Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
The Stavanger Church displays several pieces of formal attire worn by brides and grooms from 1860 to 1942. Each and every piece has a multitude of stories that revolve around questions like who, what, where, when and how. The suit on the far left is the one whose story I share in this article. Explore more about the museum and its contents by visiting https://eddycounty.catalogaccess.com/
I am counting the days until the snow piles outside the museum melt and allow access to any of the buildings, and the artifacts within. Don't get me wrong, I love the photographs and stories I've been working with all winter, but I get especially excited to document and display artifacts. All the clues can come together to provide us with incredible insight.
Last spring I had a particularly delightful time extracting wedding dresses and suits from the various closets. It's easy to understand that each wedding dress could convey its own story, right down to the stitching, but I was perplexed to find a designer suit that had been heavily altered. Worn by John Goss on his wedding day in 1888, the suit later made the trip from Illinois to North Dakota. The suit had three different buttons, the legs had been shortened multiple times, and the waist taken in.
I suspect some archivists might have seen it unfit for display. Before I would consider such a thing, I looked back through old notebooks made decades prior, and found the suit had been altered and worn by the Goss children.
Museum quality? It's not perfect.
Story-rich? You betcha.
History can be a powerful thing. According to the American Historical Association, studying history helps us to understand social change, develop our own identities in the world and practice good citizenship.
I will go a step further and say that history gives us the opportunity to share stories.
So I encourage you to take some time, even just 10 minutes, to be with history. This doesn't mean you have to dig out your own collections today. You can simply visit the Eddy County Museum online catalog access at https://eddycounty.catalogaccess.com/ and begin browsing online.
Not comfortable online? Then ask someone to join you. In fact you can make the experience better by partnering with a friend or family member. The larger the age gap the better- you never know what you might learn from one another.
I should note, our catalog access page is not a research database. Instead, it allows you to both search and explore.
"Random Images" is a fun way to go, as it offers two dozen images at a time. Select any image for a closer look, and click the name below each image to learn more about the details of that particular photograph.
Another option is to explore the 12 "Exhibits" available, covering topics on local farming, print media, and so much more.
Finally, if you made it that far, and are enjoying the online catalog, I ask you to click on the "Send us Feedback" option or send us an email at [email protected]. It would be great to hear from you.
