From: "Rita Frakes" <rita42@centurytel.net> Subject: museum opening for the season Date: Thu, 19 May 2011 20:20:46 -0500 Message-ID: <2BED38840FCE4B4CAF14F227B7D6C198@pavilion>
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From: Rita Frakes [mailto:rita42@centurytel.net]
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2011 8:18 PM
To: nsa@newspubinc.com
Subject: news release
It is that time of year again, when summer is almost here, the children are
almost out of school, families and individuals are looking for fun and
interesting activities and now more than ever, are exploring the
possibilities closer to home. Closer to home can be a stop at the Mazomanie
Historical Society Museum at 118 Brodhead Street in Mazomanie which abounds
in great local history.
The official opening of the visitor season begins on Sunday and Monday,
Labor Day, May 29 and 30 from 1-4pm. The building which houses the museum
was built in 1900 and was the electrical generation plant for the village
The hoosegow, or 3 cell jail, was added in 1912. Eventually it became the
village's municipal building and housed offices and the fire department
truck until a new building was built by the village on Crescent Street.
Inside, exhibits portray the settlement and development of the village, a
focus on the railroad corridor that runs through the center of the village,
a collection of the Mazomanie High School class photos up to the time of the
consolidation of the Black Earth and Mazomanie high schools, souvenirs and
freebies from local businesses, a dining area with a set of furniture from
the Knapp furniture store, a barber shop, and a Civil War display.
Along with museums and historical sites across the U.S, the museum is
commemorating the beginning of the Civil War in 1861. New this year are
early newspaper accounts which feature Mazomanie residents's answers to the
call for help by President Lincoln and a sword and sheath carried by Capt.
Francis Wilson (1821-1870) who served in Company C, 12th Wisconsin Infantry.
This treasured artifact which has been passed down to succeeding family
generations is on loan from an area family for this special exhibit.
Additional exhibits in the Thiers Tool Room relate to the blacksmith,
cobbler, printer, woodworker, cheese maker, dairy farmer and homemaker. The
old time kitchen with its wood cooking stove and ice box also has an
original cabinet manufactured by the Mazomanie Tinker's cabinet business. A
directory identifies nearly 1,000 tools which cover the tool wall.
The museum is open Sundays, 1-4 p.m. and by appointment for individuals and
tour groups. Phone 795-2992 for more information. The society also
operates a Research Room which is open by appointment and located in the
Mazomanie Free Library. To contact Research Historian, Virgil Matz, call
467-2305, or e-mail 467-2305, or e-mail vmatz@tds.net.
Rita Frakes, Curator