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Wordless Wednesday: Pendarvis in Bloom

On the Job

Even on a rainy day, Stonefield still kept me busy on my first day of work. Besides scooping ice cream or making phosphates for the people who stopped in at the confectionery, I was out and about from my post seeing what our visitors were up to.

Today, there just so happened to be a group of eleven or so kids here from the Madison and Appleton areas doing a little apprentice work the old fashioned way. I was told by the blacksmith on site that the kids would learn how to farm as people would have at the turn of the twentieth century. They were also in the midst of hammering out some tools when I stopped by to get the scoop.

The other half of the group was immersed in making footstools, and I was later told that the kids would be here for the rest of the week camping near Nelson Dewey's home, while learning a few survival skills like building fires and how to filter stream water to make it drinkable.

Later in the day while I was cruising the boardwalk, I decided to check out the print shop to see what Dennis, a talented printer, had going on. It was the first time that I had seen the shop bright and actually in use. Dennis and I chatted a bit about how he would be on site through Thursday, before he showed me what he wanted to accomplish this day. He of course needed to clean out the equipment, which is what he was doing when I walked in on him, then he needed to tighten up the machines to get them performing as best as they could.

He then began to practice printing and told me about a sign he was going to make to replace another in the shop that had been ruined by age.

It was truly fascinating to hear where his work in newspapers began and how he joked about printers today not being able to work such equipment that he so comfortably used right in front of me. This was definitely not what I expected Stonefield to offer the public. I figured such antiques or artifacts to be kept locked up behind a velvet rope to ensure preservation, but it was refreshing to see these objects in action. I couldn't think of a better way to enjoy them.

Little Norway: Lawn Gnomes Included

I finally got a chance to take advantage of my free pass that would grant me admission into select museums this past Friday, when I headed to Little Norway just outside of Madison. I decided to take along my boyfriend Chris pictured with me to the left (that’s us waiting for the tour to begin) to not only have someone I knew who I could “ooh” and “ah” with me at all of the pretty buildings, but he was also willing to drive the distance and cover the gas money. This made even more excited to travel (note: I repaid Chris later by buying him a hearty lunch that afternoon…appetizer included!). With the brochure of Little Norway I grabbed from Stonefield’s gift shop in hand, we set out on the open highway to finally visit the museum whose sign had intrigued us so many times we had cruised 151 North. When we took the road that promised to lead us to our destination, we immediately realized we were heading down a winding path into a forest.

What a wonderful surprise! Being as I have never been to Little Norway, I sort of expected the museum to be in the middle of some campground a few hundred feet away from the highway. But, when we had to drive deeper and deeper into the woods, I knew I was going to experience an authentic piece of history.

The moment we parked the car in front of the gift shop, I got a little camera happy.

Once I was done hamming it up, Chris and I jumped in on the next tour. The group I was with was greeted by our guide who was decked out in traditional Norwegian garb. After she gave us an overview of what we were going to see and when we could take pictures (I really paid attention to this advice) we hustled to the first of the four buildings we would visit. I was once again pleasantly surprised to see that all of the places we stopped had been altered from their original purpose (i.e. the farmhouse changed to an actual home) and filled full of personal items and antique treasures.

Throughout the entire tour, our guide kept throwing in information about Norwegian superstition, which Chris and I both thought was a nice touch. Some other information I learned was that Norwegians are not short. You see, the buildings we walked into had been revamped, meaning that the original dirt floors were no longer in sight, because they had been covered by wood flooring. Well, the “new” floors shortened the height of the buildings, and made us unknowing tourists believe that the people who once lived here were indeed not tall. Don’t be fooled by this!

The entire tour kept the group going in and out of buildings, and made Chris and I more and more excited to explore the streams, flowers, and nature encompassing the museum after our tour would finish. With all of the places one would get to see, and a replica Norwegian Church included, this place was definitely worth the trip. I got a chance to learn some Norwegian quirks, see some very impressive craftsmanship on both furniture and clothing, and I can now say that I went to Little Norway. It was a good day.

Pleased to Meet You

Me training at Stonefield's Confectionery

As a history major about to start her junior year at the University of Wisconsin Platteville, one would assume that the subject of history encompasses my life. It would be safe to think that I spend my summer vacations traveling from museum to museum in hopes of garnering knowledge about my surroundings or any other topic that may whet my appetite. You might also think that my TV is perpetually set to the History Channel, but I must inform you, dear readers, that none of the above are true, or should I say, at least not yet.

It wasn’t until I landed an internship working at both Pendarvis in Mineral Point, and Stonefield in Cassville this summer that I felt the motivation to get out and explore my home state of Wisconsin. It seems, however, that the only times I have visited historically significant places or museums in my lifetime was either for a school field trip, or, my mother was forcing me to spend an entire Sunday afternoon with her outside the comforts of our home, so we could do some mother-daughter bonding. Needless to say, I have never personally chosen to visit places like the ones I will be working at this summer for two reasons: first and most simply, I'm a poor college student. Secondly, I somehow have unfortunately associated museums with discomfort, due to the fact that every time I have ever gone to one as a child or teenager was always against my own will. But this summer is going to be different.

You see, it wasn’t until last year, when I actually started working as an interpreter at three museums in the Tri-State area, that I began to realize the fun in seeing such places. Now, I am truly prepared, both mentally and financially (One perk of working for the Wisconsin Historical Society is the staff membership pass that grants me free access to certain museums in the state.), to start my summer journey, a magical history tour, if you will. In order to share my adventures, observations, and interviews, I have decided to write this very blog to offer a fresh perspective to those who are already familiar with the locations I plan to talk about, by writing from the eyes of a person who plainly is not. And for the rest of you who can relate to my inexperience of museum-going, I propose that we discover Wisconsin together.