Column: Pat Mulso, Preserving the Past

The village at the Freeborn County Historical Museum is open from May through September. During May the village is used for numerous school tours nearly every day, as well as for our Discover History Days when our local 11th-graders teach area 5th-graders in an all day hands on history project headed by none other than our Minnesota History Teacher of the Year, Jim Haney. With his ability to guide and nurture his students, he leads them with the assistance of Linda Evenson, the museum librarian, and  our adult mentor volunteers to provide hands on activities and presentations in 16 different subject areas including immigration, early farming procedures, pioneer life, early medicine and one room schools to name a few. Each 11th-grade student must research and prepare a presentation in their assigned subject area. Our librarian has research materials, by subject area, for the students to use to begin their research and is available to assist them with their research needs.

During June, July and August our village is busy with Eddie Cochran Weekend, museum visitors, Night at the Museum, class reunion gatherings, fair week visitors, an occasional wedding, funeral or church service and sometimes for special photos such as prom or wedding to highlight a few of the uses. The FCHM board of directors recently spent several days cleaning and rearranging the Hardware Store and the Red Exhibit Building in preparation for our largest event of the year, our annual Autumn in the Village.

Please join us Sunday for Autumn in the Village from noon to 4 p.m. Enjoy the afternoon with friends and family as you take in the demonstrations, hands on activities, music, food and exhibits. We’ll have the usual attractions such as corn shelling and grinding, spinning and weaving, rope making, homemade soap, embroidery, wood shop demonstrations, photos in the photography shop, candy and souvenirs in our general store and activities in the one room schoolhouse, games and an archeological dig as well as a telegraphy demonstration and a special exhibit by the American Legion. There will be sandwiches, pie and ice cream and our famous sarsaparilla. Please plan to enjoy the afternoon with us as you take a journey back in time at your own local Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library & Village.

This will also give you the opportunity to see how the museum building expansion is progressing and how very much we need the space. Donations to the FCHM building expansion are tax deductible. Please consider making a donation now and helps us to continue preserving the history of Freeborn County and its people.

September is also the kickoff of our annual membership campaign. We started accepting memberships for 2013 on Sept. 1. If you are not a current FCHM member, by joining now you will receive membership benefits for the rest of 2012 as well as all of 2013. If you are a current member, by paying your membership now, will save us the cost of sending out a membership letter as well as helping us to plan our budget for next year.

There is still time to register for our Mystery Historical Bus Tour planned for Sept. 20. To register call the museum at 373-8003 or stop by the museum prior to this Thursday to secure your seat on the bus.

Our next four-hour defensive driving class is scheduled for Oct. 15. The cost is $19 per person and you must pre-register for the class.

Pat Mulso is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum in Albert Lea.