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About Us

The E. A. Arnim Archives & Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the Flatonia area, including its people and its culture, making its collections available to the public for both research and entertainment.

Arnim and Lane Store

E. A. Arnim, Sr. and partner Jonathan Lane opened the Arnim & Lane Mercantile Store on Flatonia’s North Main Street in 1886, when the town was still in its infancy. Arnim’s eldest son, Judge E. A. “Sam” Arnim, Jr. spent a lifetime amassing an extensive collection of objects of local historic significance. In 1988, the Judge’s widow, Ann, had the idea of establishing a museum in Flatonia in his memory. The Flatonia State Bank offered its building, located across the street from the old Arnim & Lane store, to house the museum. The collection soon expanded through a generous outpouring of additional donations from numerous other families with deep roots in Flatonia history and has not stopped growing yet.