Cooper Cabin has been the home of a museum in City Park since 1910. (Photo by Art Smith)

PARKERSBURG — One hundred and twenty -five years ago, a group of Parkersburg women collected items from residents to be showcased in the new Wood County Courthouse. The women chartered the Daughters of American Pioneers in 1899 and set up the display to honor the Centennial of Wood County. The group is the oldest non-profit in the city.

After a decade in the courthouse, the collection found a new home in 1910 after the Henry Cooper Cabin was moved from Mineral Wells by the city to serve as a museum in City Park. The museum is the oldest in the Mid-Ohio Valley and one of the oldest in the state. It sits near the center of the 46.6 acre park.

The cabin has served as a museum ever since, housing artifacts dating from the late 1700s to the mid-20th Century. All the artifacts were donated by community members. The cabin was first erected in 1804 and is thought to be the first two-story log cabin in Wood County.

“I really think it is a microcosm of what was in people’s lives,” said volunteer Charlotte Modesitt. “It’s what they thought was important, it gives us a window into their lives.

“A group of people saw the importance of keeping the materials in the museum,” added Modesitt. Two-thirds of the items housed in the museum date to the opening in 1910.

Charlotte Modesitt examines an Edison player that recorded music on cylinders. (Photo by Art Smith)

The Henry Cooper Cabin Museum has been open every summer since 1910. The Centennial Chapter of the American Pioneers that operates it is celebrating its125th anniversary on Sunday, June 1, by having a free open house at the museum from 1-4 p.m.

The museum will be open every Sunday until Sept. 1. Admission for the rest of the summer will be $3 for adults and $1 for children. Group tours are available by calling 304-248-3145.

A pair of horses are among the toys housed in the museum. (Photo by Art Smith)

An antique set of forks. (Photo by Art Smith)

Some of the more than 130 dolls displayed in the museum. (Photo by Art Smith)

A Ferris wheel that is symbolic of the Chicago World’s Fair is among the items in the collection. (Photo by Art Smith)\

Some of the 45,000 buttons collected by Clara Ramsey displayed at the museum. (Photo by Art Smith)

An early electric toaster. (Photo by Art Smith)

JOHN HANCOCK on a 1900 era reproduction of the Declaration of Independence. (Photo by Art Smith)

A candle mold. (Photo by Art Smith)