The beginning of a new era: Museum rebrands itself as a place not only for history but community

Published 11:07 am Monday, November 25, 2024

By Sarah Stultz

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The Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library and Village earlier this month announced it has undergone a change in name that the museum’s leaders hope will better reflect its mission and the new energy found there.

The organization will now be known as the History Center of Freeborn County.

Executive Director Stephanie Kibler said the board and staff wanted to create a place that was more inclusive and more approachable to the community, describing the organization’s previous name as “tedious” and “stuffy.”

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“When I walk through the door here, I don’t think of those things…,” she said. “We laugh a lot here, and we try to make it a place where regardless of your race, regardless of your religion, or your age or male, female, sexual orientation, any of that, that you can come in and find something here — that there’s something that piques your curiosity or makes you smile or makes you think, makes you ask a question.”

She said the new name felt more welcoming and was unanimously approved by the organization’s board.

With the name change comes a change in the logo, which reflects the different elements that the History Center oversees — an image of the rock garden castle to represent the Itasca Rock Garden; a mammoth to represent early history; a log cabin and church to represent the historical village; and a guitar to represent Albert Lea native Eddie Cochran.

“It feels refreshing to me and exciting,” Kibler said.

The change in name and logo comes as the museum staff by next year will have reinterpreted all of its exhibits since 2020. There are some new exhibits, as well. \

Kibler said when she started in her role, curator Risha Lilienthal began shortly after, and they soon discovered that about 50% of all of the items in the museum were not logged into their collections management software.

They started going through boxes and boxes of items to make sure everything was entered into the system — essentially conducting an item by item inventory on tens of thousands of items.

They picked what they thought were the easy exhibits and then evaluated the items that had been on display, reinterpreted them and have re-showcased them with new light and energy and stories.

“One of the things we’ve really focused on are the stories,” Kibler said. “The things are fun, but the stories are more fun.”

The Toy and Doll Exhibit will open in early January and will include an interactive play component. After that will come the Ghost Towns in Freeborn County exhibit.

Along with the reinterpreted exhibits they have started hosting events they hope will expose more people to the museum and encourage them to come back.

There have been things like a Barbie scavenger hunt, a creepy dolls night and even a National Bomb Pop Day.

“It started from a want to show people that it wasn’t just the same all the time,” Lilienthal said.

“And that it can be fun,” Kibler said. “It’s always curious to me, like even with school groups, how much shushing happens. I hear people say ‘Shush, you’re in a museum.’ I will come out and say, “It’s OK, we want laughter. Dance and laugh. Listen to the music … we want people when they leave to think, ‘That was fun, we should do that again sometime.’’’

The center also hopes to expand its partnerships with other organizations and businesses. Currently, the museum is home for the Sons of Norway, the Genealogical Society, the Civil War Roundtable and Golden K Kiwanis. It partners with several businesses as well for rentals, and she said they’re willing to negotiate for any other organizations interested in using space.

They’re open late on Thursdays for programming with presenters and films.

“There’s something here for everyone to have fun with or learn from,” Kibler said. “There’s no way you can’t find something that piques your interest.”

In addition to the museum, the History Center also oversees a research library, the historical village and now the Itasca Rock Garden. They will celebrate the 100th birthday of the rock garden in 2025.

 

Origins of the History Center of Freeborn County

The Freeborn County Historical Society was established in January of 1948 at an organizational meeting in the law offices of J. F. D. Meighen. Lester W. Spicer was elected president. Other officers were Dr. Andrew Gullixson, first vice president; Carl Lunde, second vice president; William H. Sykes, secretary and treasurer. Directors were Anna Frydenlund, J. F. D. Meighen and Bernard Johnsrud.

These founding members organized the society with the intention of collecting and preserving the history of Freeborn County.

In November 1955, the Historical Society purchased 42 steel lockers from the Jordahl plant in Manchester to be installed in the engineer’s office in the old courthouse for storing documents. The society had use of three rooms (meeting room and a two-room fireproof vault) in the basement of the old courthouse. They had not requested “relics” due to lack of storage space.

On Feb. 20, 1960, the Historical Society officially opened its museum in the basement of the courthouse building.

In 1966, the Historical Society constructed a museum building on land leased through the county next to the Freeborn County Fairgrounds. There have been two expansions to the museum building, one in 1980 and the latest in 2013. In 2018, the Freeborn County Historical Society began doing business as the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library and Village before now changing to the History Center of Freeborn County.

 

How to contribute to the History Center of Freeborn County

The History Center of Freeborn County operates mostly from donations and grants, though it does receive support from other areas.

About 10% of its budget comes from Freeborn County, the city of Albert Lea and other neighboring towns, while about 15% comes from memberships.

Those interested in donating can do so through one of the following means:

• Online at https://www.fchmmn.org/donate

• U.S. mail to History Center of Freeborn County, 1031 Bridge Ave., Albert Lea, MN 56007

• In person at 1031 Bridge Ave., Albert Lea, Wednesday and Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Venmo the History Center @FCHM1031

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