1. science
2. medicine
3. veterinary medicine

INCLUDES:
YOUR COMPLETE FY14 CVM ANNUAL REPORT
Currents
Signing Off • 2
Fournier’s for a Night • 3
Timber Trails • 4
Now Open: Picture
of Health • 5
AUTUMN 2014 • v40:n2 • FREE TO MEMBERS OF THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY MUSEUM
At Risk of Being
German • 6
Annual Report
CVM Board • 8
Volunteers • 9
Education • 10
Administration
& Development • 11
Research &
Development • 13
Exhibits • 16
Programs/Events • 16
CVM Staff • 20
Oh, What a Night!
Personnel,
Professional
Development
& Community
Service • 20
Glenn Curtis Smoot
Library & Archives • 21
“Fournier’s for a Night” fundraiser a rollicking success
Retail, Rentals &
Private Events • 21
Director Susan McLeod, signing off
Marketing & Public
Relations • 22
Beloved CVM leader bids farewell
Timber Trails revived
Chippewa Valley auto tours updated for modern tech
At risk of being German
A Dunn County woman faces prejudice during World War I
FY14: OCTOBER 1, 2013 – SEPTEMBER 30, 2014
Curatorial • 23
Publications • 23
Balance Sheet • 24
Income • 24
Expenses • 25
Foundation • 26
Data • 27
Acknowledgments •
back page
Signing Off
I’m feeling reflective as I do this or
that for the last time, more so now that
I’ve been reading through 30 years of
director’s columns to create the last one.
I have to admit seeing them all together
makes me aware of some recurring
themes: big plans, big ideas, things that
need money! What museums do and how
they do it. What CVM does and how we
think we can do it. Chaos. Progress.
I started working at the Chippewa
Valley Museum on May 1, 1984. In the
next issue of the CVM News, I wrote,
“This is my first opportunity to speak
to all of the museum’s members and say
how delighted I am to be working with
and for all of you now.” And later, “The
important project that the museum will
undertake within the next year is an
application for accreditation through the
American Association of Museums.” I
really didn’t know much about accreditation at that time, only that it was the
dream of the founders. Twenty years
later, during our second Re-accreditation,
I tried to give a sense of what this could
mean to a museum like CVM. “It’s probably easy to understand why Accreditation would be important when CVM
presents itself far away from home, in
federal grant competitions, for example.
Astonishingly, some of the reviewers may
never have been to or perhaps even heard
of the Chippewa Valley Museum. . . .
But, accreditation can also be important
close to home. Area residents sometimes
assume that ‘local’ equals ‘unexceptional,’ a point of view we can counter
by demonstrating how the museum has
succeeded in a rigorous review.”
Some columns just reflect the ups
and downs. I must have been writing for
the Summer 1997 issue before school
was out. “It is the middle of Tuesday
afternoon and I am not having such a
great day. Outside my window I can see
the city crew moving back and forth with
2 • Currents
their metal detectors and augers. A
damp spot a few feet from the museum has become a small geyser. A pipe
is broken somewhere and they are
looking for the shutoff. If they don’t
find the one to the museum itself,
they will go down to the main shutoff
for the Park. I hear kids yelling on
the softball fields. Great, I think, no
bathrooms. At this moment our education coordinator Sue Glenz comes in.
‘Read this,’ she says, and hands me a
letter from a 4th grader from Osseo:
‘I, Ashley Rindahl, had a fantastic
time at your place. I think I will do a
lot better in social studies class. It was
educational, yet fun! .... I give you a
100% on what you did for us.’ It was
one of those moments when, despite
everything, you know why you do
what you.”
When I began, I worried about
facilities, since that was new for me.
I had Dr. Lotz to help me learn, but
I really had no clue how much of my
working life would involve figuring
out who would mud this drywall.
In March 2003, I wrote about the
25th Anniversary construction: “As
I sit in the first of several temporary
offices I will have this year, there is
mad clanging on the other side of the
wall. Phase I (and the largest part) of
the major construction has been in
progress since November. … Although
we are not working in the midst of the
construction, [we] are experiencing
‘compression’ behind the scenes.…
Curatorial staff moved into one of
the former collections storage areas.
I moved into their office. The office
manager moved into a corner of the
library. … The operations manager
moved into the design office. … The
assistant designer moved to … wait,
has anyone seen Inga?” One day I
closed my door. When I opened it, all
the walls had changed and I couldn’t
tell where I was.
I’ve appreciated working with
various groups in the region. A key
example came in 2010 when curriculum-based field trips were threatened.
The March director’s column was an
opportunity to help supporters know
what could be lost.
“Just across the hall from my office, the third graders are concentrating. … The auditorium is a ‘lab’ and
the ‘experiment’ is to learn what you
can by observing an unfamiliar object
and trying to use it. Object Lessons is
just one part of the Adventures in History curriculum that all 800 Eau Claire
Area School District third graders
will do at CVM and the Paul Bunyan
Camp. … The kids work together to
see what they can find out. The energy
level goes up along with the discoveries. … It’s a long and lively day, but it
wouldn’t be happening at all were it
not for the persistence of an energetic
group of parents and teachers, who
worked all year to replace the funding
for curriculum-based field trips formerly funded directly by the district. …
The museum needs third graders every
bit as much as third graders need the
museum! We have unique resources
that encourage children to learn. …
Third graders bring energy and purpose to the work of all the organizations that welcomed them this year.”
Later, the parents advocated that these
field trips be returned to the district
budget because they were integral to
the curriculum.
Times have changed but the happiness of possibilities hasn’t. Thanks, all
of you, for listening.
On the cover: A display of historic artifacts from Fournier’s Ballroom and other period objects.
FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE BRING BACK THE ENERGY AND SPIRIT OF FOURNIER’S BALLROOM
“Fun!” “A great time.” “I had a
blast.” “Do it again next year!”
This was the common refrain as
people headed home late on the night
of September 11 after an evening of
food, dancing, and reminiscing. CVM’s
fourth annual heritage in the valley
celebration, Fournier’s for a Night, will
be hard to top.
Fournier’s Ballroom may have
closed more than forty years ago, but
memories of youthful experiences at
the dance club remain strong in the
minds of hundreds of Chippewa Valley
residents. The 392 people who ventured out to Eau Claire’s Florian Gardens came to re-live—for one evening at
least—a night at Fournier’s.
Fournier’s Ballroom was open as
a dance studio or club for a total of 71
years. For Fournier’s for a Night, event
planners re-created the feel of the late
1950s or early 1960s. It was an era when
some of the biggest names in popular
music played Fournier’s. Most notably,
the Winter Dance Party tour ‘raved on’
at Fournier’s the night of January 26,
1959. Buddy Holly & the Crickets, the
Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens, and Dion
& the Belmonts headlined the show. A
week later, Holly, Valens, and the Bopper were killed in a tragic plane crash.
Re-creating the feel of the sock
hop era took more than a few design
touches. Indeed, it was the people who
really made the night so special.
Howie Sturtz, a famous local musician who played at Fournier’s in the
’50s, served as Master of Ceremonies.
During the dance, the Thundermen
energized the room. The crowd danced
the night away to “Twist and Shout,”
“Little Bitty Pretty One,” and “At the
Hop,” among other classic songs from
the early years
of rock and roll.
The Thundermen
formed in Eau
Claire in the early
1960s and have
continued to play
ever since.
Dinner was
another special
touch. It was
modeled on a
classic ‘60s supper
club meal: a pear
The Thundermen rocked and rolled through dozens of hits from the ’50s and ’60s.
and lettuce salad
with cottage cheese,
Miss + love you Dad!”
chicken Kiev, baked
potato with sour cream and chives,
“When I was 15 ½ year old I saw
green bean almondine, and grasshop- the most beautiful girl on the front steps
per mint pie for dessert.
of Fournier’s …. So I married her!!!”
Later in the evening, life-long
Chippewa Valley pizza-maker Sam Cifaldi surprised the crowd by donating
Sammy’s pizza for a late-night snack.
CVM exhibit developer Melissa
Holmen illustrated the history of
the ballroom with a short slideshow.
Holmen had researched Fournier’s
for her undergraduate thesis and had
many fascinating (and downright
funny) tales to share. Holmen also
read stories guests shared just that
evening...
“Before they were married my
grandpa invited my grandma to dance
at Fournier’s (1920s). She turned him
down and later showed up to teach
another guy to dance (her brother).
My grandpa did not know her brother
at that time. He was not amused!”
“Our Dad was one of the best Jitterbug Dancers at Fournier’s—all the
ladies wanted to Dance with him. We
loved dancing with him too!
