NW Missouri Times

Northwest Missouri State University students have curated an exhibit on the religious history of Nodaway County. The exhibit, titled "Religious History in Nodaway County," will be open to the public at the Nodaway County Historical Society Museum starting December 4th.

The project was developed by students from the Practicum in American Local History course under Dr. Elyssa Ford's guidance. Dr. Ford, a professor of history and president of the museum's board, noted that while there were many items in the museum's collection related to religious history, there was a lack of interpretive panels for visitors.

“There is a lot of items that the museum has, but there wasn’t very much in the way of interpretive panels, so I saw a lot a lot of opportunity for the students,” Ford said. She emphasized that religion offers complex ideas for discussion: “The other reason is that there’s just a lot of really interesting and complicated ideas to talk about with the display of religion.”

Among other topics, the exhibit explores two Black churches in Maryville and delves into historical figures such as Mother Augustine from the Sisters of St. Francis who founded St. Francis Hospital in 1894.

“I’m really glad that we’re able to have that story on display so people are more aware of that history,” Ford remarked regarding St. Francis Hospital's beginnings and contributions.

Students William Edwards and Mason Hefner researched these sisters’ efforts to maintain high standards for rural healthcare facilities comparable to urban centers.

“We focused a lot on Mother Augustine...to provide good quality standards for rural America,” Edwards explained.

The exhibit also highlights interdenominational activities and organizations like Freemasons and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Vivian King and Shelby Chesnut worked on this section, which includes artifacts such as a World War I-era certificate awarded by DAR.

“It definitely helps enhance writing and reading,” King said about her research experience.

In addition to creating physical displays, students developed websites and lesson plans based on their research topics.