. Puzzle is 16" x 20" when assembled.

$24.95

Monroe County Business Premiums Jigsaw Puzzle


Full-color, 513 piece jigsaw puzzle featuring a colorful collage of vintage business premiums photographed from the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum collection. Approximately 70 county-wide business premiums make up the collage. Puzzle poster included of completed design. Puzzle is 16" x 20" when assembled.

$24.95

16 oz. Tumbler


This 16 oz. Lagom tumbler features the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum logo on both sides. The tumbler has a stainless steel exterior with a plastic inner liner and a stainless steel straw. Good for hot and cold beverages. All tumblers are river green in color. Limited quantity available.

$14.95

Gravestone Cleaning Kit & D/2 Quart


Clean your ancestor’s gravestone the same way the professionals clean the White House, Gettysburg Monuments, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier! The Gravestone Cleaning Kit provides you everything you need to safely clean a dozen gravestones. Algae, lichen, and fungi can obscure gravestone lettering and be hazardous to the stone itself. Removing this biological growth will make the stone last longer and easier to read. The Gravestone Cleaning Kit contains all of the proper tools necessary for cleaning gravestones safely and efficiently. Assembled by experienced gravestone cleaning professionals, this kit includes: D/2 Biocidal Cleaner, spray bottle, poly scrub brush, denture brush, plastic scraper, wood pick, and instructions. You just need to add water! **Please note that the cleaning kit is not recommended for fragile gravestones.

$30.00

D/2 Gravestone Cleaner - Quart size


The ONLY gravestone cleaner trusted and used by the professionals! D/2 Biological Solution has been successfully used to clean millions of buildings and monuments. From the White House to Arlington Cemetery, D/2 is trusted to work and keep on working when results matter. D/2 Biological Solution is specially formulated to remove environmental pollution, dirt, and staining from biological soils such as mold, mildew, lichen, and algae from indoor and outdoor structures. D/2 is safe for stone and safe for you! Quart size cleans over a dozen standard-sized gravestones. Comes with cleaning instructions.

$22.00

Gravestone Cleaning Kit


Clean your ancestor’s gravestone the same way the professionals clean the Gettysburg Monuments, the Alamo, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier! The Gravestone Cleaning Kit provides you everything you need to safely clean gravestones: a poly scrub brush, detail brush, lichen scraper, inscription pick, and cleaning instructions. Algae, lichen, and fungi can obscure gravestone lettering and be hazardous to the stone itself. Removing this biological growth will make the stone last longer and easier to read. The Gravestone Cleaning Kit contains all of the proper tools necessary for cleaning gravestones safely and efficiently. Save time and money by purchasing all the proper gravestone cleaning tools in one Kit. Add a quart bottle of D/2 Gravestone Cleaner and really see the results! **Please note that the cleaning kit is not recommended for fragile gravestones.

$13.00

Jacob's Ladder


Amaze yourself and your friends with the seemingly magical cascading wood blocks. This ribbon-hinged folk toy has been entertaining young and old alike for centuries.

$5.00

Wooden Catch Ball Game


Challenge your child’s imagination and help them develop stronger hand-eye coordination with this retro catch ball game. Compete with the family to see how many times in a row you can catch the ball in the cup. Colors vary.

$5.00

Magic Rail Twirler


The Magic Rail Twirler is a reproduction of a classic retro toy using magnets to allow a spinning wheel to perform gravity-defying stunts. Watch the twirler twist and turn for hours of imaginative fun. Wheel colors vary.

$5.00

Wooden Fidget Puzzle


These fun little fidgets can be arranged and twisted into thousands of shapes. Twelve little colorful blocks are connected together by elasticized string. Great for big and little fingers alike!

$5.00

Game of Graces


Graces is an exciting and elegant old-fashioned outdoor game in which opponents send ribboned hoops whirling towards each other to be caught on the tips of slender wands. The game of Graces was considered proper and beneficial exercise for young ladies in the early 1800’s, and it was proper as well for boys to join in the game as a "lark". The set includes 4 wands (2 per player), 2 hoops, colored ribbons for decorating hoops, and an instructional poster with history of the game.

$19.95

Imperial Yo-Yo


Imperial Yo-Yo by Duncan Toys. The Imperial is an All-American looping yo-yo classic. A timeless favorite, the Imperial has been the yo-yo of choice for many generations of beginning yo-yo players. The Imperial features a narrow string gap, steel axle and durable plastic body in bold colors. It's great for learning the basics of yo-yoing. Colors vary.

$5.00

Wooden Train Whistle


Here the sounds of an old locomotive brought to life with this old-fashioned style wooden train whistle. Fun for young and old alike.

$5.00

Magic Loops


The metal loops of this retro fidget toy can be manipulated into endless shapes. Just twist and bend the loops to watch as they turn into a ball, or a flower, or any number of things! Magic Loops are 4 inches in diameter when flat.

$5.00

Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail: The Old Railroad Trail DVD


Made in 1967 to promote the Nation's first "rails-to-trails" bike trail, this color film takes the viewer on a nostalgic tour of the bike trail from Elroy to Sparta and all points in between. Includes stops in Wilton, Kendall, Norwalk, Tomah, Monroe County cranberry country, Mill Bluff State Park and Wildcat Mountain State Park. Railroad history buffs will appreciate catching glimpses of remnants of the former Chicago Northwestern Railroad that have long since disappeared. DVD. Approximate run time 15 minutes.