“My sister + I saw and danced to
Bobby Vee’s music. He wore a blue
sport coat with his initials on the cuffs.
It was a rainy night with not many there.
I became a life long fan of Bobby Vee.”
The fun event brought the people,
and the people gave a huge boost to the
museum’s bottom line. Through ticket
sales, a silent auction of 67 donated
baskets, a 50/50 raffle, 9 cash donations, 11 sponsors, and donated food
and drink profits from Sammy’s Pizza
and Leinenkugel’s Brewery, the Chippewa Valley Museum netted $11,000.
Both attendance and revenue set
heritage celebration records, topping
past peaks of 192 people in 2011 and
$7,000 revenue in 2012.
Should we do it again next year?
Do you have another great idea?
Contact Dorie Boetcher to share your
opinion: 715-834-7871 or
[email protected].
Fall 2014 • 3
Timber Trails: back in a new way
In 1998, you needed audio cassette tapes to “travel the Timber Trails.”
The tours will soon be available on your smartphone.
In 1998, the Chippewa Valley Museum helped develop a series of four auto
tours called Timber Trails in the Chippewa Valley using a grant from the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Commission.
Visitors could stop at the local
visitor bureau to pick up a “Traveler’s
Companion” folder, which included
printed maps and cassette tapes
containing the Timber Trails audio
guides for each tour. The tours brought
visitors past ghost towns like Chippewa
City and Porter’s Mills, to local landmarks like the Cornell Stacker and
Big Falls, and through miles of beautiful forests, farmland, and orchards.
Unfortunately, few cars still have cassette players.
WHS discount for
CVM Members
One of the benefits you get as a
Chippewa Valley Museum member is
a 20% discount at Wisconsin Historical Society museums and historic
sites. WHS recently changed how the
discount is administered, and we want
to make sure you still get your savings.
Before you visit a WHS site,
stop by our website (www.cvmuseum.
com) to download and print the WHS
coupon. It is located on the page “You
Can Help,” under the list of member
benefits.
Or type in the following:
www.cvmuseum.com/PDFs/
2014_Affiliate_Pass.pdf
4 • Currents
Today, funded by a grant called
Thinking Local from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, CVM and
Visit Eau Claire are working with a web
development firm called Simpleview to
bring Timber Trails back to life on 21st
century technology. All four Timber
Trails tours are being revised and rerecorded with Don and Lois Hodgins,
local celebrities from Fanny Hill Dinner Theatre. Simpleview is developing a
mobile-friendly website that will house
all the materials you’ll need to once
again travel the Timber Trails!
Send your email address to
[email protected] and we’ll send
you a link when the Timber Trails site
makes its debut!
The Timber Trails Tours
Tour 1: Eau Claire, Downsville, and
Menomonie
Tour 2: Chippewa Falls, Jim Falls,
Cornell, Holcombe, and glacial
morraine country
Tour 3: Eau Claire, Town of LaFayette,
Augusta, Fall Creek, and Altoona
Tour 4: Menononie, Knapp,
Boyceville, and Colfax
Party held to honor long-time volunteers
Rosemary Wollum and Jean Tibbitts, described by one staff member as
two of our “legendary” volunteers, recently retired from CVM. On Steptember 24, staff and many other volunteers
celebrated their service with cake and
coffee in the ice cream parlor.
Rosemary started volunteering at
the museum in 1989, so long ago we
don’t even know how many total hours
she’s put in. (2,300 hours since 2004,
and probably close to 8,000 total.) Jean
first volunteered in 2005 and has given
more than 3,000 hours to the museum.
Jean Tibbitts (left) and Rosemary Wollum (right)
enjoy cake and coffee in their honor.
“Both ladies are very well liked by
staff, other volunteers, and visitors,”
said volunteer coordinator Jill York.
“They were always willing to help out.”
With other women, they made crafts
to sell in the museum store. The Circle
also hosted an annual holiday craft and
bake sale at the Schlegelmilch House,
which generated as much as $2,000 per
year. All proceeds supported children’s
programming at the museum.
In addition to volunteering at
the front desk and museum store,
Rosemary and Jean were part of the
Thursday Craft Circle for many years.
“They are both very special ladies and I will definitely miss both of
them,” added York. We wish them the
best in retirement!
Museum
Wish List
I worked together on the ‘quarantine’
section. But we divided the work.”
Were there any unexpected challenges you had to overcome?
Now Open:
Picture of Health
Community Historians share their experiences
CVM’s newest exhibit, Picture of
Health, opened September 26 in the
Ayres Associates Gallery. Picture of Health
is the second in a series of three exhibits
for a project called Going Deeper. Going
Deeper brings community members and
visitors into the process of historical
inquiry, allowing them to participate
in exhibit development in a new way. I
recently interviewed two of the community historians who worked on Picture of
Health to see how they felt now that the
exhibit is on public display.
Liz Reuter is community programs
manager at CVM. While Liz is on staff
at the museum, her job typically does
not include exhibit development.
Emma Felty is a senior at UWEC,
majoring in Public History with a
minor in Art History and Fine Arts
Administration. She plans to pursue a
graduate degree in public history.
What was your role in developing
Picture of Health?
Liz: “We all selected objects, did
background research, and drafted exhibit labels. We also talked to Eldbjorg,
the librarian, so we could do a survey
of images we could work with. We
thought about how the images helped
us tell stories of artifacts and how all of
that helped us tell stories of people. It’s
all about people.”
Emma: “We each worked on our
own sections. Gretchen Seidling and
Emma: “We had to work around
the iron lung, which was the key artifact in our section. We were forced to
make polio a central part of the exhibit,
where we could have focused on any
number of epidemics.”
Liz: “We went through a list of
CVM artifacts looking for things we
thought were really awesome. We
thought if we liked them, other people
would too. We all learned how easy it
was to get sucked into the artifacts and
research and fall a bit behind on our
deadlines. I spent too much time looking at Hmong shaman traditions.”
How did the exhibit turn out?
Emma: “It looks really neat. Our
section [on polio] is definitely the most
difficult since it deals with people
dying, but I think it fits together well
with the rest of the exhibit. It makes
me appreciate the benefits of modern
medicine, but it also draws attention to
home remedies that are still common.”
Liz: “Right as we were finishing the
exhibit instillation, a couple walked
by with their granddaughter. She was
asking, ‘what’s this, what’s that?’ You
could tell they were standing in front of
the iron lung. So they started explaining polio.... And then there are the
patent medicines. The exhibit has a lot
of wow factor... the weird wow factor—
‘what is that?!’—going on. There are lots
of things for people to talk about.”
Funded in part by a grant from the Wisconsin
Humanities Council, with funds from the National
Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings,
conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
project do not necessarily represent those of the
National Endowment for the Humanities. The
Wisconsin Humanities
Council supports and creates
programs that use history,
culture, and discussion to
strengthen community life for
everyone in Wisconsin.
The museum is always looking for
objects to help us tell the stories of the
Chippewa Valley and tools to preserve
and maintatin those objects.
If you have any of the following,
you can help immediately. Contact
Carrie Ronnander at 715-834-7871 or
[email protected].
For general museum use:
• Windows 7 notebooks – one for
program use, one for curatorial use
• iMac (24” or greater) for use in
design department
For hands-on activities in
Changing Currents:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ox-shoes
Logging pants
Logger’s flannel shirt
Log stamp
Tin plate & cup
Red handkerchief
Abacus
School slate
Vintage fish scale
Dress-up clothes: police, construction worker, nurse, baker/chef
• 1980s electric typewriter (working)
For display in Changing Currents:
• UW-Eau Claire gear, memorabilia,
1970-1990
• UW-Stout memorabilia, 1970-1990
• Gasoline pump, any vintage
(Yep, we’re still looking!)
• Sony Walkman
• Boombox, 1980s
Fall 2014 • 5
At Risk of Being German
Changing Currents Feature Story No. 4
One Saturday in August 1918,
long-time Dunn County resident Emma
Wahl found reason to visit to Rice Lake.
Before she could depart, however, she
had to stop by the local police station
in Menomonie. There, Chief of Police
George R. Cook was required to give
his permission for her to leave the city.
What had Emma done to earn such
scrutiny? She wasn’t a felon. She wasn’t
a criminal of any kind. She was, like
many residents of the Chippewa Valley,
an ethnic German.
A month earlier, Emma had been
forced to register with the government as
an “alien female.” The registration card
she was given contained her signature
and a photograph for identification. It
also contained a serious threat:
In the midst of World War I,
many Americans came to fear that
German-Americans would sympathize
with their homeland and weaken the
American war effort, or worse, that
German immigrants were in fact enemy
spies. Following an executive order by
President Woodrow Wilson on April
19, 1918, Emma Wahl and thousands of
other German-American women were
required at all times to carry a registration card identifying each of them as a
potential threat to national security.
