Column: Pat Mulso, Preserving the Past

Merry Christmas residents of Freeborn County and all readers wherever you are for the holidays. We hope that you have a safe and happy holiday season. I have a few Christmas trivia questions for you to ponder.

 

1. Name the first president to put up a Christmas tree in the White House.

2. Name the year the National Living Christmas Tree was planted.

3. Name was is traditionally added to a Christmas tree to make it look like moonlight shining through its branches.

4. Name five popular Christmas pies.

5. Name what was used to light Christmas trees before electricity.

 

As we come to the close of another year we want to say thank you to all of our volunteers for their many hours of help throughout the year. Thank you also for the support financially from our members, organizations, Freeborn County and local businesses. We are very fortunate to be part of a very caring community and we look forward to serving the county and region as a museum, library and historical village and as a resource to the community. We are building the future by preserving the past.

The Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library & Village is pleased to be hosting “Electrifying Minnesota.” This exhibit was created by The Bakken Museum and the Minnesota History Center. The Minnesota Historical Society Traveling Exhibits Program has been made possible by the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. (Administered by the Minnesota Historical Society)

Plan to visit the museum now through Feb. 12 to discover how electricity has transformed the lives of Minnesotans since 1882, learn what makes the generation of electricity possible and imagine how we will generate electricity in the future. The exhibit has freestanding displays, audiovisual and interactive components. Don’t miss the opportunity to see this exhibit while it is on loan to us from now through Feb. 12.

The museum will be hosting a four-hour defensive driving refresher class from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 7. The cost is $19, and you must pre-register for the class. The refresher course is needed every three years after the initial eight-hour class is taken. Call or stop by the museum to register or if you have questions concerning the program.

The museum and library will be open this week Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is a great time to come in and check out the traveling exhibit, the Christmas exhibits and to renew or purchase a museum membership for 2012. Also consider making a tax deductible donation to the FCHM Building Expansion Fund. We have raised $851,000 to date in cash and pledges for the FCHM Building Expansion. So we have come a long way, but we need your help to reach the amount needed to complete the project and make it possible to move into the future so we can continue to collect, preserve and protect your history! With your help we can make this project a reality!

I just received notification that we have been awarded another Legacy Grant to purchase additional newspapers on microfilm for our museum library. Watch for a news release giving details soon on what microfilmed papers we will be adding to our collection.

We wish you all a safe, healthy and happy New Year from your friends at the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library & Village!

 

Now for the answers to the Christmas Trivia questions:

1. President Franklin Pierce

2. 1924

3. Lights

4. Apple, mince (or mincemeat), pecan, pumpkin and sweet potato

5. Candles

 

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