O'Fallon preservation commission advances log-cabin catalog, 18,000 brochures and a proposed virtual museum

The O'Fallon Historic Preservation Commission on May 5 said volunteers have cataloged artifacts from the Log Cabin Museum, received two new donations and will push ahead to publish 18,000 education and tourism brochures funded in part by a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) grant.

Commissioner Porter, who leads the Log Cabin project, told the commission volunteers had "done some extensive cleaning of the cabin" and created an inventory system to track items. She said the commission is transcribing taped interviews with early O'Fallon descendants and is exploring software to create a virtual tour so the collection can be accessible while the cabin remains closed to visitors.

"We've been transcribing some audio taped interviews from some of the earliest O'Fallon descendants," Porter said. She noted the commission is considering a Matterport-style 3-D tour and has a vendor bid; the transcript lists a vendor quote as "$3.75," which Porter and commissioners said would be investigated and clarified. Porter asked the communications department to advise on security and hosting for any virtual content.

The commission also reported two recent donations for the collection: a 1940s wedding dress and a River City Rascals jersey. Porter said the commission now uses intake forms to document provenance and to ensure items can be returned to donors if the museum's display plans change.

Separately, the commission confirmed it has completed stage one of the SHPO grant for a citywide brochure and set an internal deadline to submit final text and graphics by June 26. Chair Rick Dotson said the brochure run will total approximately 18,000 copies and will be distributed to schools, hotels and visitor outlets. Commissioners discussed locating higher-resolution photographs from personal binders and the Saint Charles County Historical Society to meet print quality needs.

Commissioners asked for follow-ups on three items: verifying the Matterport quote and ongoing software costs, securing higher-resolution images for the brochure, and arranging tours for new council members and tourism staff to review the log cabin collection. Commissioner Porter said she would coordinate with communications and with potential nonprofit funders to cover any software or production expenses.

The commission agreed to continue oral-history capture and to arrange volunteer shifts to preserve local memories. No formal vote was required to continue the cataloging work; the commission made logistical decisions and asked staff to return with more precise cost and hosting options.

The commission closed the item by asking volunteers to help digitize and tape interviews so the stories do not "die with them," and scheduled follow-up action through staff and the communications office.