Museum board plans times, events and improvements

The H. Earl Clack Museum Board set a spring tour schedule for the Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump at their monthly meeting Monday evening, where they also discussed possible donations to the museum as well as the Hands On History event.

After discussing what kind of schedule would be most practical and manageable for guides the board settled on three Jump tours per day, at 9 and 10:30 a.m. and noon, which would provide a buffer for people who may not walk as fast or have more questions than most.

During the meeting, the board also discussed the upcoming Hands On History event, which the museum has not held since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation Board President Elaine Morse said the event is her organization's primary focus at the moment and they are still lining up some events, a few of which might be held outside.

In previous years Hands On History has included as many as 30 individual events giving young people the opportunity to learn about history by looking at how things were made years ago.

Morse said they are setting up events on roping, Native American beading and on old typewriter and telephone technology and she hopes people will be able to make things that they can take home this year.

The event will be at the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line this year from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 29.

Morse also discussed ongoing efforts to improve the museum's new building on First Street, including the possible installation of an elevator.

Morse said that the project, which will likely cost between $100,000 and $150,000 is in very preliminary stages and they are looking for grants and other funding sources.

In the meantime, she said, they're focusing on the back room, which needs work done on the ceiling before they can use it for displays.

She also said she got ten requests to put the museum's address on the outside of the building and display their phone number, which she did, though if anyone on the board has ideas on how to make them look better they should feel free to change them.

The board also discussed possible donations to the museum, including a large desk from the 1800s, one board members suspect might be too big to serve their purposes, but didn't make a final decision on.

Board Chair David Sageser said they also received an offer from someone with an old Clack oil drum, which board members said they were interested in getting.