Preserving the Past by Pat Mulso

The annual Taste of Heritage event on April 9 was a huge success.

We would like to thank all our volunteers. Whether you were part of the planning committee, hosted a table exhibit, worked in the children’s activity room, were part of the entertainment or participated in the flag ceremony, thank you for making the event such an enjoyable day for all the visitors.

The Freeborn County Historical Museum has a special fundraiser scheduled at 7 p.m. Saturday which is “The Gordy and Debbie Show.” This Branson variety show will be enjoyed by viewers of all ages. The program will include country, gospel, ’50s and ’60s, patriotic songs and a little comedy along the way. The show will be in the Albert Lea High School auditorium. Tickets are $15 each or two for $25. Proceeds will go to the Freeborn County Historical Society. Refreshments will be available at intermission. A special thank you to all our sponsors for the show. They will be listed on the program. Tickets are on sale at the museum, the CVB office and at the door the night of the performance. Please plan to join us for an enjoyable evening.

The museum will host a four-hour AARP defensive driving refresher class 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. May 17. The cost is $20 for AARP members or $25 for non-members, which includes the class materials and administrative fee. You must register for the class and will need your driver’s license to do so. The refresher course is needed every three years after the initial eight-hour class is taken to continue receiving a discount on your auto insurance. Call or stop by the museum to register during our regular business hours. You will receive your certificate at the end of the class. Our next class will be from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. June 16.

The Freeborn County Historical Society will host a local history workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 13, which will be presented by the Minnesota State Historical Society. The cost is $30. It describes the workshop as follows: “Writing threads its way through nearly every aspect of history. From the way we share and interpret it, to the way we record and preserve it. This year’s local history workshops focus on sharpening writing skills for those looking to share and preserve their history, from technical writing for better grant applications and National Register nominations to better interpretive writing for exhibits and web content.”

There will also be time to network with history colleagues from across the state and learn tips and techniques. The price includes materials, lunch and refreshments. The website for the Minnesota State Historical Society is www.mnhs.org.

We have started on our Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage grant for our collection storage upgrade project. We have awarded the project to ARTistic Storage. The special custom mobile shelving has been ordered. Archival boxes and files to begin our sorting and indexing have been ordered through Gaylord Bros. Inc. This will be a 30-week project with paid staff hours as well as 300-plus volunteer hours. This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the state of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society. Watch for progress reports as we move forward with this huge project to preserve and protect our local history.

 

Pat Mulso is the former executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library and Village, 1031 Bridge Ave.