History of Westby Area Historical Society
On March 11, 1989, five individuals interested in preserving the history of Westby met at the local library. During April that year meetings were held to organize a historical society. Tom McKay, coordinator of Local History for Wisconsin State Historical Society attended and helped guide the process.
In fewer than three months, on June 5, 1989, we had a society, with officers elected, by-laws established and articles of incorporation posted.
The first big project was to videotape people telling their stories of old Westby. These tapes are available for viewing.
Next came the purchase of the Thoreson House in 1993. Many fund-raising projects followed to help pay for it.
The Westby Area Historical Society is a leader in educating the people of the community about its history.