By Bev Jackson

Thanks to you, the most wonderful things happen at the Freeborn County Historical Museum.

Last weekend in Heritage Hall, I watched Carolyn, Cobi and Bonnie from the Calico Hutch in Hayward describing quilting styles, fabrics, and techniques, and I couldn’t help but reflect back almost 18 years to the time when I was hired. The museum was open 3 1/2 hours a day in the summer and a few weekends in May and September.

There were school tours in the spring and a demonstration day or two in the fall. The annual budget was less than $25,000 and the money was used mostly for maintenance.

I can hardly believe the changes that have taken place. From the quiet atmosphere of the early 1980s, the museum has grown into a vibrant and alive place where fun and interesting things happen and people want to visit often.

The Calico Hutch gals were so enthusiastic as they described their quilting hobby/work/passion, and the visitors who brought family treasures to share were excited about the stories of each piece they described.

The hum of voices reminded me of the significance of the museum in this community as people wandered around carrying gallery guides and discussing the beautiful and worn quilts owned by the museum and on loan for the event.

If we were to be open only in the summer, we wouldn’t need a significant income. We could just lock up in September and put a note on the door, &uot;We’ll see you in the spring.&uot;

What an incredible waste of resources that would be.

Recently I have been visiting area kindergarten classes and showing them Native American items from the museum collection. We’ve talked about using a harder stone to rub or chip another stone to a new shape, about the many uses for the buffalo hide, meat, and other body parts, about living on the prairies and staying warm and finding sustenance from nature, the purpose of the peace pipe, and the importance of art and stories in our lives.

We talked about respecting the Native Americans for their ability to live off the land, and survival before fast food places, frozen foods, and chain stores.

Our library is busy year-round with people working on family genealogy, other researchers with historic interests, students, and responding to phone calls and e-mails about Freeborn County’s history.

Other groups occasionally request museum special tours. We recently enjoyed the laughter and chatter of a group of Red Hat ladies who toured the museum after their lunch out.

What a shame it would be if we could not manage to keep the museum open and these services all available to the public.

More than two-thirds of our annual $125,000 budget is covered by your memberships and donations. With that money our staff of six people, whose hours range from 10 to 36 hours per week, provides a cultural resource where you can be proud to bring your visitors for an overview of area history.

The museum has an extensive library and archives available for adults and students, historical programs for your schools and organizations and special events relating to our lives as they fit into our history.

It provides a secure, clean, and environmentally safe place for artifact preservation, and even a Web site filled with history facts, our monthly calendar, and a fun history puzzle.

In order for the museum to keep its doors open year-round, we need donations of artifacts and archival materials for the collection. We also need the time and talent of our more than 100 volunteers and money to cover operating expenses.

The board of directors and the small staff manage the day-to-day operations, but you, the public, keep this incredible place open. It’s your support that makes this valuable community asset available to everyone.

If you have not yet sent in your membership, or if you would like more information, call the museum at 373-8003, write FCHM, 1031 Bridge Ave., Albert Lea, or look us up on the Web at www.smig.net/fchm.

For $25 a year (less than 50 cents a week), your family can enjoy the museum free of charge and help to keep the Freeborn County Museum, Library, and Historical Village alive and growing.

We are here because you are here. Thank you.

(Bev Jackson is the executive director and curator of the Freeborn County Historical Museum.)