Grant Writing Workshop

Pope County Historical Society is pleased to announce that the grants office at the Minnesota Historical Society will be conducting a “Writing a Better Grant Application” workshop in Glenwood. Area historical and cultural organizations are encouraged to attend. RSVP required.

The workshop will be held at the Lakeside Ballroom in Glenwood on Thursday, February 18th at 2:00 p.m.

Minnesota Historical & Cultural Grants, made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008, have been extremely competitive due to overwhelming enthusiasm.

Learn to write strong project descriptions, establish compelling need and rationale, craft meaningful measurable outcomes, and articulate enduring value and sustainability in order to increase your project’s competitiveness. The presentation is about an hour long, followed by time to ask questions. Bring details for projects you wish to discuss one-on-one with grants staff.

In a related note, PCHS was an early grant recipient and the new storage cases for our Native American collection are on the way.

Collection Highlight – Alaskan Doll

This 14 inch high doll has a carved wooden face is part of the Cleora Helbing Native American Arts and Crafts Exhibit.

According to Miss Helbing’s own notes, “It is dressed in a completely authentic Eskimo costume: white ermine parka and mukluks, brown wolverine ruff framing the face (wolverine was used around the face because it did not frost up in the cold when the wearer breathed), and brown martin tassels used in many places as trim. Black and red bands decorate the hem and yoke of the parka. The doll’s hair is made of grayish fur, and the details of the carved wooden face and hands are painted in. This doll was given to me by Louise Davis.”

The jacket has very fine beadwork. The doll even has an undergarment. We believe that the hands are carved from bone.

Herberger’s Community Day

The Pope County Museum is selling coupon books for Herberger’s next Community Day on Saturday, February, 27th.

The coupon books are $5 each, but contain a coupon for $10 off as well as an early bird coupon for 30% off a single item, six coupons for 20% off. That’s right, spend $5 to get $10 to use at the store – PLUS coupons for even more savings.

The entire $5 goes to help fund the museum. Staff and board members will have books available, or stop in to the museum, or contact us to get yours today.

If you can’t make it to the store on the 27th, you can pre-shop the entire week before and pick up your items after the sale.

Collection Highlight – Hardanger Violin

Violin made by Christian K. Thoen in 1892 in Norfolk, MN.  It has mother of pearl inlay and rosemaling done in ink on the trim.

Christian was born July 11, 1844 in Halingdahl, Norway. He emigrated to America in 1866 with his wife Bergit Olesdatter Teigen. They came to Stearns County, Minnesota and settled in Pine Creek where in 1902, he made this violin. Christian died there in 1903. The violin was given to his son Olof who played it for many weddings and festivals. Olof’s daughter Lavern Thoen Johnson played the violin and Olof’s grandson Stephen Keller had the instrument repaired and also played it. It has its own display case and is in good condition.

Hardanger fiddles / violins have a second set of strings that run underneath the strings that are actually played. They vibrate in sympathy with the played strings and create a unique and pleasing sound. They are often ornately decorated, much like the one in our collection.

Recent Pope County Photos

History is not only what happened 100 years ago. We are still making history today.

SO – we are collecting photos of what Pope County looks like now. If you would like to see some of our images, please visit our Picasa album.

http://picasaweb.google.com/pcmuseum

If you have images that you would like to add to our collection, please let us know. We are interested in people, places, and events from any period of Pope County History. With today’s technology, we can scan your images and you can keep the originals!

Here are a couple shots from our collection of more recent photos.

Legacy Grant Announced

The Minnesota Historical Society announced recipients of the first round of funding from the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment passed by voters last year. The Pope County Historical Society was awarded $7000 to help preserve objects in the Cleora Helbing Collection. PCHS has done extensive work to document and preserve this outstanding collection of Native American arts & crafts. In 2007, the entire exhibit was refurbished and conservation quality lighting installed. A lecture series highlighting the exhibit renewed public interest from across the state.

The Legacy Amendment passed by voters last fall created the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. In May the Minnesota Legislature appropriated $22 million from the fund for history projects and activities that includes $6.75 million for statewide historic and cultural grants to be awarded during the 2010-11 biennium. Expectations are high that these funds will create projects of enduring value for the cause of history and historic preservation across Minnesota.

Fundraiser Successful!