Under Pressure
German-American men like
Emma’s husband Ernst (or Ernest) had
been subject to the same restrictions
following an executive order five months
6 • Currents
earlier. It didn’t matter that Ernest
Wahl had been in America for over 50
years since arriving with his parents as a
teenager in 1864. Or that he had filed
naturalization papers in 1880. He had
never completed the naturalization process and therefore remained an “alien.”
As anti-German sentiments mounted and alien restrictions were put in
place, Ernest Wahl finally felt pressured
to complete his naturalization. But he
was too late. On April 18, 1918, the
day before President Wilson declared
that German-American women like
Emma would be subject to alien registration, Ernest saw his second attempt to
become a naturalized American citizen
fail. The court rejected his petition for
citizenship on the grounds that he had
waited too long to finish the process.
The United States Supreme Court
had recently decided a case affirming that old declarations of intention
like Ernest’s were accountable to the
Naturalization Act passed by Congress
in 1906. The Naturalization Act stipulated that foreign-language aliens were
required to complete naturalization—to
petition for citizenship—within seven
years after declaring their intention to
do so. In early January 1918, as Ernest
and Emma contemplated what the new
alien registration meant for Ernest, the
case United States v. Morena stated that
old declarations like Ernest’s had been
grandfathered in under the Naturalization Act, but that the seven-year limit
then applied from the date of the Act’s
passage (that is, 1906). In 1918, Ernest
was still five years too late. Ernest’s failure to become naturalized affected more
than just his own freedom.
Who Is a Citizen?
The most astonishing aspect of this
entire story is that Emma Wahl, the
sixty-one-year-old mother of nine, had
been born right here in Dunn County,
Wisconsin. She was a native-born citizen
of the United States. In a situation that
seems surprising today, Emma’s American citizenship, acquired at birth, was
suspended on April 2, 1877, the day she
married Ernest. “Any American woman
who marries a foreigner takes the
nationality of her husband,” proclaimed
a document from the U.S. Attorney
General clarifying the President’s 1918
order on the Registration of German
Alien Females.
So long as Ernest had not become
a naturalized citizen, the United States
considered both he and Emma citizens
of the German Empire. Although she
was born and raised in the United States
and had never set foot in the German
Empire, Emma was deemed a potential
threat and became subject to severe
government restrictions on “alien” citizens simply because she had married a
German-American man forty years prior.
Whether a foreign woman had married before immigrating or an American
native had married a foreign citizen
in the U.S., she was not in most cases
considered eligible for her own naturalization. Emma Wahl could not have
“re-naturalized” on her own accord. Her
naturalization status depended entirely
on Ernest so long as he was alive. So,
in the end, Emma and Ernest Wahl
became two of some 250,000 GermanAmericans who registered as German
aliens with the U.S. government during
World War I.
Legal Conundrums
Even if Emma Wahl had been a
U.S. citizen in 1918, she could not have
voted. American women were still fighting for that right. Indeed, the women’s
suffrage movement arguably peaked just
as the United States entered World War
I. Several prominent American women
camped out in permanent protest outside the White House in 1917. President
Wilson’s “war for democracy” in Europe
was a farce, they concluded, if at the
same time twenty million American
women were denied the right to vote.
Under such pressure, Wilson publicly
changed his position and in 1918 began
to openly advocate giving women the
right to vote. The Nineteenth Amendment passed in Congress and was ratified in 1920.
The Nineteenth Amendment in
turn created problems administering immigration laws, even for men. Consider
the following example. Say an immi-
(If you find it hard to follow all of these
legal explanations, imagine how you’d
feel if your citizenship depended on
understanding them!)
The remedy came in 1922, when
Congress passed the Married Women’s
Act. Also known as the Cable Act, it
finally granted women independence
in terms of naturalization. Beginning in
1922, American-born women who married foreigners retained the American
citizenship of their birth, while foreignborn women could no longer acquire
U.S. citizenship simply by marrying an
ment and local citizens during World
War I and saw maintaining foreign
citizenship as a political statement. Or
perhaps once the anti-German fever
abated after the war, they saw no reason
to go through the hassle yet again.
Complicated Lives
We often study separately things
like World War I, immigration, and
the fight for women’s rights, digesting
one theme at a time. The situation of
Emma and Ernest Wahl is a reminder
that the people who lived through these
changes experienced them in relation to
one another and all at the same time.
For Emma Wahl, wartime legal limitations based on birthplace and national
identity overlapped with other cateories
in which legal rights differed—gender
and marital status.
Other anti-German laws passed during World War I restricted speaking and
writing in German. These laws, which
targeted German-language schools and
newspapers, also affected many Chippewa Valley residents, perhaps including
Emma’s children or grandchildren.
Pages from Emma Wahl’s “Registration Card of Alien Female”: card-carrying directions (far left) from page 1;
cover page (above left); and page 3 (above right). We do not know why Emma went to Rice Lake on August 10,
1918. However, she needed no such indorsement to travel to Eau Galle in mid November for the funeral of her
18-year-old daughter-in-law Mabel, who died in Spanish flu epidemic, because Mabel died five days after the
armistice ended World War I. German “alien” restrictions lasted “for the period of the war.”
grant man was fully eligible to become
a citizen, but his wife could not speak
English (which was—and still is—one
of the requirements). Since a married
woman’s naturalization status derived
from her husband, if the judge allowed
the husband to become a citizen, the
wife would then be able to vote, despite
herself not possessing the required qualifications. In such cases, judges often
denied men who were otherwise fully
qualified to become American citizens.
American man. There was, however, one
glaring exception in the Cable Act: since
Asian men were barred entirely from
becoming U.S. citizens, any American
woman who married an Asian man still
forfeited her own citizenship.
Despite these changes, there is no
evidence that either Ernest or Emma
Wahl ever became naturalized citizens.
Perhaps they were bitter at the treatment
they received from the American govern-
See Emma Wahl’s registration card up
close—and learn about the plight of a Chippewa Valley newspaper editor who ran afoul
of anti-German laws—in CVM’s new exhibit
Changing Currents: Reinventing the
Chippewa Valley. Join us for special grand
opening events Sunday, December 7, from 1
to 5pm.
Changing Currents: Reinventing the
Chippewa Valley is funded in part by a
major grant from the National Endowment
for the Humanities. Any views, findings,
conclusions, or recommendations expressed
in this exhibit do not necessarily represent
those of the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
This project was also
made possible in part by
the Institute of Museum
and Library Services.
Fall 2014 • 7
Chippewa Valley Museum
FY14 Annual Report
BOARD
MEMBERS
Museum Board
2013-2014
Foundation Board
2013-2014
Lynn Frank
Stephen Driever
Mayo Health System, retired
Pieter Graaskamp, secretary
Eau Claire Press Company
John Frank
Chippewa Valley Technical College
Mary Ann Hardebeck
James Hanke
Superintendent, Eau Claire Area School District
Xcel Energy
Karen Hebert, president
Al Jones
Spectrum Insurance Group
Jones Financial Consulting, LLC
Gretchen Hutterli
Donella Magadance
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Assistant Dean-External Affairs, College of Business
Peoples Bank
Phil Johnson
Ayres Associates
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
History Department, emeritus
Al Jones
Sue Tietz
Jones Financial Consulting, LLC
McDonough Manufacturing
Melissa Jones
Paul Weinke, president
Northwestern Bank
Weld, Riley, Prenn & Ricci, Attorneys at Law
Ron Mickel, Ph.D.
Mark Willer, vice president
Ron Mickel, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
History Department, emeritus
Merchants Bank
Dave Pokrandt, vice president
Eau Claire Area School District
Charter Bank
Shari Radford
The Florian Gardens
Becky Seelen
Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerse
Wayne Wille, treasurer
US Bank
Mai Xiong
Wells Fargo
Shannon Young
Eau Claire Area School District
8 • Currents
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
Shannon Young
CVM has a roster of 375 volunteers. Of those volunteers, 263 volunteered 11,288.25 hours at
the museum in FY14. This service has a minimum value of $88,100.56 to CVM.
VOLUNTEERS
We welcomed 89 new volunteers to our ranks this year (55 adults and 34 teens). The volunteer
areas include programs, curatorial, design, education, research, docents, visitor services, library,
Schlegelmilch gardeners and Schlegelmilch House tours, special events, the shop, and a craft group.
Their contributions benefited the museum in the following ways:
•87 visitors services volunteers (front desk, museum store, ice cream parlor, school house and log
house) spent 4,322.50 hours providing assistance to visitors.
