2024 Best of Show Award

The OC Historical Society was once again proud to sponsor the "Best of Show Award" this year for the PHS Night at the Museum event with our friend Mr. Chris Lindley and his Advanced U.S. History Students.

A huge shout-out to Taylor Patton who was the 2024 Best of Show-Gold Award. Her exhibit “The Forgotten Nuclear Disaster” the Church Rock Uranium Mine Spill" She examined the Church Rock uranium mill spill that occurred in New Mexico in July 1979, when United Nuclear Corporation's tailings disposal pond at its uranium mill in Church Rock breached its dam. The accident remains the largest release of radioactive material in U.S. history, having released more radioactivity than the Three Mile Island accident four months earlier. What made the story even more tangled was the impact on the Native American population who were the primary residents of the area and most of the miners. This adverse effect on marginalized communities was a common thread through much of our research about disasters in America.

The group's Reserve Best of Show-Silver Award and also Hoosier Heritage Award winner was Jonny Shellenburger with his exhibit “The Night the Circus Stopped” the Hammond Circus Train Wreck of 1918. This project explored the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus train wreck, and since it was an Indiana story, qualified it for the Hoosier Heritage Award. In addition, he actually did some research at our very own French Lick-West Baden Museum with its huge diorama of the circus! The Bronze Award was captured by Brian Fullington for “Terror in the Golden City” San Francisco and the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906.

The theme this year was "Disasters Have Histories" A Survey of 20th Century American Disasters and Their Impact.

Hats Off! (Stetsons of course) to Mr. Lindley and students for another fantastic show.