The Pope County Historical Society is pleased to report that our open house and gift basket auction were a big success! Our goal of 40 museum themed baskets turned into 57 with total proceeds over $2500! Well over 100 bidders toured the museum adding bids and excitement to the open house. Many visitors took advantage of the bake sale to take home some Christmas treats. Coffee and goodies were served and all agreed that it was a very pleasant afternoon.
We extend sincere thanks to everyone who participated as contributors and bidders to make the event a success.
Merry Christmas from everyone at the Pope County Museum!

Open house a success

Thank you to everyone who attended our Christmas Open House! It was a wonderful afternoon.

Thank you to all the bidders who contributed to the museum and got to take home one of the great baskets.

And a BIG thank you to the sponsors and basket contributors!

The Christmas Open House was a success with generous support from:

Event Sponsors:

Haggerty Law, P.C.           Busy Beavers 4-H Club

Lowry State Bank      Glenwood State Bank       Bremer Bank

Massman Automation Designs      Walmart

Advertising Sponsors:

Johnson Chiropractic         Stevens Community Medical Center – Starbuck Clinic        Nancy Doebbert, CPA          Bartell Chiropractic Center         Strecker Agency Inc.      Anfinson, Thompson & Co., P.A.      Bangsund Construction

Basket Contributors:

Ace Hardware        Alexandria Beetles          Andes Tower Hills      Pope County 4-H       Jim Schoeder & Margaret Claeson           Cenex – Harvest States, Prairie Lakes Coop     Della Conroy                Dave Cooley           Curves           Dave’s Doo Wop Coffee Shop     Terri Elsey        Fleet Supply – True Value Hardware          Family Dollar         Food ‘n Fuel      Jackie Gartner       Nathan Glaser       Glenwood Floral & Greenhouse           Ann Grandy         Steve & Marlene Hippe         Jergenson’s Pastry Shop      Kaldahl Family      Lakeside      Lois Maher        Jackie Merrill        Midwest Machinery          Milady & Milad Hair Design         Lynette & Haleh Martin         Minnewaska Fitness        Chris & Tara Nelson    Sandy O’Brien        Norman Ogdahl      Nancy Olson      Jim Palmer        Matt Pederson       Eunice Peterson          Profiles Hairstyling & Skincare by Janel       Harvey Peterson          Pope Art           Pizza Ranch      Minnesota Twins        Pastry Shoppe, Inc.          Jan  Caldwell       Peters’ Sunset Beach Resort & Golf Club      Rice Home Medical        Samuelson’s Drug         Beth Snider       Schweiter’s Chevrolet          Marshall Schensted         Starbuck Meats      Subway      Tastefully Simple, Jodi McGinty          Nick & Leann Terhaar       Terrace Store Company   Tom’s Food Pride        Trumm Drug                Valley Troll       Karen Serrin, Pampered Chef       and Wendy Zander

Merry Christmas from everyone at the Pope County Museum!

Staff

Merlin Peterson      Ann Grandy    Jackie Gartner

Phyllis Sorenson      Howard Opdahl   Pat Dalager  Katarina Menze

PCHS Board of Directors:

Jim Mason     Nick Terhaar    Dave Cooley    Margaret Claeson     Wendy Zander     Jim Elsey Carol Cheeseman    Chris Nelson

Open House all this week

The gift baskets are all wrapped and set out around the museum. The halls are ‘decked’, the cookies are baked and the coffee pot is on. While the official open house is 1-4 on Saturday, December 5, we will have free admission all week. Stop in to visit the museum, check out your family file, eat a cookie and start bidding on the great gift baskets. There is something for everyone – men, women, children and even animals.

There are toys, events, gift certificates, food items, and even some beautiful antiques on the silent auction. Over 40 baskets are up for bidding.

In the rotunda, you will find a wonderful collection of art (originals, prints and photographs) by local artists including Lois Maher, Nancy Olson, Harvey Peterson, Della Conroy, Joe Merrill, and Sandy O’Brien. These items too, are up for bid through the silent auction.

We have already had a lot of interest in several of the items, so come often to place and check your bids!

Color catalogs with photos and descriptions of each basket are available at the museum. Funds raised through the silent auction will help the Pope County Historical Society further its mission to foster among people an awareness of Pope County history so that they may draw strength and perspective from the past and find purpose for the future.

Send a holiday letter to the future

This holiday season, as you send out your annual Christmas letter please send a copy to the museum. Or better yet, drop it off in person! We’ll place it in your family file as a record of what you and your family did in 2009. Imagine, years from now, how pleased your future family historian will be to find such a treasure in your file!

Your family Christmas letter provides a great addition our history files and an inside view of your family.  As researchers look back in the files they appreciate those families who took an active part in documenting their own history.