•86 volunteers worked 386.25 hours on a holiday to ensure the success of our annual 4th of July
Family Fair.
•23 docents provided 353.25 hours of history education and interpretation to school and other
tour groups.
•4 volunteers provided 261.25 hours in the education department.
•63 volunteers spent 746.25 hours assisting with children’s programs, special events and
scheduled museum programs. Special projects included “Fournier’s for a Night,” the Fiber Arts
Festival, the Irish Heritage Festival, and the Pancake Breakfast.
•31 volunteers worked in the shop 567.25 hours.
•12 volunteer worked 1,672 hours in our design department. •24 volunteers provided 1296.25 hours of service in our curatorial department. Special projects
included working on the Picture of Health and Changing Currents exhibits.
•5 women volunteered 163.50 hours making a variety of crafts sold in the museum store. Their
profit benefits museum programs.
•6 volunteers helped in the Glenn Curtis Smoot Library and Archives for a total of 553.75
hours. Special projects included the digitization of our photo collection.
•8 volunteers helped with research for a total of 614.75 hours. •2 volunteers helped with office support for 80.25 hours.
This year, 14 Master Gardeners, 15 members of Boy Scout Troop #31, their troop leader, and 4
helpers volunteered 268 hours at the Schlegelmilch House. This included planning, planting and
other garden maintenance.
Our 34 new teen volunteers included 9 in the Teen Guide program. The Teen Guides provided
462.25 hours in visitor services and programs, including the 4th of July Family Fair. All of the
teenagers’ energy, enthusiasm and dedication were a huge help to the museum during the busy
summer months.
A total of 26 college students volunteered at the museum this year. Twelve were UW-Stout students
who put in 2,600 hours designing the fur trade experience and 1884 flood animation in Changing
Currents. Six other students completed internships in various areas of the museum including the
library, curatorial, design, research and education.
Fall 2014 • 9
VOLUNTEERS
(CONTINUED)
Of our 263 volunteers, 43 worked for more than 100 hours at the museum this year. Of these
generous individuals, 16 volunteered 100-150 hours; 18 volunteered 150-200 hours; 4 volunteered
200-250 hours; 3 volunteered 300-350 hours; and 1 volunteered 350-400 hours. In addition, 1 very
dedicated person volunteered 407 hours of his time and talent at CVM. We greatly appreciate all of
their time and effort!
EDUCATION
In FY14, 4,907 learners ages preschool through adult visited CVM in 120 groups. In total, CVM
provided 8,067 hours of education services. CVM docents (museum teachers) led 6,692 of these
hours.
ECASD third graders returned for year seven of their “Adventures in History” Field Trip
experience. 764 students along with 126 teachers and parent chaperones came during March until
early April.
Other groups visited throughout the year as follows:
• 1 Preschool group (15 students and 10 chaperones)
• 51 Elementary groups (2,705 students and 319 chaperones)
• 2 Middle school groups (86 students and 7 chaperones)
• 4 High school groups (56 students and 7 chaperones)
• 4 College groups (81 total)
• 10 Multi-age / multi-grade groups (292 students and 73 chaperones)
• 5 Youth groups—Scouts, 4-H, and others (112 children and 56 chaperones)
• 2 Summer school groups (74 students and 8 chaperones)
• 3 Childcare centers (65 children and 8 chaperones)
• 5 Adult groups (43 total)
The education department had two interns this last year. In Spring 2014, Mike
Shoup led tours for visitors of all ages, completed assignments to aid middle school
students, and worked on projects in conjunction with the new exhibit, Changing
Currents: Reinventing the Chippewa Valley. In Summer 2014, Jennifer Larson assisted
with weekly Kaleidoscope classes for preschoolers and school-age children and
administered our corresponding Facebook postings for each series.
Harold was inspired by
gardening during the
summer Kaleidoscope
class he attended at the
Schlegelmilch House.
10 • Currents
CVM also established a Teaching and Learning Advisory Council in July 2014,
inviting representatives from four area school districts to attend. Five educators from
Eau Claire, Elk Mound, Augusta, and Altoona participated. They came to learn about Changing
Currents and offer suggestions concerning the best ways for their students and fellow teachers to
experience the new content, along with resources they would like to see included.
In 2014, it had been 100 years since the heirs of William Carson deeded the park to the City of
Eau Claire. The Paul Bunyan Camp celebrated its 80th year in the park and the Chippewa Valley
Museum its 40th. A lot of history for a special place.
ADMINISTRATION
& DEVELOPMENT
Facilities
Elsewhere in this issue, there is a lot of information about Changing Currents, the major exhibit
project that has been in development for 5 years and under construction for 10 months so far. (The
museum was closed to the public for four weeks while demolition was in progress.) Changing Currents has an intended life of 15 years and so is a major capital project in itself. But there is more
to it. Ten years ago CVM was in the midst of the 25th Anniversary capital projects that added a
detached collections storage building, renovated 75% of the existing facility, and increased the
museum’s endowment by $250,000.
The part of the building left untouched at that time was filled with exhibits too new to remove for
renovatation if the gallery itself. That work was left for the future and the future came this year.
While the gallery was clear, its infrastructure was improved—old dropped ceilings removed, venting
re-routed, and fire sprinkling extended. Facilities manager Dondi Hayden oversaw the project for
the museum as she did a decade earlier. Hoeft Builders provided the general construction.
FY14 saw other major maintenance and equipment upgrades. The museum’s main humidification
system had been patched up once too often. We were able to replace the cranky system thanks to
a $13,500 special distribution of unrestricted funds from the CVM Foundation. With the help of
computer consultant Jeff Stevens, CVM replaced the main server and upgraded 19 work stations
that were still using the XP operating system as Microsoft support came to an end. The hardware
upgrade to Windows 7 machines also allowed the museum to upgrade all of its Microsoft Office
software. Lastly, the museum was added to the fiber optic internet network installed and supported
by the City of Eau Claire.
Financial
Stable sources of community-based income, such as local government support and member contributions, are particularly important to CVM. Most can be used wherever needed, unlike outside
funds, which are generally restricted to particular projects. Local sources are also critical to CVM’s
ability to compete for outside funding, however, ensuring the presence of qualified staff and providing matching funds that allow us to compete for other resources. In the past decade, local government and member support fluctuated, at least in part in reaction to larger economic conditions. At
the same time, other circumstances affected the expense side of the ledger, for example, increased
energy costs. Although these changes have slowed, they have not yet reversed.
In 2014, our city room tax allocation for operations and programs stood at $64,000, reflecting several incremental increases in recent years. County funding remained stable at $22,250 although in
FY02 county support was $35,700. Both city and county supported this year’s gallery improvements
with contributions of $5,800 and $5,000 respectively.
CVM was able to offset some of the financial losses of the volatile past decade by providing professional development activities for teachers from throughout rural Wisconsin. The funding source was
Fall 2014 • 11
ADMINISTRATION
& DEVELOPMENT
(CONTINUED)
the Department of Education Teaching American History (TAH) program and the museum worked
in partnership with the UWEC Department of History and Cooperative Educational Service
Agency (CESA) 10 to obtain the four main grants and deliver the programming.
CESA10 was the official grantee for the TAH awards so funds received by CVM for its services were
contract rather than grant income. In 2013, the TAH program came to an end. Contract income
went from $274,831 in FY13 to $17,000 in FY14. Several years of preparation resulted in increased
grant and contributed income (from $191,000 in FY13 to $454,993 in FY14) offsetting the loss of
contract income for now.
CVM produced three recurring and two special fundraising events during FY14: a pancake breakfast
and family activities during the Indianhead Track Club’s Halloween run, our 4th of July celebration, and the Heritage Celebration. These brought in $35,970 and netted $19,478 for exhibits and
programs.
This was the fourth year of developming the September Heritage in the Valley Celebration as a
signature event for the museum. Each year, we have featured an aspect of regional culture in fun
events that went very well. But this year really took off as we celebrated our music heritage with
“Fournier’s for a Night.” (See the cover story for more details about the event.) Hours of planning and work on the part of the event committee—made up this year of Melissa Jones, Donnie
Magadance, Shari Radford, Shannon Young, and CVM business manager Dorie Boetcher—go into
a success like this.
CVM also benefited from two one-of-a-kind
fundraisers this year. Every January for many years,
award-winning wool rug braider Nelva Dykema
taught classes at the museum. After Nelva’s death
in March 2013, her daughter Janet Seymour
arranged for the sale of much of her remaining
stash of recycled wool fabrics and clothing—1,200
pounds in total—with the proceeds to benefit the
museum. Thanks to her generosity, the October
20, 2013, sale earned $730 for CVM. Piles of Nelva Dykema’s
recycled fabrics fill rows of
tables in the L.E. Phillips
Memorial Auditorium the
day before the October
sale.Though you can’t tell
in black and white, many
of these were gorgeous
colors and styles.
