DOWAGIAC — Wednesday evening, residents and community members did their part to “keep history alive.”

The Dowagiac Area History Museum hosted its second annual “Keep History Alive” Fundraiser Wednesday at the Dowagiac Elks. For the event, museum officials transformed the inside of the Elks with crisp table cloths and displays of sepia-toned, historical photos. More than 150 guests attended the event and were treated to dinner, a silent auction and live auction.

“I’m very pleased with the turn out,” said Museum Director Steve Arseneau. “We have even more guests that we did last year.”

Funds raised from ticket and auction sales will go toward the museum’s general operating budget, half of which is provided by the city. The event had a goal of raising $20,000, and though official tallies are not in yet, Arseneau said he is confident that the museum will meet the goal.

“Last year, we raised $16,000, and the event is more well-known this year. … We started $5,000 ahead of where we started last year thanks to our sponsors,” Arseneau said. “I think we will make our goal.”

Aresneau said he appreciates the support the museum has received from the community, and thanked all the attendees for being at the fundraiser.

“The community has really gotten behind the museum and embraced it,” he said. “The support has been growing year by year, and I think that Dowagiac just has a good grasp of its history and understands how important it is.”

City leaders who were in attendance Wednesday said they support the museum and fundraisers like the “Keep History Alive” fundraiser because they want to see the history of Dowagiac remembered.

“Besides my own personal interest in history, I find that history has a way of repeating itself. So, if we don’t compile and remember that history nothing much changes,” said Mayor Don Lyons. “It is through history that we learn the lessons we need to be successful. … It is wonderful that we have a museum to compile that history for us.”

City Manager Kevin Anderson agreed that the museum means something to Dowagiac.

“Museums are important to the cultural fabric of the community,” Anderson said. “In a small city like this, it is amazing the amount of support that [the Dowagiac Area History Museum] gets. I think that just goes to show how important it is to this community.”

Going forward, Arseneau said he hopes the museum will continue to receive community support, so that it can continue to provide services to Dowagiac.

“We want to continue to provide programing and to participate in the city’s festivals,” Arseneau said. “We want to expand and to continue to do as much as we can.”