What an incredible but tiring day! Well over one hundred OGHS kids toured the Putnam County Museum and Historical society this afternoon. As their tour guide, I felt honored to point out local treasures donated by county residents. Some paused over a sobering Western Union telegram informing a local family their son was killed in the Pacific. More than one teen remarked that the eager young women who comprised the Leipsic school glee club a century ago look a lot like girls do now. The Nordhaus siblings posed proudly in front of the hand-carved horses and wagon created long ago by their great-uncle Alphonse. Sweet girls listened to stories of old-time weddings (when gifts of brooms, sugar and flour were treasured). Everyone was curious to see the phone used by John Dillinger after he killed Limas sheriff and stopped at a house outside Kalida to call local relatives for gas. Together we marveled at the old rope bed and corn husk mattress that at one time constituted a comfortable bed. An exchange student from Denmark looked like a hopeful young immigrant with his turn-of-the-century straw hat.One young beauty modeled a flapper-era hat. I shared the particulars of party line etiquette, elaborated on what I knew about the hassle of bathing in water that was heated on a coal or wood burning stove top. I even shared a brief lesson on the history of embalming (as there is a child’s coffin and postmortem photograph on display). We felt a shared pride in our county’s involvement in various wars, spoke of the ghost towns that once thrived here-and ultimately celebrated the many generations of people who have lived and died here. Throughout the day parents and grandparents joined in, adding their memories and insights. The day ended with a large group of teenagers, mostly seniors, who begged for a Halloween sleepover in the museum basement. (?!?) I locked the doors exhausted and overwhelmed with emotion. History came to life today. Countless young people walked out of the museum doors understanding a powerful truth: we are bound by blood, sacrifice and courage to our past. We must carry our ancestors with us in our hearts. Always.
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 00:18:36 +0000
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