Column: Preserving the Past, by Pat Mulso

The first half of July has been full of excitement as we prepare for our transition into our building addition. We invite you to join us this afternoon for the ribbon cutting event for the Marion Ross Exhibit and a preview of the new addition. The doors will open at 5 p.m. and the ribbon cutting will take place at 5:30 p.m. We will have refreshments in the new meeting room. Admission is free for Freeborn County Historical Museum members. We are requesting a $3 donation from all others. These donations will go to the museum building expansion fund.

Please plan to join us to honor and welcome Marion from 5 to 7 p.m. today! Please enter the building through our new entrance on the north side of the museum, by the fairground arches. Marion has had a busy week while in Albert Lea, and we are happy to host this event to honor her for her dedication and support to Albert Lea at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center and the Freeborn County Historical Society. We are proud she thinks of Albert Lea as her hometown and appreciate her continued interest in what is happening in our community. Marion is a remarkable person and a genuine treasure. Her career is ongoing as she continues to marvel those that see her perform both on stage and in movies or television shows. Marion we love you — thanks for being you!

The museum will be open this week, Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and then will be closed next week to make the office transition to the new addition. Once we have moved the reception area to the new building we will close the existing entrance and our main entrance will be the new entrance near the fairground arches.

Though the museum will be closed, we will have a four-hour defensive driving class from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. July 23. Pre-registration is required and the cost is $19 per participant.

Our village will be the location for the play, “The Visit” with performances on July 25, 26, 27 and 28. Tickets are available at the Albert Lea Convention & Visitors Bureau office on the corner of Clark Street and North Broadway. This project is made possible through a legacy grant from the Minnesota State Arts Council.

The museum is having a swiss steak fundraiser at the American Legion in Albert Lea from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday. The cost is $9. We have supplemental funding from the Freeborn County Thrivent Chapter 31190. Music will be provided by Bob Bailey. Join us for dinner and then attend the “Happy Days” play at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center. Money raised from this event will go toward replacing our furnace and air conditioner.

The Freeborn County Historical Society will hold its annual meeting at 5 p.m. July 21 in the museum’s new meeting rooms on the upper level of the new building addition. Please RSVP to the museum office by Wednesday if you plan to attend.

The museum will be open extended hours during the fair, until 8 p.m Tuesday through Saturday and until 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Remember, what happens today is history tomorrow. The Freeborn County Historical Society is proud to preserve and protect the history of the county and all residents, past and present.

 

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