Museum prepares to dig up history

Members of the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum Board discussed three upcoming events at their monthly meeting Monday night at the Havre Inn and Suites.

Elaine Morse, president of the H. Earl and  Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation, said the foundation will hold it’s Digging Up History, an equipment rodeo fundraiser for the museum and the Wahkpa Chu’gn Buffalo Jump, Saturday, April 22, at the Great Northern Fairgrounds.

For $10, participants of any age will have the chance to spend five minutes digging through dirt with a backhoe, skid steer or mini-excavator for items that can be exchanged for prizes, Morse said.  

Participants will operate the machinery under the supervision of a trained operator.

Door prizes will also be available.

Morse said she is not exactly sure where on the fairgrounds the digging will take place, but said from what she understands it will be at the south end of the fairgrounds, near where the 4-H bathrooms are by the Bigger Better Barn.

The Great Northern Fair Board has given the foundation organizers permission to dig in the chosen area because of the lack of grass or underground electrical lines, she said

Digging Up History will take place a day after Montana State University-Northern hosts its annual Techno Expo.

“That is why we chose that date, because the implement dealers, the equipment dealers are bringing some of their equipment for this expo, and they have been asked if they will leave it one more day for this fundraiser,” Morse said.

Digging Up History is a one-time event the foundation is holding in place of its annual Hands on History Fundraiser. The foundation decided not hold the fundraiser, held at the Holiday Village Mall, after one of the event’s top organizers, Allison Keeley, died in December.

Museum Board Chair Judi Dritshulas has said Hands on History will resume next year.

Morse said, as with Hands on History, sponsorships are being sold to area businesses and individuals.

Businesses who sponsor the equipment rodeo will be able to display signs at the site where the digging will take place. Businesses that donate $100, “shovel sponsors,” will be able to post signs at the event and be mentioned in in thank-you ads. For $250, a business can be an event sponsor which will be recognized in advertising for the equipment rodeo and allowed to display a banner advertising their business.

In other business, for the second year in a row, an afternoon tea will be held, this year on Saturday, April 29, in the Montana Room of the Havre Inn and Suites.

The tea is to raise money for the Havre History Center, the future home of the museum, now the Griggs Printing building.

Last year, the tea, organized by Judy Ward and Karen Vosen, was patterned after the popular PBS show “Downton Abby.” Board member Lela Patera said this year’s theme will be early 20th century woman of Hill County.

Patera said participants will dress up as prominent women of Hill County from that period.  

Attendees will be treated to a formal tea.

A quilt donated by Vosen will also be auctioned off.

Dritshulas said raffle tickets auctioned off for the quilt can be purchased from museum board members or at the museum.

Patera said that in order to take part in the tea, people must purchase a ticket or reserve a table ahead of time because seating is limited. Tickets can be purchased at Brandon's Floor Covering or Julie's Hallmark.

Dritshulas said the museum will host an old-fashioned day at school June 3 at the old Faber school building on the Great Northern Fairground as part of the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Living History celebration.

Board members and volunteers will dress up in costume of the period and perform skits and include visitors in old-fashioned activities such as spelling bees and reading of vintage stories.

Morse said they could also play games like hangman.