At least one museum visitor identified as being from the enemy camp was reported to a law enforcement officer, who asked him to leave in order to keep the peace.

Duplicative meetings have been scheduled with fliers clearly denoting which group it isn’t in case people are confused.

And the paperwork that should be filed to give historical artifacts identification numbers is not being made available to the public or to other historians, so it’s unknown if correct procedure is being followed.

What a shame the disagreement has come to this.

Because two groups can’t resolve their differences over ownership of a museum, a lawsuit has been filed pitting the Le Sueur County Historical Society against the Elysian chapter. The county group, which had attempted to disband the Elysian group, wants the chapter out of the museum building. The Elysian group, which says the county group does not have the authority to disband it, says the building belongs to them via a restructuring in 1990.

There’s no quick, easy explanation of how the situation reached this boiling point. One observer described the feud as the Hatfields vs. the McCoys, where personalities clash and grudges run deep.

What is clear is that the acrimony, which should have never gotten to this point, is spilling over into the community and affecting access and quality control of the museum.

The process by which historical societies typically receive donations, called accession, involves documentation of the gift. The Elysian group, which has taken control of the museum and its artifacts, won’t reveal if the documentation is being done. That concerns David Grabitske, a Minnesota Historical Society historian who assists local groups. The museum’s transfer of power fails the transparency test, Grabitske said, calling it “deeply troubling, not an example for anyone.”

The schism also must make it awkward for residents to deal with anyone when it comes to historical matters. Which group do you choose to help with research? Which group should get the family heirlooms? If you step into the museum, are you claiming allegiance to its caretakers?

And no one has even figured out the time and expense tied to the controversy — and how that may grow if a settlement isn’t reached quickly.

Obviously, the sooner the mess is cleaned up, the better. And this is definitely one of those times where it would be nice if history didn’t repeat itself.