WKSU News: McKinley museum launches campaign to buy 'pawned' heirloom

Thursday, April 3, 2014 McKinley museum launches campaign to buy 'pawned' heirloom The William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum needs to raise $43,000 to purchase Ida McKinley's tiara from TV's Pawn Stars Story by KELSEY LEYVA

First lady Ida McKinley wears a tiny tiara and feather in this 1901 portrait. Museum's curator Kim Kenney says finding personal items such as Ida's tiara is rare.

Courtesy of McKinley Presidential Library & Museum

A museum in Northeast Ohio is working diligently to raise the $43,000 necessary to bring a piece of Canton history back home.

The William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum is collecting donations to buy former first lady Ida McKinley’s tiara. The tiara was recently sold to Gold & Silver Pawn in Las Vegas, the location of the TV series Pawn Stars.

Kim Kenney is the curator of the museum. She says this is the first time the museum has ever attempted to buy an artifact.

LISTEN: Kim Kenney on importance of tiara

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“There are just not that many artifacts that relate to either the president or Ida McKinley out there anymore. They’ve been gone for over 100 years and so it’s very few and far between when things do appear that are the personal [artifact] connection.”

Pawn shop owner Rick Harrison is giving the museum until June 24^th to raise the money, but Kenney says she is optimistic they will be able to meet their goal in time.

Kenney says the museum is setting up an online fundraising effort and a high dollar event in May.