Museum board looks to have summer event at Wahkpa Chu’gn

Museum board looks to have summer event at Wahkpa Chu'gn

Tim Leeds

The Hill County museum will have a summer event to follow up on it successful Christmas in the Museum.

The museum board Monday approved board member Judi Dritshulas planning a summer event.

Dritshulas said she wants to give more benefits to being part of the Friends of the Museum, the organization of supporters of the H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum.

The board always is looking for answers to the question, what do people get for their membership to the museum, Dritshulas added.

She said she envisions having a summer celebration, likely tied to the summer solstice, at the Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump to complement the Christmas at the Museum event in December, which was tremendously successful in its first year.

The event could be free for Friends of the Museum members, and possibly allow admission for others with a fee, Dritshulas said.

In other business at the meeting, museum manager John Gilbert reported that the museum, in the Holiday Village Mall, had its best January visitation ever.

That included 67 people visiting the museum during Tennessee Titans player Marc Mariani's return to Havre and autograph signing Jan. 9.

"That was great for us, " he said.

Gilbert said tying museum events to events at the mall could benefit the visitation.

He also said that numbers in his reports will now reflect five years in the museum. Previously, the averages included numbers such as visitation and gift shop sales while the museum still was located in the old federal courthouse and post office on 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue.

• Board Chair Bud Baldwin also revisited an item at the board meeting last month, former museum manager Antoinette "Toni" Hagener's suggestion that displays in the museum be tied to local events.

Her first suggestion was to have a display about Hill County fairs throughout the years during the Great Northern Fair, Gilbert said.

• The board revisited its discussion on the possibility of moving the museum to the Great Northern Fairgrounds in an attempt to reduce costs. The board members agreed that a group should attend the next fair board meeting to discuss what is available and how much, if any, rent would be charged.

Board member Gary Wilson, who was out of town and could not attend Monday's meeting, has raised concerns including that such a move could reduce the number of visitors to the museum, require storage of more artifacts and damage artifacts that then would need repair.

• Anna Brumley, manager of the Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump, said work is planned to start on upgrading displays at the archaeological site this spring. The county commissioners are scheduled to open the sealed bids on the project March 1.

The county was awarded $66,667 in Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program funds in to the Hill County Buffalo Jump Preservation Project to construct five new exhibit houses at the bison kill site.

Brumley reported that the site almost paid for itself in the last season. The expenses for Wahkpa Chu'gn came to just more than $7,100, mostly in wages for guides and maintenance employees, with income of $6,655.

She added that, with the erection of the mural promoting the site by U. S. Highway 2 at the Boot Hill Complex, she expects the number of visitors to be high.

"We really think we're going to have a good year this year, " Brumley said.

• Brumley said the next Hands on History event is scheduled for April 16 at the mall. Several new activities have been planned, with about 30 total activities set for the event, she said.

The Hill County museum will have a summer event to follow up on it successful Christmas in the Museum.

The museum board Monday approved board member Judi Dritshulas planning a summer event.

Dritshulas said she wants to give more benefits to being part of the Friends of the Museum, the organization of supporters of the H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum.

The board always is looking for answers to the question, what do people get for their membership to the museum, Dritshulas added.

She said she envisions having a summer celebration, likely tied to the summer solstice, at the Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump to complement the Christmas at the Museum event in December, which was tremendously successful in its first year.

The event could be free for Friends of the Museum members, and possibly allow admission for others with a fee, Dritshulas said.

In other business at the meeting, museum manager John Gilbert reported that the museum, in the Holiday Village Mall, had its best January visitation ever.

That included 67 people visiting the museum during Tennessee Titans player Marc Mariani's return to Havre and autograph signing Jan. 9.

"That was great for us, " he said.

Gilbert said tying museum events to events at the mall could benefit the visitation.

He also said that numbers in his reports will now reflect five years in the museum. Previously, the averages included numbers such as visitation and gift shop sales while the museum still was located in the old federal courthouse and post office on 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue.

• Board Chair Bud Baldwin also revisited an item at the board meeting last month, former museum manager Antoinette "Toni" Hagener's suggestion that displays in the museum be tied to local events.

Her first suggestion was to have a display about Hill County fairs throughout the years during the Great Northern Fair, Gilbert said.

• The board revisited its discussion on the possibility of moving the museum to the Great Northern Fairgrounds in an attempt to reduce costs. The board members agreed that a group should attend the next fair board meeting to discuss what is available and how much, if any, rent would be charged.

Board member Gary Wilson, who was out of town and could not attend Monday's meeting, has raised concerns including that such a move could reduce the number of visitors to the museum, require storage of more artifacts and damage artifacts that then would need repair.

• Anna Brumley, manager of the Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump, said work is planned to start on upgrading displays at the archaeological site this spring. The county commissioners are scheduled to open the sealed bids on the project March 1.

The county was awarded $66,667 in Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program funds in to the Hill County Buffalo Jump Preservation Project to construct five new exhibit houses at the bison kill site.

Brumley reported that the site almost paid for itself in the last season. The expenses for Wahkpa Chu'gn came to just more than $7,100, mostly in wages for guides and maintenance employees, with income of $6,655.

She added that, with the erection of the mural promoting the site by U. S. Highway 2 at the Boot Hill Complex, she expects the number of visitors to be high.

"We really think we're going to have a good year this year, " Brumley said.

• Brumley said the next Hands on History event is scheduled for April 16 at the mall. Several new activities have been planned, with about 30 total activities set for the event, she said.