SIMPSON COUNTY, Ky. — In a little more than 100 days, voters will head to the polls for the next presidential election. But one part of the commonwealth shows what Election Day may have been like more than a century ago. 


What You Need To Know

  • The Simpson County Historical Society has a new exhibit looking back on the history of U.S. presidential elections 

  • It includes more than 700 artifacts, one of them being a Reaganomics board game 

  • The oldest item on display is a commemorative plate of former President James Garfield, which was made in the 1880s

  • James Henry Snider, president and CEO of the society, said the exhibit aims to serve as a reminder of U.S. history

Drive a half-hour south of Bowling Green, and there's an opportunity to take a trip to the 19th century. The Simpson County Historical Society has a new exhibit that preserves presidential elections.

“Not having the knowledge of our history is like having a tree with no roots," said James Henry Snider, president and CEO of the Simpson County Historical Society. 

Snider has put his own collection of presidential artifacts on display, ranging from bobbleheads to stickers to campaign buttons, dating all the way back to former President James Garfield.

"We’ve got Democrat and Republican buttons side by side, and they’re not fighting each other," Snider said. 

The exhibit has more than 700 artifacts, one of them being a Reaganomics board game.

The oldest button dates back to the late 1800s.

“One says, ‘I’m proud to be a Republican,'" Snider said. "And then the McKinley one was 1896.”

The oldest item on display is a commemorative plate of Garfield, which was made in the 1880s.

"It says, ‘We mourn our loss,'" Snider said. "That’s President Garfield, who was assassinated in 1881.”

Whether it’s a commemorative medal or a campaign poster, Snider said the exhibit aims to serve as a reminder of U.S. history. 

"We can say, ‘What do we remember about this guy? What do we remember about that guy?'" Snider said. "And I can say, ‘Well, I remember this guy for getting along with both parties.’”

The exhibit is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.