The Oceana County Historical Society was organized in 1967 with an organizational meeting in Pentwater. In 1974 the Swift Lathers home in Mears, Michigan was given by the family for a museum. Since that small beginning, the museum has grown into a Historical Park which includes five buildings and one storage building. In addition, the Society now is the proud owner of the historic " Swedish Church" outside of Mears. And in 1984 the society purchased the Chadwick-Munger house from the county to be used as its headquarters. The Society is a non-profit organization, relying totally on dues from its membership and gifts from individuals. There is no paid staff. A dedicated staff of volunteers maintain genealogical material and collected artifacts. Volunteers also conduct tours of the museum, answer questions about Oceana history, and conduct fundraiser's.