Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009

'Journey Stories': Mascoutah exhibit features tales of American travels

Apparently the Mascoutah Heritage Museum passed muster with the Smithsonian Institute when it hosted the exhibit "Key Ingredients" in 2006 because the museum now has a second traveling exhibit.

"Journey Stories," opened Saturday at the museum, at 306 W. Main St., and continues through Dec. 6. The Museum on Main Street exhibit is sponsored by the Smithsonian, the Illinois Humanities Council and the Mascoutah Historical Society.

The exhibit deals with emigration, immigration, migration and transportation through the stories of travelers of all sorts.

"Each of us has a powerful journey story deep in our personal heritage. Americans have always been intensely mobile and we still are," an introduction to the exhibit reads.

Visitors can hear about some of those journeys in the exhibit by pushing buttons to listen to recordings, or by paging through books and examining photos and artifacts.

The exhibit ranges from the early days of new settlers arriving in this country, whether by choice or force, to the drive westward through the deserts, new immigrant journeys and even vacations.

The room full of displays came carefully packed in 14 large cases. Volunteers from the historical society assembled the pieces like a puzzle. And like a puzzle, occasionally someone was scrambling around looking for a missing piece or two.

Carol Klopmeyer, one of the organizers of the exhibit, said the all-volunteer historical society will be stretched to the limit for the event but members are excited about it.

"It's a lot of work," she said. "But we're honored to have a second one."

The Smithsonian looks for enthusiasm and extra participation. Klopmeyer said their attendance of 3,400 in six weeks for the last exhibit was impressive. The extras the museum schedules with the exhibit such as lectures and readings also help.

"The Smithsonian name really helps draw in presenters," Klopmeyer said.

At 1:30 p.m. today at the museum, author Bill Wilson will discuss old forts and blockhouses to kick off the exhibit.

Other lectures will cover subjects such as the Trail of Tears, Route 66, U.S. Route 40 and Indian migrations. Also the Mascoutah Library at 3 W. Church St., will sponsor a Monday night at the movies, series with such films as "The Grapes of Wrath," and "Across the Great Divide."

Corky Helms will have some of his anvils on exhibit and there will be a few exhibits on transportation such as trains, steamboats and mapping the river.

"A Good Road Day -- 1913" is a new display about when the Mascoutah Commercial Club organized a day for everyone to help repair the road to Belleville. Businesses each supplied a horse and wagon and one laborer.

The regular hours for the exhibits will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information you can visit the museum's Web site at: www.mascoutahheritagemuseum.org or call the museum at 566-9774.