Photo courtesy of the Poland Historical Society This photo shows the Little Red Schoolhouse that is today the headquarters for the Poland Historical Society. The school house will be an important part of a special presentation on the history of Poland schools on Wednesday. The photo shows an early 1900s class from the school.

POLAND — As the weather warms up, the events are growing for the Poland Historical Society’s America250-Ohio celebratory year, with several events scheduled this month. On Friday, the Poland Public Library presented a family movie night with the showing of “April Morning,” which takes place at the beginning of the American Revolution. The society provided its traveling museum display to accompany the movie.

“2026 is shaping up to be a busy and exciting year for the Poland Historical Society,” said society President Laurie Fox. “Along with our regular meetings and programs, we’ll be partnering with Poland’s America250 activities throughout the year. Preparations for Celebrate Poland in June also will require time, creativity and commitment from many of our members.”

She said the society has 16 committees formed to help plan, organize and support each event. The committees are made up of members and the society is at a high mark in membership.

“Last year, we reached 127 members, our highest number since 2019,” Fox said.

She said a lot of the events planned for this year include partnerships.

One big partnership is with the school district. On Wednesday, the society will present a history of the Poland school district, which dates back to 1802.

Society historian Larry Baughman will highlight the early years of education in Poland and will feature the Little Red Schoolhouse, the society’s home. The presentation will follow the society’s regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. and is expected to start around 7:30 p.m. The event will take place in the gymnasium at Poland Union School.

Poland schools will continue to participate in the year long America250 celebration.

“Andrew Tommeleo, interim superintendent, was present at our January meeting,” Fox said. “He spoke to the group with positive remarks about the school district’s 250 involvement throughout the year. He is agreeable with arrangements made with former Superintendent Craig Hockenberry. He said he will get additional information about the restoration and dedication of the cupola at the middle school.”

Another way the PHS will partner with the schools is through a new scholarship program. For the first time, the PHS will offer a $1,000 scholarship. It will be presented to a 2026 Poland graduate.

Fox said she wants to keep the program going and is seeking contributions. To contribute, note “PHS Scholarship Fund” on a check made payable to the Poland Historical Society and mail it to PO Box 5052, Poland, OH 44514.

“Our goal is to grow this fund so we can offer a scholarship every year and hopefully increase the award amount over time,” Fox said.

The PHS continues to work on events for the rest of the year.