Many local historical societies opened in the nineteenth century and existed to celebrate a specific history — namely, that of the white “pioneers” who first colonized that part of the world. They were founded by community boosters who are long dead, and the stories they tried to tell are not necessarily meaningful today. This leaves historical societies trying to figure out how to appeal to new audiences, many of whom are younger, as well as people of color who were often deliberately excluded from those histories. Mahoning Valley Historical Society is an excellent example of this stru...