Christ crucified sculpture, St. Michael’s Cemetery, Buckman, MN. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo, August 2012.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.– Hebrews 12:2
Photo copyright 2012 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
IT’S EASY, WHEN TOURING a museum like that run by the West Concord Historical Society, to feel overwhelmed by the volume of items displayed.
The wording on this beautiful piece of art struck me as particularly funny: A Sacred Art Calendar, Lutheran Edition.
But often certain things will imprint as particularly unique or humorous or as a reminder of something from your past.
When I nearly ran into these dangling beads inside the doorway to The 50’s and 60’s Room, I knew this would be my favorite themed room.
The WCHS’s museum, housed in a massive former school, contains so much stuff that you are sure to find multiple pieces of the past that pop out, no matter your age.
This Flecks beer memorabilia is displayed in the West Concord museum even though the beer was made in my community of Faribault 25 miles away.
I have no personal connection to West Concord. Yet I am connected by time and by the geography of living in southeastern Minnesota.
Here are some more of my favorite finds inside the WCHS museum:
This entire former classroom is set up to look like the 1930s-early 1940s Flame Room once housed in the Concord Hotel. This space can be rented for gatherings. Locals dined and danced at The Flame.
Vintage ads and graphics, like this one for pink Frigidaire appliances, always draw my interest.
This pink Frigidaire electric stove was purchased by Arthur and Lorraine Spreiter in about 1959 from Pirkl and Hall Appliance along Main Street in West Concord. The stove features double oven doors rather than a drop-down door. The Spreiters also purchased an upright pink refrigerator/freezer.
I am delighted that this apron was saved and displayed in The Farmers and Merchants Room. Lumber yards were once key businesses in small towns. Most have closed, replaced by Big Box lumber sources. The apron is so representative of the personal service offered in small towns.
I collect vintage drinking glasses and once had a red spotted one. My Aunt Jeanette has a collection of these. Love.
I love vintage signs and graphics. And how many Gambles stores even exist any more? This sign was found in the old West Concord Gambles store opened in about 1935 by Clarence Barwald. It hangs in The Farmers & Merchants Room.
Growing up, I never was impressed by the oil-cloth covered Formica table in our kitchen. But today, well, I feel differently. My husband was especially thrilled to see this yellow table, like the one he remembers from his youth.
This shoe is the most colorful and memorable footwear I’ve ever seen. It’s like a work of art, showcased in The Fashion Room.
One classroom is devoted to a garage sale type space called Grandma’s Attic. Here you can purchase secondhand merchandise with proceeds going to the museum. I purchased a Fire King bowl for $1.
FYI: Click here to read my initial post and my second post on this small town museum. Thank you for following this three-part series on this incredible collection of West Concord area history.
Here’s an upcoming event at the West Concord Historical Society, 600 West First Street, that may interest you: The Czech Area Concertina Band will perform from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 19. Admission is a free will donation.
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
THIS MORNING MY SISTER EMAILED, advising me to get outside ASAP because the cows were out.
I typed a hurried response: “But the bus is coming. And your toast is burning!”
Neither Lanae or I live on farms any more. So what was going on?
Lanae, unlike me, remembered today is April Fool’s Day. And those three falsehoods were the lame jokes we tried to pull on our siblings every April 1 while growing up on a southwestern Minnesota dairy and crop farm.
In July 2010, the annual Kletscher family reunion was themed to celebrate Jeff and Janet’s 20th wedding anniversary. We decorated for the anniversary, ate anniversary cake, showered Jeff (and the absent Janet) with gifts and held a bridesmaid dress judging contest. Some of the dresses were modeled by attendees. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo 2010.
Those pranks are mere child’s play compared to the joke my cousin Jeff, who celebrates his 25th wedding anniversary today, pulled off on his unsuspecting parents in 1990. He mailed an announcement of his marriage to Janet at the St. Louis County Courthouse. It was a private affair with only Janet’s daughters, Heidi and Amber, attending.
