Column: Pat Mulso, Preserving the Past

July was very busy at the museum, but I think August is going to be even busier. We started out the month with extended hours during the Freeborn County Fair. We had well over 1,000 visitors during fair week. We hosted another defensive driving class, several Freeborn County Historical Museum committee meetings, a program for a local organization, and now this week we have our annual Echoes from the Past…A Journey Into History. Please plan on joining us at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17 at Graceland Cemetery as four individuals bring to life the stories about four early residents of Freeborn County. We will have benches available, or you can bring your own lawn chair if you like. The cost is $5 for adults and students 12 and older. Children 11 and under are admitted free.

The program will last approximately one hour and refreshments will be available following the program. In case of inclement weather, the museum will be the rain location. On Aug. 18 we are hosting a historical bus trip to several locations in Iowa, the cost is $50 for members and $55 for non-members, this includes the bus, your admissions and lunch.

The museum will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, for your convenience. The museum library will also be open that day. Our next Library Lock-In is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22. The cost is $25 for members and $30 for non-members. This workshop gives you the opportunity to have one-on-one help with your family research. There is no better time than the present to get started on your family research, but don’t delay, register soon, as the classes fill up very quickly. The FCHM Board of Directors will be serving food at the farmers market from 4 to 6 p.m. Aug. 24 to raise money for museum programs.

We will be hosting several other special groups that will be visiting the museum yet this month and possibly another wedding in our village church, along with the regular weekly meetings of the Golden K II Kiwanis Club and other FCHM committee and board meetings.

We have two special dates coming up in September. Sept. 18 is our annual “Autumn in the Village” from noon to 4 p.m. and Sept. 22 we are having a Vintage Style Show Luncheon Fundraiser for our building expansion project. Tickets are available at the museum, Addie’s Floral and Doyle’s Hallmark. Watch for more details in the near future.

As many of you read earlier this month, Kevin Savick made a very generous donation to the FCHM Building Expansion Fund, as well as donating many of his research notebooks, photos, cabinets, tables, advertising collection and more. Kevin had a deep love and dedication to seeking the details of the history of our downtown buildings and businesses. He was pleased to know that we, FCHM, would accept and provide a safe venue for his endless hours of research and dedication to preserving the history of our downtown for future generations. He gave his money to help preserve what he believed was most important, the preservation of Freeborn County History, and to encourage others to give, to make our building expansion a reality. When someone at one of our lock-ins would ask him a question, his eyes would light up and his heart was full of excitement as he would share his findings about whatever they were asking. He was a true historian and will be remembered through his research left behind for future generations to share and learn from and for his dedication and generosity for what he loved dearly, the preservation of our local history. His legacy to the museum will live on for future generations. Remember, what happens today is history tomorrow and as Kevin stated, the paper trail of that history is being lost, we must do our best to continue to preserve our history for generations to come!

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