Clack family impressed with future location of museum

The board of the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum heard that descendants of the couple for whom the museum is named were impressed during a tour last week.

Elaine Morse, president of the H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation Board, said the Clack family members who toured the museum and its future home were very impressed with what they saw.

That started with when they walked into the future home of the museum, which now houses Griggs Printing, and saw the reception area set up for after the tour.

“Erica (Farmer) had done a lot of decorating and it looked really nice, really classy in there,” Morse said. “We had worked our fingers to the bone and it showed.”

She added that the Clack family also had approached her to ask about what the foundation was looking to do.

“They expressed an intent that they were going to go back and try to hit up the extended family for additional support,” Morse said.

The board also discussed Jim Magera, local historian, former Havre High School history teacher and grand marshall of this year’s Festival Days parade, who will present “Havre at the Turn of the Century” at Havre Inn and Suites during Festival Days.

Board Vice Chair Judy Dritshulas said Magera speaking is a very popular event, and the board agreed that last year a full house listened to him tell stories. The event will be at the Banquet Hall of the hotel at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21. Some of the topics that Magera will present in his discussion of local history are bootleggers and the Ku Klux Klan.

About a half-hour before the event the board will hold a public dedication of Mural Park, the park next to Havre Inn and Suites that includes a mural depicting Wahkpa Chu’gn Buffalo Jump. The dedication will include a Native American smudging ceremony, board Secretary Kathy Shrauger said, adding that the person who had planned to do the smudging has suggested that the ceremony be performed by an elder and that he will let her know if there is anyone willing to do that.

“I think that will be a nice touch,” Morse said.

Emily Mayer, manager of the Clack Museum, said traffic there has slowed, but there has been good visitation. She added that they have been receiving many phone calls regarding hours of the museum, hours for the Buffalo Jump, Fort Assinniboine tours and other things, and she has provided the information.

The museum gift shop has also been doing well, Mayer said, with books, T-shirts and candy selling well. She added that the gift shop will need to order new T-shirts and find more Wahkpa Chu’gn books because they sold their last copy. The board agreed to look for more copies in storage, although Shrauger said it would be easy to print more copies of the book because it doesn’t have copyright restrictions.

A tour of 21 teachers came through the museum Aug. 21, Mayer said.

A previous employee, Amy McClenahan, has expressed interest in coming back with the new location of the museum, Mayer said, adding that McClenahan had been very excited. Mayer said she told McClenahan that as soon as the jobs are open she will give her a call to fill out an application.

Mayer said she had to close Wahkpa Chu’gn early a few days due to smoke and heat and also due to rain, with standing water on the step.

“Thank you, Emily, for getting us through this … uncertain time,” Dritshulas said.

Morse said that during Festival Days, Digging Up History will be held Saturday, Sept. 22, from 1 to 4 p.m. She added that they will still need some help for the event.

Three or four mini-excavators are lined up, and Shea Carroll, owner of Hi-Line Rental, is going to help get some operators, Morse said, adding that they will need some setup to bury the bones for people to find during the event.

She added that some signs have been made and will be put up this week.

Mayer said she could not stress enough the quality of the visitors who have been coming in for the Buffalo Jump and the museum.

“They’re coming in, they’re asking fabulous question,” she said.

She added that the grandson of long-time Hill County Sheriff Roscoe “Doc” Timmons came in and talked to her about his grandfather, and she very much enjoyed speaking with him, adding that they spoke for over an hour.  

The date of Dinosaur Christmas has also been set for Dec. 8. From 1 to 3 p.m. with Shrauger chairing the event.

The museum this year has surpassed its all-time record for the Montana Dinosaur Trail Passport, Dritshulas said. Nos. 41 and 42 were completed in August by Kathy and Rodger of Augusta, Wis., who completed the trail in August.

“We’ve got people from all over the country doing this,” Dritshulas said. “It’s amazing.”