Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007

Valley Falls museum recarpeted, rearranged

by Clarke Davis

When the Valley Falls Historical Society holds its annual meeting Sunday, members will be able to reflect back on a year-long renovation at the museum.

It began with laying new carpet on the entire first story with tile at the entrance. Additional lighting has been added upstairs and the museum’s furniture has been reupholstered.

That done, the displays had to be put back and have been rearranged with an entirely new look.

“A lot of people helped from beginning to end,” society President Betty Jane Wilson said.

Putting the displays back fell mostly to two women, Shirley A. Allen and Rosalind Jackson.

Similar things have been gathered together and individual businesses or professions have been highlighted.

“We began with the front display case by putting everything dealing with World War II in it,” Jackson said. “That led to gathering things together for the other wars, including the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.”

“It just evolved from there,” Allen said.

Artifacts defining various businesses include a barber shop, funeral home, bank, and print shop, and the law office of Samuel Strawn, a great uncle of historian Art Strawn.

Displays include baseball featuring Freddie Marsh, a major league player from Valley Falls; a postal display with a Grasshopper Falls post mark and a listing of towns that include Sautrelle Falls (French for grasshopper), names once assigned to Valley Falls; and telephones.

An early day living room setting has a wedding photo of Henry Senn’s second marriage in 1880. He was the first settler in Valley Falls. Next to this room is an old-fashioned kitchen with stove and washing machine.

Glenn Lester and Galen Reichart are credited with the work done to display and tag a varity of antique tools and a medicine bottle collection has been provided by Frank Shrimplin.

The first room upstairs has been dedicated largely to the public school with desks from the last county school at Nichols Station. Senior class pictures are also prominently displayed as are a number of trophies polished by Jackson.

The items have also been labeled with new tags.

The history of those involved also runs deep in the community. The president hails from the Nichols community between Valley Falls and Nortonville where her parents were farmers. She attended Nichols and Prairie Hall schools and graduated from Winchester High School.

Jackson’s father was president of the Kendall State Bank and her maternal grandfather, Herman Hauck, operated an elevator at Valley Falls. A great-uncle, Lou Hauck, was the largest general merchandiser the town ever had.

“My great-great-grandmother on my maternal side came to Valley Falls in a covered wagon when she was 70 years old,” Jackson said.

Allen’s ancestors on her mother’s side were Hammonds who came here to farm in the late 1880s. Her maternal grandfather was the city’s first mail carrier starting in 1906.

Wes Arthur, her father, was a professional chef and her parents operated Arthur’s Cafe in Valley Falls from 1944 to 1969.

The historical society also owns and cares for the Historical Shrine Church, the first Lutheran Church this side of the Missouri River. A great deal of work has been done to repair and preserve it this year. A plaque has been prepared to place at the church noting that the restoration funds came from the late Greever Allan’s estate.

Wilson said the society’s meetings have been often but irregular recently as it has gone through the renovation process. Recent meetings have been on the third Thursday at the museum following the Rotary Club meeting.

The officers along with Wilson are Jim Braum, vice president, Maxine Hefty, secretary, Gary Coleman, treasurer, Art Strawn, historian, and Joan Reichart, James Durand, and Kyle Quasebarth, directors. Frank Shimplin is an adviser.

The society is producing a calendar for 2008 that will feature historic photographs from the town’s early days. Profits from the money-raising effort will go toward upkeep of the building and installation of an air conditioner in the museum.

The museum is open Saturdays or by appointment.

The historical society was founded in 1967.