Started in 1994 when a group of retired and semi-retired local folks formed the Rudyard Historic Society at the urging of Jan Delaney. The group purchased the depot and some land was donated especially for a museum.

Soon after the depot was in place we began the on going process of collecting items. As each item - whether it be written or physical - is either donated or loaned, an accession record for it is kept in the computer, a story of the item is typed and kept with the item and displayed in the museum or on the museum grounds. These kinds of items include family histories, pictures, dishes, sewing machines, plows, tractors, clothes, etc. These antiques have significance to the members of the communities. All items were used by the homesteaders who arrived in the early 1900's.