12 • Currents
When long-term exhibits Paths of the People and
Settlement and Survival came down at the end of
2013, CVM decided to give away some of the
photomurals and prints made for those projects
and to sell others. (All of these materials were reproductions. Many were still in very good condition even after 20+ years on the walls but would not
fit in the new exhibit or be useful here in other ways.) We gave a collection of Eau Claire photographs to the City. Prints showing scenes from Stanley and Lac du Flambeau are going to museums
in those communities. We offered a large part of the remaining surplus at a public sale. Teachers
stopped in to buy historical prints for their classrooms. Individual photos went home with visitors
who had grown attached to particular images. The January sale netted about $750.
Changing Currents: A New Exhibit
In November, Paths of the People and Settlement and Survival came down after more than twenty
years. The entire museum was closed to the public for four weeks. For several months, plastic
curtains closed off the Main Gallery. Behind the curtains, facilities manager Dondi Hayden led the
construction of many new instillations—a trading post here, a sawmill there, a platform across the
way—for CVM’s latest major exhibit Changing Currents: Reinventing the Chippewa Valley.
RESEARCH &
DEVELOPMENT
Hayden and consulting designer Jeanne Nyre received plenty of assistance turning the design into
reality. CVM hired two limited-term staff, exhibit fabricator Cade Sikora and design assistant
Mikala Dale. Sikora led construction of the steamship and worked on many other projects. Dale
cleaned up source images for the many large photographs and designed text panels, logos, and promotional materials. More than 40 volunteers contributed 2000-plus hours in design department and
workshop, helping especially with construction and painting.
Throughout the planning process, the working title of the new 4,200 square-foot exhibit was Intersections. In February and March 2014, staff conducted several rounds of brainstorming and surveys
to select the exhibit’s official title Changing Currents: Reinventing the Chippewa Valley. “Changing
Currents” captures the gradual but perpetual transformation of life in the region and ties the exhibit
strongly to the Chippewa River. Visitors will experience the exhibit as a journey down a river,
stopping off at different points in time. “Reinventing” highlights how each generation of Chippewa Valley residents changed the regional economy and revitalized regional culture to
ensure the Valley remained a vibrant place to live and work.
Since most of the dirty and dangerous construction work was finished by the end of
spring, CVM opened the exhibit “for preview” on the 4th of July audience and then
throughout summer and fall as more objects, images, and activities gradually came into
place. CV will host a grand opening for Changing Currents in early December. You are
all invited.
Staff also continued to develop hands-on activities for Changing Currents so that the exhibit
will appeal to many different age levels. Doug Smith, a sound and light consultant, spent three
weeks on-site in June installing audio and light components and will be here again in November to
complete the installation. Theater director and consultant Virginia Smith directed audio recordings
for use in the exhibit while here in May.
Ten UW-Stout students helped provide CVM visitors with two historical animation experiences
that had formerly been beyond the museum’s capabilities. The students were enrolled in the Advanced 3D Modeling & Animation course at UW-Stout taught by Assistant Professor Dave Beck.
One team produced a 3D animation of the great 1884 flood that destroyed more than 150 buildings
in Eau Claire and caused millions of dollars of damage. Using historic maps and photos as references, the video animates the active process of the Chippewa River flooding 50 city blocks. Additional
scenes provide a 3D rendering of debris and rushing water destroying a major manufacturing site.
The other team produced a 3D animated role-playing experience based on the history of a 1788
trading post built on the Red Cedar River by trader Jean Baptiste Perrault. The animation was
installed in a simulated fur trade post within Changing Currents. Visitors play as a young Ojibwe
woman who stops by Perrault’s post to trade furs for other goods, and get to make decisions about
what to trade for. UWEC graduate student Jeremy Kingsbury wrote the script.
Fall 2014 • 13
RESEARCH &
DEVELOPMENT
(CONTINUED)
Changing Currents has been funded in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Wisconsin Arts Board—with funds from the
National Endowment for the Arts—and the Wisconsin Humanities Council—with funds from the
National Endowment for the Humanities and the State of Wisconsin.
Folk Arts Everywhere
Mai Xee Xiong shows
how to make a White
Hmong style New Year
hat in “A Piece of
Hmong.”
CVM worked on two other projects with funding from the Wisconsin Arts Board during this fiscal
year. The first explored regional folk art expressions and produced a video documenting the creation of an embroidered Hmong New Year’s hat (already on CVM’s YouTube channel). CVM is
working with three regional folk artists to prepare documentation of their work within the larger
Changing Currents exhibit.
The second project, called Always Beading, will be the first exhibit in the Changing Currents “Postscript Gallery.” Staff began contacting Ojibwe and HoChunk bead work artists
in the region and working with HoChunk bead worker Brandy Lonetree to
document the creation of a beaded tobacco bag.
Physically part of the larger Changing Currents exhibit, the “Postscript Gallery”
will provide a space to expand upon topics or themes introduced earlier in the
exhibit. In Always Beading, visual prompts and a scavenger hunt will encourage
visitors to think about how Ojibwe and HoChunk bead work has changed in
the Chippewa Valley over the centuries, both in style and purpose, and to consider what has remained the same. Amidst all the transformations presented in Changing Currents, Always Beading shows the importance of cultural continuity, even as particular bead work styles change
over time.
Both of these projects are supported in part by grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with
funds from the State of Wisconsin and National Endowment for the Arts.
Going Deeper Exhibit
This year, CVM continued a project to develop the second of three 800-square foot exhibits in the
Ayres Associates gallery. CVM designed the project, called Going Deeper, to deepen community engagement, an area of much discussion in the museum world at present. Going Deeper projects bring
community members and visitors into the process of historical inquiry and exhibit development. In
the past, CVM volunteers, interns and other students have been able to complete research projects
related to developing exhibits, complete oral histories with community members, and write articles
on regional history. Going Deeper allows them to participate in every step of exhibit development,
from formative surveying and evaluation through design and fabrication.
At the end of the fiscal year, Picture of Health opened, the fruit of the labors of six CVM community
historians, several staff members, and several curatorial and design department volunteers. The
community historian exhibit team consisted of Amy Alpine, Kate Edenborg, Emma Felty, Gretchen
Seidling, Joe Orser, Liz Reuter, and Angela Ziel. Picture of Health explores health and wellness in
the Chippewa Valley.
Picture of Health replaced the first Going Deeper exhibit called Art All Around, which focused on regional folk art and was curated by four UWEC interns. When Picture of Health retires in May 2015,
14 • Currents
CVM will open a third exhibit called On the Move, about transportation in the Chippewa Valley.
Thanks to ChippePedia, CVM’s online encyclopedia, much of the research from these exhibits will
be available for a world-wide audience long after these gallery exhibits come down. The interns,
students and volunteers for each exhibit contribute articles to ChippePedia based on their research.
RESEARCH &
DEVELOPMENT
(CONTINUED)
The project is funded in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Humanities Council, with funds from
the National Endowment for the Humanities and the State of Wisconsin.
Thinking Local
Throughout FY14, CVM staff worked with representatives from the City of Eau
Claire Parks and Recreation Department; Clear Vision; Downtown Eau Claire,
Inc; the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council; L.E. Phillips Memorial Public
Library; the Area Research Center at UWEC; Visit Eau Claire; Volume One;
and Western Dairyland under a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library
Services called Thinking Local.
Director Susan McLeod, community programs manager Liz Reuter, and editor
John Vanek make up the CVM staff team for the project, serving on two planning committees and contributing to a variety of project activities. All of them
sit on the committee that is planning a signature event for Eau Claire. At this
point, the group is looking at a major event that celebrates Eau Claire’s bridges
to take place in early fall 2016.
Reuter assisted Collin Hawkins of Western Dairyland in the development of a public survey to
identify obstacles to cultural access. “The Good Life” study, published in 2012, noted that many
residents of Eau Claire County were interested in attending and participating in more cultural activities, but that various factors limited their ability to do so. The Thinking Local survey seeks to find
out what those obstacles are and then propose initial steps for the community to address them.
Dr. George Beebe and
Ethel Borgenheimer, RN,
give a free tuberculosis
test at Mt. Washington
Sanatorium in Eau
Claire, 1940-1955. This
image is on display in
Picture of Health.
Editor John Vanek worked on two projects meant to bring existing resources to a wider audience.
