Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
This year's installment will feature military history exhibit
The Eddy County Museum's military exhibit is a wealth of information on Eddy County residents' service in the military over the past century, featuring a combination of artifacts from its own collection, borrowed items and submitted photographs of veterans.
The military items on display at the Eddy County Museum include documents, memorabilia, photographs and much more honoring the men and women of Eddy County who have proudly served our country. Visit the collection for yourself on Sunday from 1-4 p.m.
Get ready for some old-fashioned family fun at the Eddy County Historical Society's second annual Prairie Jubilee, on Sunday, August 12, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Eddy County Museum.
This year's Jubilee will feature the museum's newest exhibit, which displays military history from Eddy County. Veteran and Historical Society board member Calvin Packard led the effort to create the exhibit. The museum has a variety of interesting artifacts, uniforms, documents and photos that illustrate Eddy County resident involvement in the nation's major military conflicts, and this exhibit puts that wealth of information into one display!
The exhibit features uniforms from World War I, World War II, Vietnam and Desert Storm all worn by current and former Eddy County residents. A collection of photos, documents and other information about Eddie Haas, a Private First Class in the Army during World War II, is on display. Haas served in the National Guard from 1925-27, then he entered active duty in the U.S. Army March 1942. He was sent to the African front, where he served until his honorable discharge in 1945.
Also on display is a Roll of Honor created by students at Sheyenne School during World War II. This impressive artifact preserves a list of Sheyenne alumni who were serving in the military at that time. It was recovered from the attic of the original school building shortly before it burned to the ground in December 2016 and now has a permanent home at the Eddy County VFW Post in Sheyenne. The Historical Society appreciates that the VFW has lent it the museum for display with this exhibit.
The Museum also has military helmets on loan from Calvin Packard for museum-goers to touch and try on for a bit of "hands-on" history. Local veterans will speak about their experiences in the military, including a World War II question and answer session with Ervin Longnecker. Other activities will include kite flying and sack races for children and live music by Dakota Blende! Snacks and desserts will be available to enjoy, and attendees can sample and purchase the museum's proprietary Historically Great Coffee™ organic coffee blends.
Admission to the event is a free will donation, with all proceeds going to the Museum's roof repair fund. The Museum board continues to raise money to replace the Stavanger Church building roof by about 2020, followed by the Hulbert School building roof within the following few years.
Museum President Jessica Hawkes said, "We hope that bringing some of these experiences to the community will help kids and adults connect with our local history in a new way."
The Eddy County Museum is located at 1115 1st Ave N in New Rockford, across from the Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd.