As the story goes, my Uncle Harold paled upon reading the news. And Aunt Marilyn, in shock, picked up the phone and dialed her daughter, who knew nothing of Janet. Marilyn, already formulating a wedding reception in her mind, called the northern Minnesota school where Jeff taught math. Jeff was summoned to the principal’s office.
When he was finally able to calm down his stunned mother, he advised her to look at the back of the card. There he had typed: rehcstelk ffej morf gniteerg sloof lirpa na.
Backwards, the words revealed: an april fools greeting from jeff kletscher.
There was no northwoods bride, no marriage, not even a girlfriend.
He had just created the stuff of family lore and legend.
Cakes served at Jeff and Janet’s 20th wedding anniversary celebration in 2010. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo 2010.
After receiving my sister’s email this morning, I emailed my bachelor cousin to wish him and Janet a happy anniversary and inquired as to how many years they had been married.
“Twenty-five wonderful years!!!,” Jeff enthused. “I believe we made silver.”
This wedding cake topper was displayed at a recent golden wedding anniversary. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
No, Jeff, I believe you made gold.
#
Can you top this April Fool’s prank?
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
WHAT DEFINES A MUSEUM?
Collections? History? Preserving the past?
All three fit the definition. Yet, it is memories which make a museum personal.
A commemorative plate from the small southeastern Minnesota farming community of West Concord.
The West Concord Historical Society, housed in a former school, boasts an incredible museum that showcases West Concord area history. I didn’t grow up here. I don’t live here. Yet, I connected.
Join me on a photo tour showing snippets of what this museum holds.
IN THE HERITAGE ROOM:
I expect many visitors will remember Sunday chicken dinners or holidays at Grandma’s house when viewing this scene.
IN THE CARDINAL ROOM:
The school was once home to the West Concord Cardinals. An entire classroom is devoted to Cardinals memorabilia. This exhibit proves a popular place to tour during West Concord High School class reunions. The school closed in 1991. West Concord is now part of Triton Public Schools where the mascot is a cobra.
A cheerleading uniform.
A majestic band uniform displayed along with school trophies.
I was thrilled to find a collection of school yearbooks.
Wearing Cardinal pride.
IN THE FARMERS & MERCHANTS ROOM:
From a local beauty shop.
IN THE VETERANS ROOM:
Between military uniforms, I shot this view of a 48-star American flag.
Books and documents are also displayed in The Veterans Room.
IN THE SHELL ROOM:
Old radiators in The Shell Room, which features a collection of shells donated by West Concord alumni Burton Goddard and Miriam Goddard.
IN THE 50’s & 60’s ROOM:
Feelin’ groovy…a snippet of 1960s art.
I remember using a fondue pot in my high school home economics class in the 1970s.
Sit a spell in this 60s corner or lose some inches on that exercise equipment, left. Well, consider it, but don’t actually do it.
A 1950s place setting. I collect vintage tablecloths.
IN THE FASHION ROOM:
Clothing and sewing equipment span generations in The Fashion Room.
IN THE HALLWAY:
An old radiator and old windows show the character of this aged former school.
IN THE MARY DELZER ROOM:
Remember making these silhouettes from black construction paper? I hadn’t thought about these in decades. Former educator and WCHS director Janis Ray had her elementary aged students create these profiles each year as a gift to their parents. These are displayed in a room dedicated to education and in which Janis taught.
IN GRANDMA’S ATTIC:
In Grandma’s Attic you can buy garage sale type items, like these lamps, with proceeds benefiting the WCHS. I really should have purchased the two matching lamps. Aren’t they fabulous?
IN THE OFFICE:
A recent donation awaits research and placement.
School letters and numbers left over from West Concord High School are available for purchase. West Concord is now part of Triton Public Schools (West Concord, Dodge Center and Claremont). West Concord Public Charter School, however, is open in the community.
FYI: If you missed my first post on the West Concord Historical Society museum, click here. Today’s post is the second in a three-part series.
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
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