$12.50

"Are You Ready? A Civil Defense Training Film" DVD


Are you ready for drama?…adventure?…thrills?…right in your own backyard? Then get ready for, “Are You Ready?” a 19 minute film created in 1972 that portrays real-life disasters as emergency response teams race to the rescue from Norwalk to Sparta to Tomah. Local officials manage the simulated chaos from their command center at the Monroe County Courthouse. Monroe County residents--young and old— comprise the cast of dozens. Created by Don Goodman for the Monroe County Office of Civil Defense in 1972 to demonstrate how to set up a Civil Defense operation in case of major emergency. This historic film was originally shot on 16 mm film but was transferred to DVD in 2008 in a preservation project sponsored by the Monroe County Local History Room. A listing of all local “actors” and shot locations is included with the DVD. Full color



$12.50

Congregational United Church of Christ, Sparta, Painting Print


11x13 inch print of the old Sparta Congregational United Church of Christ before it burned in 1979. The painting was done for the 1st Bank of Sparta by Marion Biehn. Good condition. Suitable for framing.

$9.95

Sparta Free Library Painting Print


11x13 inch print of the Sparta Free Library. The painting was done for the 1st Bank of Sparta by Marion Biehn in the 1970s. Good condition. Suitable for framing.

$9.95

Blyton Park, Sparta, Painting Print


11x13 inch print of Blyton Park in Sparta. The painting was done for the 1st Bank of Sparta by Marion Biehn in the 1970s. Good condition. Suitable for framing.

$9.95

Marion Biehn Painting Prints, Set of 3


Set of three 11x13 inch painting prints of Sparta landmarks done by Marion Biehn for the 1st Bank of Sparta in the 1970s. The prints include: Blyton Park, Sparta Free Library, and Congregational United Church of Christ. Good condition. Suitable for framing.

$24.95

Wegner Grotto "Glass Church" Postcard


A pictorial souvenir of the Wegner Grotto "Glass Church" - Monroe County's Grass-Roots Arts Site in brilliant color.

$0.35

Wegner Grotto "Bremen Ocean Liner" Postcard


A pictorial souvenir of the Wegner Grotto "Bremen Ocean Liner" sculpture - Monroe County's Grass-Roots Arts Site in brilliant color.

$0.35

First Day Issue Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Collector's Envelope with Special Pictorial Cancellation


First Day Issue Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Collector's Envelope with Special Pictorial Cancellation! Attention stamp collectors! Check out this special envelope commemorating the official recognition of the WI State Sesquicentennial celebration in 1998. This envelope features a color drawing of the Historic Monroe Co. Courthouse on the left side, an unique "FIRST DAY ISSUE" post mark and the special pictorial cancellation, as well as two Wisconsin stamps featuring the farm landscape design.

$5.00

Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Collector's Envelope with Special Pictorial Cancellation


Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Collector's Envelope with Special Pictorial Cancellation! Attention stamp collectors! Check out this special envelope commemorating the official recognition of the WI State Sesquicentennial celebration in 1998. This envelope features a color drawing of the Historic Monroe Co. Courthouse on the left side, as well as a cancelled Wisconsin stamp featuring the farm landscape design.

$1.00

Stars And Stripes Commemorative Trivet


Commemorative Bicentennial trivet featuring a full color rendition of "Betsy Ross and the First Stars and Stripes" by John Ward Dunsmore. Cork backing. 6 inches in diameter. Produced and sold for America's Bicentennial Celebration. Last one in stock.

$2.00

Washington Crossing the Delaware Commemorative Trivet


Commemorative Bicentennial trivet featuring a full color rendition of "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze. Cork backing. 6 inches in diameter. Produced and sold for America's Bicentennial Celebration.

$2.00

Surrender of Cornwallis Commemorative Trivet


Commemorative Bicentennial trivet featuring a full color rendition of "Surrender of Cornwallis" by John Trumbull. Cork backing. 6 inches in diameter. Produced and sold for America's Bicentennial Celebration. Last one in stock.

$2.00

Spirit of '76 Commemorative Trivet


Commemorative Bicentennial trivet featuring a full color rendition of "The Spirit of '76" by A.M. Willard. Cork backing. 6 inches in diameter. Produced and sold for America's Bicentennial Celebration.

$2.00

Monroe County Souvenir Coin Bronze


Bronze metal coin commemorating Monroe County and our Nation's Bicentennial. The front depicts the Monroe County Courthouse. The back commemorates the Bicentennial. Each coin is individually numbered and stamped. Coins are 1.5 inches in diameter. Protective sleeve included

$3.95

Monroe County Souvenir Coin Nickel


Nickel metal coin commemorating Monroe County and our Nation's Bicentennial. The front depicts the Monroe County Courthouse. The back commemorates the Bicentennial. Each coin is individually numbered and stamped. Coins are 1.5 inches in diameter. Protective sleeve included

$3.95

Monroe County Souvenir Coin Set


Metal coin set commemorating Monroe County and our Nation's Bicentennial. The front depicts the Monroe County Courthouse. The back commemorates the Bicentennial. Each coin is individually numbered and stamped. Set contains one bronze and one nickel coin with matching numbers. Coins are 1.5 inches in diameter. Protective sleeve included

$6.95