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Spring 2008 Newsletter Footprints at the ForksVol. VI, No 2 June 2008Getting the Big Picture Ann HollarFor 30 years the Forks of the Wabash has been growing and expanding. What began with the restoration of the Chief’s House in 1977 by Jean Gernand, Mary Margaret Kelsay, and the HNHS Junior Historical Society has become the Forks of the Wabash Historic Park with an impressive 5,000 to 6000 visitors each year. The grounds now include not only the original “Indian House”, but also the Nuck log house (donated by Jim and Carol Shuttleworth in 1982), the schoolhouse, the museum/Visitors Center, and a future trading post. Gardens were magnificent last year, and a paved path makes tours much easier.
The volunteers who have given so many thousands of hours to see this site come together and to maintain and share it have overcome a multitude of difficulties to establish and preserve this historic treasure. Now we’re ready to face a new challenge...it’s time to grow again!
We’re out of space! As our tours and special events continue to grow, we need more room! School tours (54 school groups this year) currently begin outside no matter what the weather... the Visitors Center is now a complete, fully functional museum with no room to gather groups that can include over 100 students at a time.
Events are dependent on good weather or are limited to the space available. Meetings can be small... or outside!
The Gift Shop is thriving, but it’s a tight squeeze (as is the storeroom) and most tour groups have to be divided and take turns to fit. The current office is often a hub of activity, but is smaller than many closets. We have an awesome location and we want to take full advantage of our view of the Wabash, too.
As announced at the Annual Dinner in October, we need to build! The planned new addition will include: ® A large multi-functional meeting room ® A warming kitchen ® An expanded gift shop ® A conference room ® An archival storage area
The old gift shop will become the new office, and the old office will be a small library/ research room. The meeting room will allow for meeting and eating space for school and adult tours. It will be available for rental for community functions as well as provide space for larger Forks events.
We need your help! The Forks can’t exist without its members, friends, and volunteers. Please consider a gift of money, time, or materials to make this next phase at the Forks a reality!
Mission StatementHistoric Forks of the Wabash, Inc. pledges to preserve, protect, enhance, and interpret the geographical area known as the forks of the Wabash. Historic Forks will serve the local and broader commun- ities by providing a variety of effective educational and interpretive opportunities related to the site and the cultural history it represents.
Historic Forks of the Wabash 3011 W. Park Dr.
Mailing address: PO Box 261 Huntington, IN 46750
Office Phone: 260-356-1903
E-mail address:theforks@onlyinternet.net
Website:
President of the BoardJim Scheiber
Volunteer Executive DirectorLynn Brown
Executive AdministratorMarie Harrell
Board MembersJanice Bolin PJ Eddie Ann Hollar Jim Hollar Sam Kaiser Katrina Mitten J.H. Noprthrop Evelyn Priddy Mel ring Caroline Runyan Janice Smith Gene Snowden Russell Spath Susan Taylor Martin Young
?From the desk of the Executive Director…. Lynn Brown
In case you have not noticed the theme of this newsletter is getting people fired up about helping to raise funds and share their talents as we begin building the new addition to the Visitors Center. Just in case there is anyone reading this newsletter and asking–“Why do we need an addition to the perfectly good Visitors Center we already have.?” I have been given the opportunity to explain our needs. Didn’t we just “expand” the visitor’s area to accommodate school tours and groups?Yes, with the help of many dedicated volunteers. But this has made the Historic Forks and the school tours more popular and we need to be able to accommodate the large groups that come each spring and fall.
How many children are we talking about?
School tours have from 24 to 70 children and their chaperones. Those of you that have attended a school tour lately know that we greet them on buses, because we do not have a room large enough to meet with them all at one time. Some of the rotation stations during tours often meet outside, because of the lack of room in the buildings. Let me be clear, the stations that meet outside are not limited to the trails, gardens or Miami; often they are music and speakers. It is only the truly dedicated who will set out in the rain to teach people how to play the dulcimer. Most of the schools eat lunch with us, and in a downpour must crowd into the museum for lunch, eating surrounded by our exhibits. Kids love to shop… imagine trying to squeeze 30 kids into our tiny gift shop at one time!
Are school tours the only thing that is bursting at the seams? When invite other groups to host special exhibits at our museum … one quickly realizes the need for more space. For example, if you have attended our QUILT SHOW you might remember that the museum exhibits are hidden behind the quilts hanging on large quilt racks. Exhibit cases are draped with quilts – hiding their contents. There is no room for demonstrations because there is no room. We are limited in the number of active participants due to lack of room. And, the rummage sale of quilting fabrics and products is squeezed into the hallway next to the restrooms!.
