Sebring Historical Society

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Located in the same building that houses the Sebring Public Library, the Sebring Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of Sebring and Highlands County. The Society contains a large collection of materials including newspapers, photographs, oral histories, yearbooks, news letters, city directories, and the publications of the late historian Allen C. Altvater. The Society also offers events and temporary exhibits.

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The Sebring Historical Society was established in 1968 and is housed in the Sebring Public Library building.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The Sebring Historical Society was founded in 1968 by a group of old high school friends, which included Allen C. Altvater. The idea for a historical society originated several years earlier when they met at an alumni reunion. Altvater wrote the Society's first newsletter, The Bulletin, and served as editor and publisher until 1986. He wrote many publications about the social, economic, and political history of the city, and served as the Chief of the Sebring Fire Department in 1925. He held a number of other civic positions as well (he passed away in 1994). The Society was first housed in the basement of the Sebring police station beginning in 1976. It appears it moved to the library building in 1991 after a new archives addition was built.

Sources

"Sebring Historical Society History." Sebring Historical Society. Accessed April 5, 2021. https://www.sebringhistoricalsociety.org/shs-history.

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Sebring Historical Society

Additional Information