Now, after more than 30 years, the historical society recently closed its doors. But Rinaldi said its legacy will live on through the work it did, which includes gathering artifacts, recording history and publishing a book about the city and its past.
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“We were a source of information for people who wanted to look into the history of their home and their family,” Rinaldi said.
Rinaldi said she hasn’t been very active in the historical society recently and couldn’t say why it dissolved. A representative of the society declined to comment for this story.
Brady Kress, the president and CEO of Dayton History, said he was told many of the organization’s artifacts found new homes.
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Many historical societies and small museums are closing down around the country, according to Kress.
“So much of it comes down to finances and leadership,” he said.
Although he couldn’t speak to the reasons for the West Carrollton Historical Society’s closure, Kress attributed other closings to aging facilities and the cost of upkeep, along with a greater access to information for individuals.
“I don’t think interest in history is declining,” he said.
People used to lean more on local historical societies to research their genealogy and family histories, Kress said, but can now do that on their own through a variety of online services.
Still, Kress said historical societies perform a public service.
Rinaldi said she will always value the work she did and the friends she made at the historical society.
“We all want to know about our history no matter where we came from,” she said.
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