If you don’t go to the Old Depot Museum in Ottawa very often, you might mark August 19th on your calendar. Franklin County Historical Society Executive Director Diana Staresinic-Deane says it’s a Smithsonian Exhibit.
One story will involve the naked voters of 1858, in which a group of Franklin County free staters were so determined to cast their ballots against the pro slavery lecompton constitution in the 1858 election, that they let nothing, not even a high reek or lack of clothing get in their way. Staresinic-Deane says she expects the exhibit to bring in as many visitors in a few weeks as normally attend in a year. The grand opening will be saturday morning t 10:00. There will be several special programs associated with the Smithsonian display through out it’s run at the depot.
