The Whitesville Historical Society will host its sixth annual Native American Artifact Show on March 7, offering a hands-on glimpse into the region’s rich archaeological history.
The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the Whitesville Senior Center at Whitesville Park and is free to the public. Dozens of artifacts will be on display, including spear points, banner stones, grinding stones, plummets, and other rare items discovered throughout Daviess and surrounding counties.
“We started out only displaying artifacts found in Whitesville, but now we include items from throughout the Ohio River Valley,” said Jeff Berry, president of the Whitesville Historical Society.
Berry said the show is designed to promote education and community engagement, with collectors ranging from teenagers to veteran hunters with decades of experience. Attendance typically hovers around 70-80 people, but organizers are hoping to see that number grow.
“We’re not just showing off artifacts — we’re trying to preserve and educate about the cultural heritage of this region,” Berry said.
The highlight of the show is the annual “Best Artifact” contest, with judges evaluating recently found items. Last year’s winner was a rare flintlock rifle part — not an Indigenous artifact, but a historic discovery nonetheless.
The event also features a speaker presentation.
A key attraction for attendees is the chance to see a replica longbow crafted from Osage orange wood, along with a 1750s-style pipe tomahawk forged by a friend of Berry’s. That tomahawk serves as the grand prize in a door prize giveaway, one of several held throughout the morning.
While admission and exhibiting are free, space is limited for display tables. Those interested in showcasing artifacts are encouraged to contact the Whitesville Historical Society.
“We do this for the love of history,” Berry said. “We’ll have a donation jar and a few sponsors helping cover the event, but our real goal is to get folks of all ages engaged with our shared past.”
Organizers discourage the sale or trading of artifacts at the event, emphasizing the educational and preservation-oriented mission of the show.
“Kentucky has 15,000 years of artifact history,” Berry said. “We’ve only scratched the surface. These people were here long before us. They left behind so much, and it’s our job to keep that history alive.”
For more information or to inquire about exhibiting, contact the Whitesville Historical Society.
