Museum board hears of successful July

At their regular monthly meeting, the Hill County Museum Board heard of successful events held in July, including a significant increase in visitors at the new facilities at the Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump.

Following its meeting, the board went into an executive session. Board Chair Judi Dritshulas said the board would be discussing personnel issues during that session.

Anna Brumley, manager of the archaeological site, said it has seen about 560 more people tour the site than at this time last year, and another 486 have visited the new interpretive center without taking a tour.

She added that a paraplegic from Manitoba toured the site, and he said not many archaeological sites have handicap accessibility.

"He had a big grin on his face the whole time, " Brumley said. "Looking at his face when he was doing this was priceless. "

She said the grand opening of the interpretive center during the Great Northern Fair also was a great success.

Board members Gary Wilson and Val Hickman said opening the old rural Faber Schoolhouse and the homestead cabin that are located on the fairgrounds during the fair also was a great success.

"By the time we finished up we had around 50 (visitors), " Wilson said.

Hickman said she was pleased with the turnout, although she added that she believes more promotion the next time the buildings are open would help with the numbers touring the buildings.

Wilson said some work needs to be done on those buildings, and he suggested that, now that the H. Earl Clack Museum is in its new site and the interpretive center is up at Wahkpa Chu'gn, more focus could be placed there.

Elaine Morse, chair of the Clack funding foundation, said the foundation held its "Shot in the Dark" nighttime golf tournament fundraiser last Friday, and it also was a success.

The tournament was set this year as a parent-child team event, and Morse said probably two-thirds were parents with their actual children — including one team that was a probably 60-year-old father with his 40-year-old son, she said.

"I think everybody that was there had a ball, " she said.

Museum Board member Chris Bond said she enjoyed participating in the fundraiser.

"We all had a blast. I had a blast, " she said. "It was so much fun. "

Morse said the annual meeting of the foundation will be Sunday, Oct. 28.

Brumley said another event on the horizon is holding a Hands on History educational event during the Sugarbeet Festival in Chinook Sept. 23, and that she is looking for volunteers for that, and for the 10th annual atlatl competition, scheduled for Sept. 8-9 at Wahkpa Chu'gn.