Mission Statement of the Sauk County Historical Society 

It shall be the mission of the Sauk County Historical Society to protect and maintain the history of the county by collecting, preserving, and exhibiting artifacts, photographs and documents relative to that history; by disseminating knowledge via community outreach programs; by providing research services, and by assisting other historical societies in Sauk County.

The Executive Director
Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is the operations chief overseeing the day-to-day business of the Sauk County Historical Society. The job is a varied one and can include everything from writing grant applications, to submitting annual budgets, to greeting visitors at the door. The Executive Director oversees a staff of part time employees and volunteers.

Community outreach is another important aspect of the Executive Directors job. The Society is involved in many projects through County Arts, Humanities, and Historical Preservation Committee, an extension of the County Board of Supervisors. There are also countless cooperative projects many of the other eight area historical societies. These projects are undertaken not only to aid in the preservation of Sauk County's past but also to build a network of area historians and to foster and encourage communication between the historical groups. The Executive Director also represents the Society through the news media and through lectures to numerous organizations.

Curator
The Curator is responsible for the construction of exhibits, oversees archival and artifact collections and conservation, performs historical research and assists researchers, develops adult educational programs and represents the Society at community meetings. Perhaps one of the most important jobs the Curator has is working with the many schools located throughout Sauk County. Students from Reedsburg, to Lake Delton, to Baraboo to Sauk Prairie come to the Society to learn about history. Often this job takes the Curator out to the schools themselves for special presentations. The Society operates on the philosophy that educating our youth in the stories of our past is the single best way to preserve our history.

Staff Assistant
Staff Assistant, Mary-Farrell Stieve, works with the Executive Director and Curator on various projects for the Society such as memberships, museum exhibits, the newsletter, and assists researchers and visitors. She also provides limited tours of the museum, provides training and guidance for volunteers, helps with public events and oversees merchandise sales.

Badger History Group
The Badger History Group is a working group of local historians, educators, and dedicated citizens. Their involvement includes cataloging the history of Badger through various mediums as printed publications, still photos, the collection and interpretation of oral histories, the production of a one hour video titled Powder to the People (2000); an ongoing still photo exhibit, and a forthcoming definitive book of history to be titled Powder, People and Place (Badger Ordnance Works and the Sauk Prairie), which is due out in May 2002. 

Primary research done on the powder plant site has captured and recorded changes to the Sauk Prairie. This research includes field work in identifying and marking farmstead sites (80 families were vacated in 1942 to make room for the powder plant); locating and identifying nesting birds, their habitat, recording native and second growth grasses, trees, plants; searching and seeking evidence of the prior and present existence of human and non-human alike. Further research conducted in ordnance buildings has resulted in extensive inventories of declassified records, maps, diagrams, drawings, photos, powder plant newspapers and other documents. Housing facilities for construction and powder-production workers is another facet of extensive research and documentation. Data being accrued will be a significant resource for information-seekers of following generations.