Our Founder

Founder Jesse (Hurlbut) Buchanan worked to preserve our area’s historic treasures. Buchanan truly had an ambitious goal. She wanted to make Green Bay the American center of history and culture. If the community did not attain that distinction, it was not from a lack of effort on Buchanan’s part. Buchanan was tireless in advocating historical preservation in the area and did much to preserve early…early treasures.” She founded the Green Bay & De Pere Antiquarian Society in 1923, a 501c3 charitable organization accepting gifts, bequests and donations that support our mission:  "To hold, purchase, preserve and acquire antiquities and real estate to perpetuate the history of the locality surrounding Green Bay and the State of Wisconsin".

Today’s members continue the pursuit and restoration of original or period authentic furnishings for area museums. Buchanan, appointed regent of Tank Cottage and Fort Howard hospital by the city of Green Bay undertook the buildings’ restoration. According to local legend when Buchanan learned Chicago collectors were buying up Green Bay artifacts, she was livid. Determined to put a stop to it, she began a systematic search for historically accurate artifacts for the area’s historic landmarks. She also sparked the campaign to refurbish Cotton House. All three buildings are located at Heritage Hill State Historical Park. Buchanan ran an antiques store. That effort, often supplemented with loans or donations from her own collection and coffers, helped refurbish many area museums. The shop also connected her with antique dealers across the country and who aided her quest for authentic furnishings. Buchanan’s preservation zeal touched other communities as well. The Historic Indian Agency House in Portage, WI contains a room Buchanan helped furnish with funding from the Antiquarian Society. The U.S. government had built the house in 1932 for John Kinzie, the Indian agent to the Winnebago. Closer to home, Buchanan encourage the Oconto County Historical Society to acquire and preserve the Beyer Home in 1940. The restored and refurbished house now is open to the public as a museum.

When Wisconsin celebrated its centennial anniversary in 1948, The Wisconsin State Fair held in Milwaukee exhibited a territorial bedroom from 1836. Credit Buchanan, who gathered the antique furnishings and decorated the room. Anything fostering Green Bay as a cultural mecca aroused Bimages/found340color.jpg?166uchanan’s passion. Her own home was furnished with art objects from around the world, the result of extensive travels. She lived at 936 S. Monroe Avenue, just north of Morgan L. Martin’s territorial home (now Hazelwood House Museum). Buchanan was a close friend of Deborah and Sara Martin and later bought many of the artifacts from the Martin home.

Buchanan joined Deborah Martin, Arthur and Ella Neville, Sophie Beaumont and others in asking the Kellogg Public Library (now the Brown County Library) board for museum space in the library basement. It was there that the Neville Public Museum had its beginnings. Buchanan was one of the founders of the Green Bay Art Club, was an early member of the Green Bay Park Board and chaired the City Beautiful Committee of the Green Bay Woman’s Club for many years. She helped organize Green Bay’s first Little Theater, also supervising costumes and stage settings, and was state chair of the Fine Arts department of the Federation of Women’s Clubs. The Women’s Auxiliary of the State Historical Society cited Buchanan shortly before she died for her patriotic and historical work. The French government recognized the Green Bay native for her Red Cross work during World War I, although the specifics of her contribution are not available. The daughter of pioneer businessman Frederick Hurlbut, Jessie Buchanan was married to Dr. R. C. Buchanan. The couple had no children. She died Dec. 27, 1950 at the age of 73.