CHRISTMAS AT THE FORKS is limited in the number of participates due to the lack of room – we simply can not fit in any more trees. This is lost revenue, because each tree is purchased by or for a group, and the “voting” is done by for donations placed in a jar at the base of each tree. More trees… more donations. The planning committee would like to expand, perhaps even adding new pieces, but the discussion always ends with… “we don’t have enough room for that!"
What about other holiday and/or outdoor events?This is a constant worry…. Think about July… THE FOURTH AT THE FORKS. One word describes the worry… RAIN. Rain would shut that program down each year. Due to the location in the floodplain, the two shelter houses are very limited in size—and use. We cannot bring a``` Q43S crowd indoors.
What other programs might benefit? The purpose of the Historic Forks is not only to preserve history, but to do this through education. Educational programming has taken a back seat due to the lack of space. We cannot seat more than 30 people. Often we are presented with wonderful opportunities to have guests come and share their knowledge and talents and we must turn them away because of lack of space.
The Forks has a long tradition with making do- getting by with what we have. That time has passed. We have come to the time when we need to grow. The lack of space is now a consideration in every aspect of our daily work and planning. The Board has begun the work to create the addition. Money has been set aside to do the work. The tipping point for this project is when we can honestly say the membership and our friends are behind us, and they see a need for the vision we have. Be a part of those who are working to break that tipping point!
HERITAGE DAYS History at the Forks June 21 & 22, 2008
Plan to come visit the Forks during Heritage days. In addition to the bus tours there will be a Seven Years War Re-enactment / New Sotterlee Project Encampment. The re-enactors will be demonstrating eighteenth century crafts and skills. There will be wood working, leather working, musketry & cannon demonstrations. Horse lovers will enjoy Classical Equitation Demonstrations of the equestrian arts. For more information about the re-enactment or to volunteer to help, please contact J.H. Northrop at e-mail: iid413@yahoo.com or by phone: (574) 505-0700.
Join us on the 4th of July for an for an hour patriotism, music and reflection. Program begins at 10:00 a.m. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs
Park opens at 9:00
a.m.
Free refreshments following the program.
New for Summer 2008.... ¯ ♪ ♪ ♪¯¯ ♪ ¯¯♪ OUTDOOR PARLOR MUSIC SERIES ♪ ¯¯ ♪ `¯ at the Forks The LaFontaine Arts Council will sponsor the “Summer Music Series” The Forks of the Wabash Historic Park will be the new host location for showcase of local talent. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and plan to spend an evening under the stars listening to music in the park. Volunteers will be operating a concession stand to help raise funds for the new addition. Please sign up to take a turn selling hot dogs and brats when you are called. We may also be asking for some homemade baked goods. More information to follow.
· Saturday, July 12, 6:30 Nicile Johnson & Monte Sieburns · Friday, July 25, 6:30 Chain O’Lakes Barbershop Chorus · TBA in July Barry Jamison · Sunday, August 10, 4:00 BackWater · Saturday, September 13, 6:00 Kellam & DeaKyne · Sunday, September 14, 4:00 Joe Thomas on Piano
Join us for a musical evening on the beautiful banks of the Wabash!
Buildings and Grounds Jim Hollar If you’ve driven by the Forks lately, changes are taking place. The large Cottonwood and the Sycamore Clump that are in the middle of our new addition plan have been removed. Russel Spath, Jim Scheiber, Jim Taylor, and myself have begun the process of cutting and clearing the area. We were fortunate enough not to damage the pathway although some damage was done to the staircase that accesses the floodplain. That can be easily repaired. Girvin Tree Service donated part of the labor to cut down the trees which will save us some money. With the trees down, we can begin the process of moving the propane tank, clearing the roots, and begin the construction process when we have sufficient finances in place. We look forward to beginning this outstanding and much needed project as soon as possible. (Ask Alice Sell – we could easily expand our Quilt Show with additional space.) A VOLUNEER’S VIEW Susan Taylor As a volunteer at the Forks, I was asked to help transform the sparsely furnished “Visitor’s Center” into a comprehensive Interpretive Center. Sylvia Mills and Ann Ericsson had the vision and authority to organize the space into four areas and asked me to help with the detailing of it.
So many volunteers came to our aid in painting the walls, creating two large murals, making curtains, providing a tool display, cutting and applying boards to the wall, building a large boat model complete with dock, constructing a trader’s porch and display shelves, doing electrical work and other essential improvements. The results were pleasing to all who worked on it. The transformed space has proven to be of great benefit in the teaching of our local history to the thousands of students and visitors who have come through it.
