Tracy Ploutz was named the 2023 Historian of the Year Sunday afternoon during the annual meeting of the Ellsworth County Historical Society.

In making the announcement, Cynthia Edgerle, president of the historical society’s board of directors, said the society had “lucked out.”

Edgerle said Ploutz was given a membership application and, after filling it out and returning it to the society, was told of a recent vacancy on the board, so he became not only a new member, but a board member to boot.

Edgerle said since he became a member, Ploutz has put in many hours of volunteer maintenance on the society’s buildings.

“We always have a very large to-do list,” she said.

Edgerle said, thankfully, Ploutz is skilled in putting up drywall, and those skills have been put to good use.

Ploutz also helped scrape and paint the windows on the old school house, and even served as a tour guide.

He has also been enlisted as board secretary.

“So probably he’d like to go back to drywalling,” Edgerle added.

Ploutz humbly accepted the award and suggested there were others on the board who deserve it.

“Thank you,” he said. In other business:

• Avocational Archaeologist and middle and high school history teacher Garrett Seuser presented research and artifacts recovered from the Faris Ranch in Ellsworth County.

• Edgerle said the historical society’s annual hamburger feed in July during the Fort Harker Days celebration will be served at the Kanopolis Community Center, not the Fort Harker Commanding Officer’s Quarters.