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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
Caledonia’s Winter Wonderland celebration just wouldn’t be complete without the Houston County Historical Society’s Old Fashioned Christmas. The annual event, which features an open house both Saturday and Sunday, historic displays and demonstrations in the various buildings that make up the Historic Village, drinks and treats, and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, will be highlighted with the official groundbreaking of the museum addition.
The ceremony for the long-anticipated addition to the county museum, located adjacent to the Houston County Fairgrounds in Caledonia will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 5.
The HCHS has been waiting for this day for more than a dozen years. The first plans for a major addition to the original building were drawn up a decade ago. The original building, which is 1,950 square feet, was built in 1969. The addition will be a C-shaped building running 65 feet west off the back end of the existing building, then running south for 212 feet and then east for 90 feet. The C-shaped addition will serve as a backdrop to the Historic Village, with a grassy area between the five historic buildings and the museum addition.
Work on the addition actually commenced Nov. 10 when a number of large spruce and maple trees, located just west of the museum and Historic Village, were cut down and excavation began on the basement level.
“Everything happened so fast,” HCHS President Shirley Johnson said. “We decided to move forward with the project so that we could get the basement dug, the footings, basement walls and the first-floor deck completed before winter freeze up. We didn’t have time to organize an official groundbreaking then.” Holding the event during the HCHS’ Old Fashioned Christmas will make it that much more special.
Mason Witt’s photograph case collection is one of the displays featured during the open house this weekend. Photos by Charlie Warner
The Old Fashioned Christmas open house will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be many historic displays to view.
• Mason Witt, former Houston resident, will have part of his photograph case collection on display. These miniature cases were used to hold portraits and scenes shortly after the advent of photography in 1839. “This is a magnificent collection that all will enjoy as they come in a variety of shapes and designs,” Johnson noted.
• Also in the main museum, visitors will be able to view an Oriental display. Two beautiful antique Chinese robes that are recent donations to the HCHS will be on display. The robes were acquired by Francis P. Lapham when she traveled to China in 1932. One is black silk with gold embroidered five-clawed dragons and believed to date from the Ch’ien Lung Period. The other is blue silk with a colorful phoenix symbolizing death and resurrection. It is believed to be over 180 years old.
• Another special display will be a beautiful quilt made by Teresa Walter of La Crescent. The quilt commemorates the Lewis and Clark expedition.
• Joan Wiste of Houston will display a portion of her extensive quilt collection both vintage and contemporary. Wiste is an accomplished quilter and will also have some of her creations on display. There will be a special quilters tree.
• The theme in the Daley School will be baskets. Many varieties of baskets loaned by several people will be on display. A cedar tree will feature miniature hand-made baskets.
• A Swedish Christmas in the Flatten-Swenson Pioneer Home will greet visitors. Folks will be able to witness the “Svensson family” who are recent immigrants from Sweden. It is the morning of St. Lucia Day and sister is wearing her St. Lucia crown. Mama and the children are about to wake up Papa and serve lussakatler buns and pepparkakor cookies. Their cedar tree is decorated with Swedish straw ornaments.
• And of course Santa and Mrs. Claus will be on hand both days, giving out popcorn balls to good little girls and boys of all ages.
“This is just a sampling of what will be on display throughout the museum complex on this special weekend,” Johnson said. “There will also be music and refreshments all weekend long.
“The public is most welcome to come and enjoy this festive family-oriented Christmas event. And don’t forget about the groundbreaking of our museum addition,” Johnson concluded.
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