What could be a better follow-up project than to create a beautiful space for a large group of people to congregate in with an attractive view of the Wabash River? When combined with the Interpretive Center it will make a wonderful building. It will feature a new entrance, a larger gift shop, archival storage, a conference room and a kitchen with pass-thru features to serve both inside the room and outside the building.
I drew up a plan for consideration by the Board of Directors who then tweaked and refined it over time. A local architect, Joe Humbert, has been hired by the Board to work out the details and supervise the construction phase. The initial preparations have begun: a large cottonwood tree and a cluster of sycamores have been removed. Next will be the excavation of the building area to take care of utility and drainage issues.
What is needed most of all is YOU –your financial contribution, your appreciation of the worthiness of this project, your support of our programs and as volunteers to join our efforts to preserve our heritage in this beautiful Historic Park. The history is unique to our community and real, but the time to make more history is NOW with your generous help. Your donation, large or small, will make a difference.
A “POKE” FULL OF THANKS TO OUR SCHOOL TOUR VOLUNTEERS
The Spring School tours have come to an end. We had 25 schools visit, with most of the schools bringing forth graders. However, we had pre-school groups, third graders, fifth graders, and a large home school group from Harlan with brought 80 children ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade! The guides and the interpreters have had a nice time imparting their love of the rich heritage of Huntington to the children and their chaperones. We continue to receive many compliments – for our enthusiasm, knowledge, and patience.
To run a successful tour, we need 12 to 15 volunteers each day.. Our guests visit the Chief’s house, the wigwam, the Nuck House, the one-room school, the canal room, and, usually, the gift shop. They also enjoy a music lesson and may be invited to have a buttered cracker with a spot of sassafras tea.
Hats off to our faithful volunteers who attended one or more days this spring. A big bouquet of purple Flocks to all who work double time in two venues or come as guides on the days they are not interpreting!
Canal Room: Don Betterly, Becky Barlow, Bob Cline, Janet DeWitt, Max Fordyce, Jim Cline, and Gib Young.
Music Room: Anna Fullhart, Barb Kaiser, Johanna Lange, Rich McConnell, Don Morgan, and Paul Craig.
Chief’s House: Kim Eckart, Dwight Ericsson, Ann Hollar, Sandy Millner, Katrina Mitten, Janet Perkins, Nadine Piedmont, Dave Ruppert, and Pete Swartz
French Fur Trade and Wigwam: Randy Bellemy, Dean Berry, Ann Erisccon, Don Kimmell, Sylvia Mills, Wayne Reeves, Susan Taylor, Victoria Thompson
Nuck House: Janice Bolin, PJ Eddie, Kate Swartz, and Jane Zahm
School Marms: Carol Opal, Nadine Piedmongt, Phyllis Pieper, Elizabeth Sanders, and Alice Sell
Gift Shop: Sharyon Kimmel, Mary Anna Pulley, Jan Scher, and Judy Thompson
Tea and Butter: Mary Brooks and Georgiana Bischoff, Group Guides: Ann Ambler, Becky Barlow, Karen Eltzroth, Phyllis Fordyce, Nell Hakes, Pat Hauenstein, Jean Ann Heiney, Ann Hollar, Audrey Hull, Ethelind Mann, Linda Martin, Barbara Mills, Wayne Randall, Delores Roberts, Sandy Schacht, Jeanette Schilling, Virjean Scholl, Joan Sell, Eleanor Smith, Sharon Thompson, Nancy Troyer, Judy Turgeson, Maxine Wiley,
A special Thank You to everyone who makes telephone calls to line up the guides and interpreters. We look forward to seeing you again in the fall… and hope those of you who had a conflict and could not help out this spring will return in the fall. Marie would like to send another thank you to all who stepped in and minded the office while she had to step out—usually to a meeting to promote THE FORKS. { { { { { { { { { { { { How about those Master Gardeners? If you have not been out to the Forks yet this spring, it is worth your time to stop in and walk the grounds to admire the gardens. Thanks to all the Master Gardeners who so faithfully tend the tender plants that beautify the grounds.
THE FORKS OF THE WABASH HISTORIC PARK
COMING EVENTS: AT June………..HERITAGE DAYS….. …………………….June21, 22 Seven Years War / New Sotterlee Project Re-enactment Bus Tours of Historic Sites in Huntington – from the Forks July…………OLD FASHIONED FOURTH OF JULY….July 4 PARLOR MUSIC at the FORKS…………July 12, July 25 August….….PARLOR MUSIC at the FORKS…………August 10 SENIOR DAY ……………………………..August 26 September…PARLOR MUSIC at the FORKS…………September 13, 14 PIONEER FESTIVAL TOURS……………September 26, 27 October…….GHOST WALK……………….……………October 25 December….CHRISTMAS at the FORKS……………..December 6, 7
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