Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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For much of the past two years, the Stavanger Church at the Eddy County Museum has been undergoing renovations. As a result, museum-goers have had limited access - until this past week, when museum staff opened the doors to all the buildings and invited the public to an old-fashioned dessert social. Approximately 40 patrons visited over homemade desserts and amidst artifacts of yesteryear. Some of them dated well over a century old. (I am of course referring to the artifacts, not the patrons.) I...
A century ago, agriculture was a whole different business. Sure farmers had to contend with soil conditions and weather patterns, but the process of getting grain from field to market was markedly different. Wheat was the preferred crop and threshing was the required technology. The homesteaders of the region were lucky to have access to threshing technology. At that time, most threshing was done with a horse-powered belt system and was quite labor intensive. In the photo above, several members...
Porches are ubiquitious with Victorian Era homes. These large, open and welcoming spaces were often located at the front of the house and served some important roles. From day-to-day, porches served as an interface between the private inside world and the public outside world. They were designed to meet the elements, but still protect the residents from rain, sun and wind. Porches offered an alternative space to the the stuffy indoors, and the threatening wilds of the outdoors. Much like the...
Celebratory family photos are something we have all been a part of. Whether the family gets together for Thanksgiving, Easter or a funeral, it's often likely that someone will herd all the bodies together for yet another family photo. Such happenings might not seem like much at the time, but someday they might be treasured deeply. I have been in the process of archiving my own family's photos, and as I do so, I can't help but notice patterns. I see similarities in stances and smiles and can ea...
Once upon a time, before the craze of all things pumpkin spice, apples were the food that signaled a welcome change from the hot summer days to crisp autumn evenings. People embraced the crisp autumn air and joyfully collected apples - much like the women in the photograph. There are some 2,500 varieties of apples growing in the United States, whether cultivated or in the wild. Cultivated varieties can still be found growing in tree rows and front yards. The wild, less predictable varieties are...
Undergarments are one of those rarely talked about luxuries. Assuming (as I always have) that earlier generations were more prudish and cautious about such private matters, I am still surprised each time that I have encountered undergarments within the Eddy County Museum collections. I couldn't understand why anyone would donate their most intimate clothing to be on public display. But maybe there is nothing to be embarrassed about. In those days, undergarments were essential for...
After researching and writing about the history of cocoa, I succeeded in baking my first-ever, truly authentic homemade chocolate cake. It was delightful and immediately increased my household reputation as a baker. Baking can be a challenge for some, as there are so many variables and so little room for error. As my elders often reminded me, "To be a good baker, you have to be able to follow instructions." I often wondered who wrote those instructions... just what kind of experts unlocked the...
Did you ever rummage through your grandmother's kitchen storage cabinets? Did you find yourself equally delighted and perplexed by the variety of tools and implements? A whole range of specialized tools and simple innovations have made their way into the kitchen. The display kitchen at the Eddy County Museum is no different, offering insight to the early 20th century (and beyond). This week I share just of a few of the items that took me back to grandma's kitchen. Maybe they'll get you thinking...
It is shocking to see people overdressed during the sweltering summer heat. But have you ever seen a group of young people go to the beach in full-length dresses? Of course not! But if you were around in the 1910s, you likely would have. But why? It was simply not proper to show much skin, and full coverage attire provided a perk for those who ventured out of doors. Heavy clothing protected against the sun as well as biting insects and bothersome plants. But why bother with any of that at all?...
The artifact featured this week is a metal cocoa tin dating back to the 1920s. Monarch cocoa was one of the many products produced and marketed by Reid, Murdoch & Co of Chicago, Ill., established in 1873. There's more to the history of this object and its contents than that. Afterall, the origins of cocoa date back to the equatorial empire of the Olmec, who occupied portions of Central America from 1500-400 BCE. The Olmec people enjoyed crushed cocoa beans combined with water and chilis,...
Last fall I wrote about dogs and the role they played in the families of early settlers in Eddy County. After recently writing about friendships, I was reminded that canines (and felines) can offer some pretty valuable relationships. It has long been recognized that animals can help calm and soothe people during times of distress, and even lower blood pressure, but there are more benefits to caring for a pet, a fact that the folks pictured here seem to understand. Pets can alter our moods and...
For as long as I can remember, I've heard songs and jokes about the cookie jar. Yet somehow, I have never lived in a home that had a cookie jar. I guess my cookies resided in plastic packages (as many do). Cookies are characterized as sweet, handheld baked goods. They first made their appearance in the Middle East during the seventh century. The concept of the cookie (and the sugar needed) eventually made its way into Europe, and by the 14th century, cookies were commonplace in European...
It is all too easy to look back in history and create images of superhumans who were far stronger and wiser than people of today. We often talk of the hardships they endured; bitter cold, disease and isolation, furthering the image that the early settlers had no option but to grit their teeth and push forward in the face of adversity. Part of today's social narrative builds upon the notion that people long ago had no choice but to cooperate in order to survive. But we fail to imagine that these...
