From the Clack: Museum hours extended for summer

The Hill County Clack Museum has started its summer hours, and will keep them until Labor Day.

Summer hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m,, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Visitors during summer hours are hosted by new manager Jim Spangelo, who is a retired local attorney and fourth-generation Hill County resident. He is assisted by Margaret Stallkamp, Teresa Spangelo, Dallas Wilson and Scott Seigel. There have been more then 600 June visitors at the museum.

The museum had a good turnout for Living History Day, June 1, when Margaret Turner Clack met with local ladies for High Tea at the Museum. Mrs. Clack was played by Judi Dritshulas.

It was so well-received that the museum is planning on having a series of teas with Mrs. Clack and other local historical figures. One possibility would be an interview with “Queen of the Cowgirls” Marie Gibson.

Another tea could be with “Long George” Francis, Marie Gibson and the rest of the cast of the 1917 Great Northern Stampede, which appears in the diorama created by the late Jim Pasma.

The museum has also had a number of visitors who are following the Dinosaur Trail and wanted to see the museum's dinosaurs, eggs and babies. Many of them go on to see the Buffalo Jump and take that tour.

Finally, the museum is developing a short-term exhibit called “Grandma’s Attic,” where local people can come and bring interesting things to show for a month or so and then someone else can bring a different prize to show for a month or so. The idea is to allow people to become invested and have pride in “their” local Museum.