Mr. Darrel Boren of Boren Blasting in Marseilles (sadly deceased now) was sitting in my dad’s barber chair one day and dad politely asked him, “Darrell, when are you going to hire about 10 girls at Boren Blasting so I can send my daughter down to apply for a job?”
Darrell smiled at dad and said, “Send her down tomorrow! My secretary just quit to get married!”
After applying at 42 places and hearing 42 "No"s, I was thrilled! Darrell hired me that very next day! My size didn’t matter to Darrell. He hired me on my merits, and I enjoyed working for him. Without that ‘barber chair chat’ I may never have found a job.
The Museum's scheduled events are listed here. You can also request an appointment to host your visitors and view our collections during reunions or other community events. Contact us (phone 815-795-7976) to arrange a time for your group's visit and share our amazing history.
Every year we host this pot luck at the Museum. This year each church minister talked about their favorite scripture.
Recent Events
Here is a story about Marseilles barber Allie Q, told by his daughter:
A visit to six La Salle county museums. Other participating museums are Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum, Norsk Museum, Sheridan Historical Society, Hegeler-Carus Mansion, La Salle County Historical Society.
July 10, 2021 - Fun Days
May 13: Nabisco History and Reunion
We were open during Marseilles Fun Days and to celebrate Seattle Sutton's 90th Birthday. Train rides and new exhibits including a wedding gown Seattle sewed for herself.
This Museum event recognized barbers in Marseilles. Watch the video to learn more
May 15, 2022 - Marseilles Barbers
Upcoming Events
The Museum hosted a Mayors History event August 14, 2022. Learn about our mayors, from John R Galloway in 1871 to James Hollenbeck in 2018.
Events
August 14, 2022 - Marseilles Mayors
June 26, 2022 - Local Churches Pot luck
February 11-12: Six Pack to Go
In addition to scheduled events, this fall we are open from 1 to 3 pm each Saturday.