Heritage Renewal

Students: Are you eligible for work-study at NDSU? Are you looking for a part-time job that is History-related? Then contact Dr. Isern (isern@plainsfolk.com). He's looking for work-study help in the Center for Heritage Renewal.

Welcome to the students of HIST 489, who will be checking in here parcel to their work in the senior seminar. The seminar is devoted to monumental history and will be gathering material to be cycled into the center website, Remembrance in Stone. Welcome also to another group of students who will be checking in here, those of HIST 431, The North American Plains. 431 students will be gathering material on fall suppers of the northern plains and on big things (giant roadside monuments) of the region, all of which also will build content for center websites. These student researchers are doing a great thing for this part of the country, investing the land with story.

Are you planning to attend a Fall Supper somewhere on the northern plains? The Center is revising the current listing to include this year's dates and times. Stay tuned for our revised 2008 edition!

Hello everyone! I would like to take a second and introduce myself. My name is Andrea Mott and I'm a new History Ph.D. student at NDSU. I have recently started working at NDSU's Center for Heritage Renewal. Our latest undertaking is the FarmHouse Documentation Project. The purpose is to gather and disseminate information concerning the fraternity in order to develop greater communication and unity among its members. The process involves recording interviews, scanning photographs and written documents, and utilizing film and video documentation when needed. So far the first interview has been completed and I'm looking forward to those that follow.

Andrea

Speaking of successful arts & heritage events (as I was recently, in this space, specifically the living history day at Dresden), the Dickey County Leader this week is full of news about arts & heritage developments in Ellendale. Evidently the Do & Discover Arts event, organized by the Ellendale Area Arts Council in South Park on July 26, was a smash success. Photos depict a crowd of kids having a great time making walking sticks, mosaics, jewelry, ceramics, and pet rocks; trying out musical instruments in a "musical petting zoo;" making "easy food" with Becky Tatum; and enjoying an animated science presentation by Warren Schlecht. The Leader says, "Keep your eyes open for more upcoming events sponsored by this organization that is bringing the arts to Ellendale." You won't have to look far or wait long for the next event: "Thrilling Thursday," a theater workshop for kids ages 6-16, is coming up on August 14. Those Ellendale folks have so much going on, it's exhausting just keeping track of it. The same issue of the Leader, by the way, presents a suite of photographs by Ken Schmierer depicting the beautiful interior restoration of the Dickey County courtroom.

As promised, now available in Heritage Video is the video of Syttende Mai festivities at the Henrik Wergeland monument, Island Park, Fargo, 17 May 2008.

It was a pleasure to observe and take part in the remarkably successful Living History Day put on by the Cavalier County Historical Museum, Dresden, on July 27. The crowds were large and animated; the presenters were relaxed and gracious. Go to Heritage Video for a video (two parts) of living history activities at Dresden. Posted at Heritage Image is an album of photos.