First, the Eau Claire Landmarks Commission’s has a published guide containing several walking or
biking tours of “landmark” architecture. Using historic photos from CVM, Vanek began reproducing those tours on the website HistoryPin.com. Part-way through the project, however, HistoryPin
stopped supporting its mobile apps. Since mobile functionality was a key feature to address Thinking
Local’s goal of wider access, that project was put on hold. However, another project may provide a
suitible platform for the Landmarks Commission tours. In conjunction with Visit Eau Claire, Vanek
edited the first of four Timber Trails auto tours. The tours were developed for the 1998 Wisconsin
Sesquicentennial and are now being updated for contemporary technology. (See page 4 of this issue
for more details.) The responsive website being developed for Timber Trails should have the flexibility to host a variety of tour styles, from auto audio tours like Timber Trails to self-guided walking
tours of local architectural landmarks and public art.
Thinking Local is funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Fall 2014 • 15
EXHIBITS
Long Term Exhibits
Main Gallery
Paths of the People: The Ojibwe in the Chippewa Valley (1991-Nov 2013)
Settlement and Survival: Building Towns in the Chippewa Valley (1992-Nov 2013)
Changing Currents: Reinventing the Chippewa Valley (2014-ongoing)
Rural Heritage Wing
Farm Life: A Century of Change for Farm Families and Their Neighbors (2004-ongoing)
Farmhouse Object Theater
This Day (2005-ongoing)
Short Term Exhibits
Ayres Associates Gallery
Art All Around (Jun 2013Aug 2014)
Picture of Health (Sep
2014-ongoing)
History Lab
My House / My Family Story
(2003-ongoing)
Object Lessons (Sep 2010-ongoing)
Children’s Gallery
Stumps pulled up from cutover land in Rusk County to make
way for a farm. The power of this image is even more apparent in
Changing Currents, where it is shown at nearly life size.
History Quest (Jun 2010-ongoing)
L.E. Phillips Memorial Auditorium
And Art Lives On (Jun 2013-Jan 2014)
Unseen & Historic Eau Claire (Jan-Apr 2014)
Hmong in America (Apr-May 2014)
Eau Claire by Air (Mar 2014-ongoing)
Traveling Exhibits
Hmong in America panel exhibit
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, Fennimore, WI.
On-line Exhibits
PROGRAMS
AND EVENTS
16 • Currents
Barn Stories, four videos on YouTube (Jul 2009)
This year, 5,778 people took part in 69 programs (76 program days).
CVM Community Days:
The 22nd Annual Fourth of July Family Fair attracted 2,234 visitors. Families enjoyed carnival games,
cake walks, spelling and history bees, crafts, and a brass band. The Woz entertained visitors throughout the day, and Legacy Farm once again provided pony rides. Visitors also enjoyed three additional
community day events, including the 4th Annual Pancake Breakfast in conjunction with the Carson
5 & 10 in October, the 5th Annual Fiber Arts Festival in February, and Irish Heritage Community
Day in March. 101 visitors attended an open house at the Schlegelmilch House in August.
Kaleidoscope:
Children ages 6-12 attended CVM’s Time Travelers classes this summer to learn about a broad
range of topics including metal detecting, Native American art, pioneer life, one-room schools, fur
trading, and steamboats. Sessions featured lessons in treasure hunting, making deer antler necklaces, candle dipping, quill writing, voyageur skills, and music and song.
PROGRAMS
AND EVENTS
(CONTUNUED)
Children ages 3-5 attended CVM’s Museum Explorers classes to explore heritage gardens, oldfashioned games, folk dancing, cooking, and farm life fun! They also enjoyed a sneak peek inside
the new Changing Currents exhibit where they saw our Model A Ford Coupe and tourist cabin, then
went outdoors to have “campfire” s’mores.
Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture:
In June, a group of 33 Wisconsin educators from K-12 and other out-of-school educational settings
met at the Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture (WTLC) three-day Bringing It Home Convening in
Madison. WTLC programs connect participating educators with local people and places
while modeling ways to integrate local culture into curriculum. The Wisconsin Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Arts supported the 2014 program.
Participants in the Madison workshop discussed strategies to help educators successfully incorporate
local culture into their teaching. Lisa Rathje and Selina Morales, two nationally-respected folklorists and leaders in social justice education, shared success stories and provided facilitation for the
group. The Convening established a broader local culture education network in Wisconsin.
CVM, the Wisconsin Arts Board, and the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures at
UW-Madison make up the managing partnership for WTLC.
Affinity Groups:
CVM serves as a gathering place for several community groups.
The Tree City Guild Rug Hook Crafters meet weekly on Tuesdays from 10 am to 2 pm. Rug hook
crafters use a cutter to prepare strips of material, mainly wool, which are then hooked to monk’s
cloth set on a frame. The Tree City Guild welcomes new members.
The Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire is a non-profit education society dedicated to
the preservation of genealogy and genealogical resources in the Eau Claire area. The society meets
the second Saturday of each month (September through May) from 9 am to 12 noon. The public is
invited.
The Clearwater Fiber Guild meets the third Sunday of each month from 2 to 4 pm. Visitors are
welcome. Comprised of individuals who share a passion for spinning raw fibers into yarn, the guild
also arranges occasional field trips and offers demonstrations.
The Chippewa Valley Rug Braiders meet to work on projects and share new techniques every
second Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. Visitors are welcome.
Fall 2014 • 17
PROGRAMS
AND EVENTS
(CONTINUED)
October
1, 8, 15, 22
7
16
19
19
20
26
27
28
29
November
4
5
5, 12
7
9
12
18
19
December
8
10
January
18
21
February
1
11, 18
13
15
19
25
26
Workshop Series: Tribal Art
Presentation: Chippewa Valley Learning in Retirement, “The Trout and
the Prophet”
Chippewa Valley Book Festival: Author Luncheon
Workshop: National History Day for Teachers
Chippewa Valley Book Festival: Writer’s Workshop
Wool Sale Extravaganza
Community Day: Pancake Breakfast
Booth: UWEC International Folk Fair
Annual Meeting & Volunteer Appreciation
8th Annual National History Day Kick-Off
Girl Scouts Badge Workshop: The Inventor
North High School Key Club Student Volunteers Orientation
Workshop Series: Tribal Art
Cub Scouts Badge Workshop: Cheese Making
Workshop: Wool Dye & Apply
Book Signing: Glenn St. Arnault
Wisconsin Humanities Council Regional Meeting
Reading Partners Annual Literacy Celebration
Holiday Harp Concert
Book Signing: Glenn St. Arnault
Retired Exhibit Photo Sale + Unseen & Historic Eau Claire Exhibit Opening
Girl Scouts Badge Workshop: The Inventor
5th Annual Fiber Arts Festival
Tuesday Night Rug Hooking Class
Presentation: Education History in Eau Claire
Presentation: The Amish of Wisconsin, Max Kade Institute
Docent Training Day
Family Night: Chippewa Valley Montessori
Booth: Junior Achievement Hospitality & Tourism Day
March
4, 18, 25 Tuesday Night Rug Hooking Class
6 Schlegelmilch House: Girl Scouts Tea Party
15 Community Day: Irish Heritage
20 Presentation: Lake Hallie Optimist Club
24 Cub Scout Badge Ceremony
April
5 Workshops: Silk Scarf Dyeing
8
Hmong in America Exhibit Reception
8 Schlegelmilch House: Girl Scouts Tea Party
9 National History Day Workshop
23 Docent Training Day
18 • Currents
May
2
6, 13
21
June
17-19
19-21
25
26
July
4
9
10
16
17
23
24
29
30
August
31
1
2
6
7
20
23
28
Annual K-Kids Lock-In
Teen Guides Orientation
Stout’s Island Lodge Bus Tour
PROGRAMS
AND EVENTS
(CONTINUED)
Teen Guides Training
Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture Bringing It Home Convening
Kaleidoscope: Time Travelers, “Treasure Hunters”
Kaleidoscope: Museum Explorers, “Garden Party”
22nd Annual 4th of July Family Fair
Kaleidoscope: Time Travelers, “Native Design”
Kaleidoscope: Museum Explorers, “School Days”
Kaleidoscope: Time Travelers, “Pioneer Pastimes”
Kaleidoscope: Museum Explorers, “Music Makers”
Kaleidoscope: Time Travelers, “Summer Scholars”
Kaleidoscope: Museum Explorers, “Little Chefs”
History Teaching & Learning Advisory Council Meeting
Kaleidoscope: Time Travelers, “River
City Rendezvous”
Kaleidoscope: Museum Explorers, “Farm Life Fun”
Booth: PBS Kids Get Up and Go Day
Schlegelmilch Open House
Kaleidoscope: Time Travelers, “Steamboat Sagas”
Kaleidoscope: Museum Explorers,
“Visiting Vacationland”
11th Annual Docent Appreciation Social
Booth: Chippewa River Rendezvous
Teen Guides Pizza Party
September
6 Celebrate the Chippewa River
9 Presentation: Immigration History, North High School
11 Heritage in the Valley Celebration and Fundraiser: “Fournier’s for a Night”
17 Docent Training Day
26
Picture of Health Exhibit Opening Reception
29 Wisconsin Historical Society: West Central Regional Meeting
A group of young ladies
performs a stepdance at
CVM’s Irish Heritage
Community Day.
