Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Keira and Avery Koski, both age 9, portray Edna and Lucy Rogers, pioneer residents of Kimball, Wis. They will be part of the Iron County Historical Museum's step back in time open house on Friday, July 28, as they demonstrate parlor games of the early 20th century.
HURLEY - The Iron County Historical Museum will host a pair of events next week as part of the Iron County Heritage Festival, inviting the public to interact with county's past.
On Wednesday, the museum will host historian Dale Caskey, who will give an interactive presentation entitled "Lumber Camp Lore: Meet Hans the Lumberjack Homesteader."
The event, which promises to be "an entertaining look at one of Iron County's first industries," will begin at 6 p.m. in the museum's courtroom.
Caskey will portray Hans, a Norwegian lumberjack living on a homestead in Kimball in the year 1900. The presentation will focus on life in a lumberjack camp and Hans' roles as the camp's straw monkey and sky pilot.
Caskey's grandfather lived and worked in lumberjack camps of northern Wisconsin at the beginning of the 20th century. He has given presentations throughout the Midwest.
Step back in time
The Iron County Historical Society will host a step back in time open house on Friday, July 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the museum.
Officials are asking the public to "step back in time" and visit with over a dozen actors portraying people from Iron County's past.
Learn what life was like for a soldier during World War II, a Silver Street barmaid during the roaring 1920s, a teen in the 1950s, and an undertaker, seamstress, female photographer, and clothing store proprietor at the turn of the 20th century. Purchase penny candy from a 1930s neighborhood shopkeeper, and hear about the 1926 Pabst Mine disaster.
There will also be activities for children, including exploring fur pelts that were traded by voyageurs, playing with toys and games from the early 1900s, practicing Palmer method penmanship, and watching the model train.
Additionally, there will be demonstrations by blacksmith Dan Roesinger, broom-maker Saga Erickson, metal artists Dave and Shelly Brauer, and musician Eric Sorenson, playing antique instruments. Julie Morello will be in the museum's library to assist people with genealogy record searches.
The museum's weavers will be demonstrating their craft in the weaving room.
The museum is located at 303 Iron St. in Hurley in the former county courthouse. Admission is free for both days' events, but donations are accepted.
