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Puzzle Pieces Fitting Together

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

Lorie & Jeanne, with the sometimes help of Louise, have been turning pages of old editions of the local newspaper. Turning, turning, turning. Searching in almost 100 years of newspapers for clues as to what business was open when and where in Cut Knife.

Sometimes it is necessary to take our questions to coffee row to have information validated by the ‘local experts’. Sometimes we have had to bring in one of these knowledgeable people to help fill in missing pieces of information. It is almost time to refine the signage and get it ready to put in place for the Centennial Celebration on June 30th.

Inevitably there will have been some information that was missed and there may have been some mistakes that are beyond our control. Yet the information gleaned will be there for others to access well beyond the Celebration this year.

Well done, ladies.

~ Lucille B.

Board

Social Bridging at Museums

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

“At museums, we mostly bond with the friends and family with whom we attend. Social bridging is harder to come by, especially as society becomes more striated. Bridging is essential to building strong, safe, diverse communities. There are few places where bridging happens naturally. If we can make our museum a place that intentionally encourages and inspires bridging, we will make a powerful impact on our whole community.”

Nina Simon on her blog. 

This social bridging that Nina talks about reflects what our theme of “different cultures…prairie neighbours” at our museum is trying to accomplish. We need to find the time in our volunteer life to expand it in our exhibits and programs. 

~ Lucille B.

Archives

Sparkle

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

We have been encouraging residents and others to share photos, family trees and stories with us. This has resulted in some very interesting results.

I have been scanning photos this week. Some are very small (under 2 inches) but scanning at high resolutions allows enlargements and some wonderful discoveries that were not noticed in the original photo. A face of a resident long since departed is brought up with clarity – it’s such a wonderful way to keep their memory alive.
These photos inevitably add detail and, dare I say, ‘sparkle’ to the stories of the Cut Knife Community.

It is these discoveries that help motivate me to continue with the establishment and growth of our archives.

I  still have much to learn about digital storage practices to ensure this modern storage lasts for the next generations.

~ Lucille B.

Events

Centennial Countdown

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

The countdown has begun to the Cut Knife Centennial Celebration. June 30th and July 1st. Mark your calendars. Get involved. 

The museum is researching the retail history of the main street and will have signage up for the Celebration along the street. 

There will be a two day open house at the museum where there will be a quilt show (old and new) and a photography artwork exhibit of Cut Knife. 

Want a copy of the first Cut Knife History book (out of print and very hard to find)? A silent auction for several copies will be held to raise money. 

Come also for the ongoing picture show of photos from our Archives. This will run all day, every day so you can drop in when it is convenient for you to watch. There is nothing like a photo to bring back memories!

~ Lucille B.