Fall 2014 • 19
CVM STAFF
Dorie Boetcher, Business Manager
Carrie Ronnander, Curator
Mikala Dale, Design Assistant (limited-term)
Kathie Roy, Assistant Curator / Office Manager
Dondi Hayden, Facilities Manager
Cade Sikora, Exhibit Fabricator (limited-term)
Melissa Holmen, Exhibit Developer
Eldbjorg Tobin, Librarian
Karen Jacobson, Educator
John Vanek, Editor
Susan McLeod, Director
Jill York, Volunteer Coordinator
Liz Reuter, Community Programs Manager
PERSONNEL,
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
& COMMUNITY
SERVICE
Director Susan McLeod continued on the Wisconsin Historical Society Office of School Services
Advisory Board. She was also appointed to the City of Eau Claire Comprehensive Plan Citizen’s
Advisory Committee. In June, McLeod announced that she would retire in December 2014 after
more than thirty years of leadership at the Chippewa Valley Museum. A search committee was
formed in July, and the hiring process is currently underway.
Educator Karen Jacobson attended the Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture wrap-up session in
Madison this past June to report results of a local culture team project completed in Augusta for
the 2013-14 school year. She also traveled to Madison in April and September to participate in the
Wisconsin Historical Society’s advisory council and listening sessions in conjunction with plans
for building a new Wisconsin History Center near the state capitol. Jacobson continues to volunteer for Junior Achievement, the Community Table, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern
Wisconsin.
Community programs manager Liz Reuter participated in the American Alliance of Museums
webinar “Award-Winning Digital Communities, Technology-Based Educational Programming and
Public Outreach” in January.
Curator Carrie Ronnander continues in her post as historian and Vice-Chairperson for the Eau
Claire Landmarks Commission.
Assistant curator Kathie Roy attended the first two of three (the third is October ‘14) disaster
planning and response workshops presented by the Midwest Art Conservation Center as part of the
Wisconsin IMLS Connecting to Collections Implementation Grant.
Editor John Vanek improved his Adobe InDesign software skills with a course from Virtual Training Company in order to continue producing publications like this newsletter at a high standard.
Volunteer coordinator Jill York participated in a webinar entitled “Engaged Volunteers, Engaged
Communities.”
In March, business manager Dorie Boetcher, facilities manager Dondi Hayden, exhibit developer
Mellisa Holmen, and librarian Eldbjorg Tobin joined Jacobson, McLeod, Ronnander, Roy, York,
and volunteers Catherine Davis and Gladys Webb for a Microsoft Update workshop to coincide
with CVM’s work station technology upgrades.
McLeod, Reuter, Ronnander, and Vanek traveled to St. Paul, Minnesota, in August to attend the
the American Association of State and Local History Annual Meeting. Combined, they attended
twenty sessions on various topics. Vanek and Ronnander also participated in separate pre-conference workshops to explore new ideas about making museums more interactive.
20 • Currents
The library and archives responded to 215 inquiries by letter, telephone, e-mail, and in person.
There were 20 requests for reproduction of images from our historic photograph collection. 37
donors gave material to the library and archives, ranging from postcards of the September 1, 1941,
flood to a 1956 program from the Hendrickson Hill Ski Jumping Contest.
The library also supported to students participating in the National History Day Project, and to
UW-Eau Claire Public History students.
GLENN CURTIS
SMOOT LIBRARY
& ARCHIVES
Work continued on documenting the archival
collection by creating access points, scope and
content statements, and inventories.
Volunteers worked on accessioning new donations
of photographs and artifacts. They also transcribed
letters, diaries, and oral histories from the collection and scanned photographs in the photographic
index. As of September 2014, the archival document collection totaled 3,961 items. The photographic index had a total of 17,192 images and
descriptions recorded. The total number of digitized images now stands at 15,964. Jennifer Cook
and Jenny Karls from the L.E. Phillips Memorial
Public Library were again able to scan photographs
during fall 2013.
This postcard of the 1941 Chippewa River flood, one of several donated to CVM during FY14,
shows Water Street fittingly under water.
Museum Store: FY14 sales of $9,737 were down from FY13 by $3,067, but this was offset by a
reduction of $3,317 in expenses in FY14. Net profit of $2,150 was up by $250. Due to exhibit demolition and construction, for 2 months the store was temporarily relocated to CVM’s L.E. Phillips
Memorial Auditorium. Merchandise was displayed on tables throughout the room. Merchandise
buying was curtailed by $2,000 with a corresponding reduction in staff time of $900.
Ice Cream Parlor: FY14 income of $9,442 was down from FY13 by $565. School group sales held
steady while daily sales were down. We offered a “construction-zone” coupon, which entitled people
to a free ice cream cone with each paid admission while the new exhibit was closed to the public.
Expenses, totaling $7,724 were up from FY13 by $416. As a percentage of sales, ingredient costs
were up slightly from FY13. We served 1,800 ice cream cones to school children in May and June.
RETAIL,
RENTALS
& PRIVATE
EVENTS
Schlegelmilch House: The house was rented throughout the year for family gatherings and holiday
parties. The Westie Rescue Club held their 2-day sale in November. Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra
hosted a reception and Travis Dewitt used the house for a photo shoot. Total FY14 rentals: 16.
Rentals at CVM: The L.E. Phillips Memorial Auditorium and Charter Bank Room were used by
the following organization: Presbyterian Women, MHS Hall of Fame, Ager Association, Wisconsin
Public Radio, Keystone Financial, Daughters of the American Revolution, Wisconsin Historical Society and ADRC. Including private party rentals, FY14 CVM rentals totaled 12.
History Kits: Kits were rented 41 times during FY14 compared to 55 in FY13.
Fall 2014 • 21
MARKETING
AND PUBLIC
RELATIONS
Website: The Chippewa Valley Museum’s primary website (www.cvmuseum.com) underwent a
major overhaul in the middle of FY13, so FY14 was the first full year people could visit the new site.
FY14 was also the first full year the museum could gather more complete data about its web visitors.
12,533 distinct users visited the site this year, with a total of 55,696 pageviews. As expected in
the first full year with new data tracking, 73 percent of visitors registered as new, first-time users,
while 27 percent were returning visitors. Nearly 40 percent of visitors accessed the website from
Eau Claire, while Madison (3.5%), Chicago (3.3%), Chippewa Falls (1.8%), Minneapolis (1.7%),
Menomonie (1.4%), La Crosse (1.4%), Hudson (1.3%), and Milwaukee (1.3%) were each home to
more than 1 percent of site visitors. The average visitor spent 2 minutes 15 seconds on the website
and viewed 3.29 pages per session. Eau Claire residents and returning visitors each spent more time
and visited more pages, on average.
53 percent of visitors reached the site after searching for related terms in a web browser like Google
or Yahoo, and 21 percent reached the site by direct means like an e-mail link or bookmark. 25
percent arrived at the site via referrals from other websites or social media, led by the webpages
of the City of Eau Claire, Visit Eau Claire, Facebook, Trip Advisor, Volume One, and Wikipedia.
Visitors referred by Visit Eau Claire, the City of Eau Claire, and Trip Advisor looked at significantly
more pages than average; those referred from Facebook looked at significantly fewer.
Once on the site, the most popular pages were the main page (26 percent of pageviews), “When
You Get Here” (6%), “Plan a Visit” (6%), “Services We Offer” (4%), “Who We Are” (3%),
museum hours (3%), the calendar of events (3%), and the listing of staff and board members (3%).
CVM maintained two additional websites, www.chippepedia.org, and www.eauclairegoodlife.org.
Marketing: The museum completed a survey of late summer visitors. Sixty percent of the
respondent groups were local (from up to 30 miles away), while the rest came from out of the area.
Couples were again the most common group size among survey respondents, and just under half of
all respondents had not been to CVM before. Most respondents once again found out about the
museum via word-of-mouth.