This week's featured artifact is a photograph of Edgar and Joyce Mattson driving in the New Rockford Parade on July 4, 1957. Edgar and Joyce, the original owners of the 1903 Orient Buckboard, made the claim that their car was the first gasoline-powered vehicle in Eddy County. Even in 1957, it must have been mind boggling to think that these were the cars of yesteryear. The scene was enough to convince Carl J. Aaland to capture it on film. The photograph was later donated by Edgar and Joyce's...
As an archivist, one of my dream projects is to sit down with the hundreds of postcards in the Eddy County Museum's collections, and transcribe (or perhaps decipher) the messages written on the back. Alas, such a project would require both time and funding. So I temper my ambitions and only occasionally stop to read the cryptic cursive from a century ago. Curiosity got to me when I found this handmade, mixed-media postcard that a young man named Henry wrote to his sister, Mrs. Fred Dahl, and mailed it to Moorhead, Minn., in 1910. Not only does...
Regular readers of Archival Anecdotes will likely have noticed that the Eddy County Museum has a healthy collection of fashion accessories. Folks from the late 19th and early 20th centuries were undoubtedly influenced by both Victorian and Edwardian fashion, even way out on the prairie. From hat pins to handbags, there are an estimated 200 artifacts in the museum related to fashion. Is the fan where fashion meets function? Anyone who has ever sat in the still air on a warm day knows the relief a...
The art of hairwork is far more intricate than you might imagine. The Eddy County Museum holds two unique specimens of this craft. Both were created as a symbol of love and devotion from a wife to her husband. Throughout the Victorian Era, hairworks were popular tokens to signify affection, and came in the form of intricate mementos. Hair was formed into bracelets, brooches, earrings, rings, chains, necklaces, bags, bookmarks and so much more. The popular lady's magazines of the era often p...
The boots featured this week are the only set of army boots in the Eddy County Museum's collection, and are among a limited number of artifacts from World War I. With a little research, I learned they are Pershing Boots, a specialized trench boot that infantry soldiers affectionately called "Little Tanks." These boots were a major upgrade over the 1917 trench boots, which were reportedly cold, leaky and often fell apart, not good for soldiers on the move. These 1918 Pershing Boots boasted...
The time has come. The Eddy County Museum will soon be opening for the season. Every Sunday afternoon from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the public will be welcomed to tour the museum. Now you can see the artifacts which I have featured here in Archival Anecdotes, or maybe you'd rather stumble upon something you've never seen before. One thing is for sure, you are bound to find something that strikes your interest, that makes you think. After all, that's what...
Sometimes working through the archives at the Eddy County Museum is a bit like putting together a puzzle. Just as it is with puzzles, sometimes an answer seems to pop out. This week in particular, something interesting happened- I finally started to put faces with the names and places of long ago. This story began when I took an extra moment to pause before leaving the Dodd's School House, and admired the collection of shoes dating back a century or more. One pair of women's hunting boo...
The arrival of the pasque flower (pulsatilla vulgari) is one of the most telling signs that spring has arrived on the prairie. But why stop there? Signs are all around us! Just look at the new growth on trees, the greening grass on the lawn, and dandelions bringing a splash of color to our lives. The song birds get busy well before dawn. From the rhubarb shoots to the lilac bushes, new growth is all around. Soon the grass on the prairie will be thick, and so will the ticks. May we continue to...
We humans need a break from time to time. The constant barrage of information and emotion can be difficult. In the 21st century, we often equate a leisurely break with a dose of Netflix. A century prior however, people were finding exciting entertainment options through print media. This week, I share two printed games that people of the early 20th century enjoyed. Both of these 'games' were donated by early Eddy County Museum board member Elsie Kerr. Elsie's collection includes over 50 media...
Hat pins were once a commonly used tool that was both beautiful in design and strategic in function. The pins usually measured eight inches in length or more, and fulfilled one purpose- to secure a hat onto a woman's head. It was a useful and necessary tool, especially as hats increased in size, weight and texture. The way they worked was simple, passing through the hat and catching in a bun of hair underneath. Their practicality could not be overstated, as no one wanted their beautiful hat to...
Pictured at right is a light and sheer blouse with intricate lace work. It is one of several similar blouses housed at the Eddy County Museum. Known as the shirtwaist, or sometimes simply a "waist," this blouse was designed much like a man's shirt with a collar and a button-down top. Notable differences in this more feminine design included a series of pleats at the waist (hence the name.) The result was a blooming bust and shoulders and a cinched waist. Shirtwaists were lightweight, breathable...
It never fails. Every time I step into one of the buildings at the Eddy County Museum, I notice something for the very first time. Not long ago, I stopped into the Dodd's schoolhouse, like I often do. For whatever reason, I took note of a blue suitcase just inside the closet. I had never noticed it before, and I was sure I had never seen the contents. In fact, it has never been listed in the growing catalog of nearly 3,000 objects, photos and book regarding Eddy County's peoples and history. I...
