Summertime at the Powder River Historical Museum has flown by quickly! July came and went before we had a chance to catch our breath from the productivity of the previous month! Thankfully our volunteers have continued to provide their time and effort to the museum so that we can continue to keep the place running. We even gained another volunteer this month!
For the month of July, Shane Dunning finished installing all the LED lights we ordered for the front room, library, and dining room of the museum. We can see better now! Sometimes when we are working on displays we now feel like we are under spotlights! In regards to other maintenance, Courtney Gatlin has willingly given time to help replace our swamp cooler. He is still in the process of this project, but has started and intends to have that done by fall. Jerry Coulter and Tammy Van Tine with her crew have mowed and taken care of weeds in the back lot a couple times for us. We appreciate these efforts tremendously!
Displays have been changing! Our local woodcarvers--Stanley Damm, Ed Gring, Ken Carter, and Keith and Dori Stevens--now have a shared display case featuring some of the work they donated to the museum.
Other instruments have found their own display case in front of our music section.
Most of our cameras are now together in a glass case near Jesse Bohls Wellman’s area.
Even Bob Fudge now has a section of his own.
Temporary tags have been made for Johnny and Cody Morris’ headmounts in our Wildlife Room. And most of all, we are almost complete with our shed project outside!
Kate Ruland and I, with the help of Delaney Ruland, and Tracy and Robert Smith, have cleaned out a shed and started to create a new display room. This room used to be full of peg boards, lumber, and various other items. We cleared all that out, shoveled out the inch thick dirt, painted the back wall, put up wainscoting, and now moved in two beautiful fanning mills that were previously in storage. We plan to move in at least one more fanning mill and our “timeline” of washing machines.
Our goal is to have this done by the end of the summer season. We thoroughly look forward to having this project finished!
The museum has been busy in another way. The Art and Soul Club has been willing to collaborate with us recently. On July 16 and 30, we hosted members of the Art and Soul Club and are scheduled to do so on August 13. Lana Kay Smith, Sonja Harrington, Connie Barnhart, Laura Lee Ullrich, and Kate Ruland have all been here to sell their art and share with us the projects they have currently been working on.
These two events took place from 10am-2pm and brought in locals as well as out of staters. We love having activity up front--feels like a community. Rhonda Gatlin and Jan Stevens are scheduled for August 13 (after this issue goes to print).
We will keep you posted with more updates in the next few weeks!
Submitted by,
Deanna Twedt
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