Summer 2011 Newsletter

Okay – so it’s been awhile since the last newsletter - like – before Christmas?!  Will it make you feel any better through this heat wave, to remember the bitter cold winds of winter?  Probably not.  Apologies for the long silence.   We’re always busy and there are always projects in the works, some of which we’ll highlight in this newsletter.

SUMMER HOURS:  We extended weekend hours for the summer and hired Marilyn Kendrick to work part time.  Darlene Arnold has also been hired as custodian.  Volunteers have been filling the extra weekend hours as well, and how we appreciate YOU!  We still have part of July and all of August weekends to fill – can you help now and then?  Call the office 872-5912.

TEMPORARY GALLERY EXHIBITS:  Some of you may not know that this is the 80th anniversary of the Scott County Historical Society.  The temporary gallery is currently displaying some of the historical happenings from those 80 years.  If you haven’t seen that display yet, you need to get out soon, as we’ll be changing that display in a couple of weeks.

The next exhibit is going to be fun to put together and fun to see.  An article in Popular Mechanics listed 101 gadgets that “changed the world” – and we’re going to gather up as many of those as we can for the display.  We have many of them in the museum collection, but do you have: an electric toothbrush, a stopwatch, an old mobile phone ( bag phone or earlier), a Sony Walkman, an old fire extinguisher, a bonnet hairdryer, a lunchbox (possibly early Disney character type), a Coleman lantern, an 8-track player?  Perhaps you have other interesting gadgets that might not be on the list – bring them out and we’ll see if we can use them. Items will be in the display for about three months.

A new exhibit currently showcases the pen and ink artwork of Jacque Beckley Bell.  Jacque Bell is a native of Scott City, daughter of the late Paul and Ruth Beckley, and a 1956 graduate of SCHS.  She is a self-taught artist, also working in other mediums and has some pottery on display as well. Her artwork is for sale, and she can be contacted through the museum.

SPECIAL GIFT:  Our thanks to Barbara and Gilbert Knipp who recently donated a beautiful, fully-furnished Victorian dollhouse to the museum.  What fun it was to clean and prepare each tiny piece for storage.  We plan to use it as the centerpiece of our Holiday Exhibit this year.  We will display vintage dolls as well, and invite you to share your oldest treasured dolls with us.  We won’t want those until the middle of November, but be thinking ahead.

SCOTT CITY – ALL AMERICA CITY 2011:  We all know that Scott City is a wonderful place to live, but now Scott City has officially been designated an All American City for 2011.  An all-day celebration has been set aside on Saturday, August 13th, to recognize this honor.  Many businesses and organizations will be offering things to do throughout the day.  We plan to serve iced tea and cookies, and will offer a drawing for a framed Jerry Thomas print to be given away that day. (Be sure to come in to register.)  We need cookie bakers and volunteers to greet and serve visitors.  Please call if you can help with this event. 872-5912 (Museum) or 872-3523 (Patsi)

MEMBERSHIP APPRECIATION DAY AND BOOK SIGNING:  Another interesting and exciting event is coming up on Sunday, October 2nd and will combine our annual Membership Appreciation Day with an opportunity to tour Battle Canyon, followed by a lecture and book signing by authors, Ramon Powers and James M. Leiker.  The book, not yet released to the public, is titled The Northern Cheyenne Exodus in History and Memory, and is a new, well-researched version of the Northern Cheyenne exodus.  Ramon Powers, former Executive Director of the Kansas State Historical Society is well known in this area and is author of many articles on Plains Indian history.  James Leiker is Associate Professor of History at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park.  The authors will speak, both at the battle site and at the meeting before the book signing.  Details will be available closer to the date, but do put October 2nd on your calendar.  Many of you have wanted to get in on a bus tour to Battle Canyon – this is your chance!  Please call to reserve your place on the bus tour. 872-5912

NEW IN THE JERRY THOMAS GALLERY:  An impressive new painting by Jerry Thomas is now on display in the Thomas Gallery.  Land of My People, is a highly detailed painting of a Crow Elder of Southeastern Montana, dressed in full ceremonial regalia.  The model for the painting is Newton Old Crow, shown wearing his grandfather’s headdress, which was worn at the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851.   It is worth a special trip to the gallery to see Jerry’s newest work.

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE:  While not completely finished (is a website ever truly finished?) you can now find us on the web. Check out elquartelejomuseum.org or elquartelejomuseum.com. 

ARE YOUR DUES PAID UP? GIVE US A CALL.  COME SPEND SOME TIME WITH US – IT’S COOL OUT HERE!