The museum’s Facebook page continues to improve, engaging an ever-growing group of followers
(753 “Likes” at the close of FY14, up 45 percent from 519 at the close of FY13). Regular posts
regarding events and news keep followers aware of what is happening at the museum. A weekly
“Object of the Week” continues to connect followers with artifacts currently in storage. Photos
of staff and volunteers at work allow followers to see behind the scenes. At the close of FY14, 71
percent of our fans were women, and our most engaged fans were between the ages of 35 and 44.
Public Relations and Visitor Services: CVM continued to open its doors free of charge on
Tuesday evenings, which attracted at least 338 visitors in FY14 (down 16 percent from last
year), with a high of 66 in August and a low of 0 in December. Coupons or free admission passes
accounted for at least 567 museum admissions (up about 29 percent from last year). Ten different
coupons or passes were returned to us this year, but 68 percent of the resulting admissions (385)
came from our presence in the Chippewa Valley Coupon Guide.
22 • Currents
At the end of FY14, CVM collections included 21,959 objects. The museum received 266 object
donations during the year and returned 68 objects loaned to the museum for exhibits. Fifty-five of
these loans had been here for more than 20 years in the two long-term exhibits that closed in November. Volunteers catalogued 76 new donations, helped develop 26 Object-of-the-Week entries
for the museum’s Facebook page, helped clean and put away 625 objects that were taken off exhibit,
and added 505 images of documents to the collections database. Continuing a document digitization project begun during FY13, just under half of the museum’s
catalogued documents have now been photographed.
CURATORIAL
Every object donation is important to our museum collection,
but there was one donation that received quite a bit of local news
coverage—the pagoda from the former Woo’s Chinese restaurant.
When it became public that the former restaurant was going to be
razed for future development, Eau Claire community members and
businesses rallied to save the pagoda from demolition. Volunteers
and area businesses contributed time, equipment, labor, and money
to move the pagoda from the restaurant roof to a temporary storage location. CVM is now investigating the costs associated with
restoring and repairing the pagoda.
Jenna Vande Zande, a UWEC public history student, completed a
curatorial internship last year. Jeremy Kingsbury, a UWEC graduate student, completed a split internship in the cutatorial and
education departments in the spring. He began another split internship in September, this time between curatorial and marketing.
Both interns focused on developing collections management and
preservation skills and helped prepare artifacts for exhibits.
Josh Jordan, a Masters student from Eastern Illinois University,
completed his six-month full-time internship in December 2013.
He planned the storage locations for all 470 objects that came off
display when Paths of the People and Settlement and Survival closed
in November 2013. None of these items had permanent storage locations because they were on
exhibit when the storage areas moved eleven years ago.
The curatorial department supported the installation of two small case displays, two off-site displays, and the short-term exhibit Picture of Health. It also continued to collect, select, and prepare
artifacts for Changing Currents.
Books: Six of CVM’s seven books continue to be in print. Ralph Owen’s Eau Claire: Character of a
City, 1884-1909 remains out of print. We are currently seeking funds to reprint it.
CVM Director Susan
McLeod and Dick Hajek,
who led the salvage team,
hold the finial of the
model pagoda that sat
atop the former Woo’s
Chinese restaurant. Photo
by Doug Smith taken
during the May 22 move.
PUBLICATIONS
Other publications: Editor John Vanek wrote several feature stories to promote Changing Currents.
Teaser versions of those stories were published in a regular column in the Senior Review, and longer
versions were published on the CVM website. Topics included Ojibwe-Dakota conlfict during the
fur trade era, Chief Buffalo and the fight for Ojibwe homelands, and the life of an Irish immigrant
lumberjack-turned-dairy farmer.
Fall 2014 • 23
CHIPPEWA
VALLEY
MUSEUM, INC.
BALANCE SHEET
FY14
ASSETS
Cash
$24,010
$57,140
Property, Equip (Net)
$1,164,536
$1,022,982
Other Assets
$0
$0
TOTAL ASSETS $1,188,546$1,080,122
LIABILITIES
Withholding
$4,237
$4,433
Long Term Liabilities
$39,684
$43,184
Capital
$1,144,624$1,032,505
LIABILITIES & CAPITAL$1,188,546
INCOME
FY13
INCOME FROM
FY14
$1,080,122
FY13
City/County
$96,083$86,250
Memberships
Life
Upper
Lower
$14,950
$46,566
$24,345
$14,200
$51,562
$24,525
Earned Income
Admissions
Schlegelmilch House
Contracts
Store/Ice Cream
Other
$23,959
$2,801
$17,000
$19,179
$10,393
$24,019
$2,436
$274,821
$22,811
$4,885
Gifts
Gifts, Operating
Gifts, Capital
Grants
Investment
Fundraisers
Miscellaneous
Subtotal
$44,905
$100,130
$29,861
$91
$309,958$161,064
$25,977$11,750
$35,970$25,151
$6,441$3,187
$778,657$736,613
Carryover funds
$35,069
$2,991
Borrowed
$0$0
Total
24 • Currents
$813,726$739,604
EXPENSE FOR
Personnel
Salaries/CVM
Benefits/Expenses
FY14
FY13
$317,986
$52,439
$300,110
$60,504
Operations
Utilities/ CVM
Schlegelmilch House
Insurance
Public Relations
Office Supplies
Maintenance
$52,213
$10,761
$7,517
$10,824
$12,716
$14,671
$50,336
$8,132
$6,860
$9,017
$12,346
$16,126
Program
Collections
Library/Research
Exhibits
Programs
Consultants
Professional Memberships
$2,787
$585
$55,042
$66,833
$2,912
$1,114
$194
$532
$28,537
$24,755
$3,494
$1,520
Sales Expense
Contract Expense
$15,089$18,172
Fundraiser Expense
Interest Expense
Miscellaneous
$16,829$10,283
$23,088$143,447
$2,021$2,182
$1,009$1,013
Subtotal
$666,538$697,557
Fixed Assets
Loan Repayments
$141,586
$3,500
Total
$811,623$706,358
Difference Inc/Exp
EXPENSES
$2,103
$3,801
$5,000
$33,246
Note: Figures are derived from internal financial statements. Outside review will begin
in November 2014.
Fall 2014 • 25
FOUNDATION
The mission of the Chippewa Valley Museum Foundation (CVMF) is to raise, manage and allocate funds that advance CVM’s role in preserving the heritage of the Chippewa Valley and in providing research facilities for local and area history. CVMF aids in financial support of the museum
and acts in its interest in any possible manner. A separately incorporated organization with 501(c)
(3) status in its own right, CVMF oversees endowment and other investment funds. Members of the
Chippewa Valley Museum are members of CVMF by definition.
Current investment policy permits 40-60 percent of assets to be invested in equities. Increasing
CVMF assets remains a key strategy for a stable future for the museum.
Life Membership Program
In 1991, the CVMF initiated a Life Members program to attract current gifts. Life Membership
begins with an endowment gift equal to 20 times the annual membership fee and is available for the
Heritage Club, Pathfinder, Carson Club, and Ingram Society levels. Each year, income equivalent
to the annual fee is released for CVM operations. At the end of FY14, there were 60 Life Members.
Donors may continue to add to their Life Memberships. Mr. and Mrs. Hubert L. McNamara became
Pathfinder Life Members this year. Arnie and Carol Anderson increased their Life Membership contribution to the Pathfinder level.
Ingram Society Life Members
Heritage Club Life Members
Amy Alpine and John Grump
Jim Carter and Victoria Miller
Dorothy H. Owen
Susan and David Rowe
American Title & Abstract
Jeanne K. Andre
Mrs. David Angell
Richard and Sara Baer
John R. Barland
Judy M. Barland
Barbara and Bruce Bayley
Everett and Marty
Fisher Blakeley, Jr.
Susan Bruce
Fritz and Marilyn Bushendorf
Dan and Linda Clark
Eileen Cohen
Duane and Joan Dingmann
Margie Doyle
B.J. and Bea Farmer
Victoria E. Finstad
John and Susan Glenz
Gloria Gold
Jeff and Karla Halloin
Carl and Jan Haywood
Johnson/Marshall Family
Marv Lansing
Betty and Ray Larson
Tom and Mary Ryan Miller
Paul Nyhus
Jim and Kathy Pinter
Virginia Quayle
Peter and Randi Scobie
Carson Club Life Members
Janet Barland
Jill and Thomas H. Barland
Daniel and Carolyn Johnson
Wipfli, LLP
Pathfinder Life Members
Arnold and Carol Anderson
Louis G. Arnold
Ayres Associates
Janice Ayres
Jim and Kathy Bartl
Dick Cable
Bill and MaryKell Cayley
Bertha Chatterson
Don and Jan Etnier
Barb and Phil Fey
Andrea, Laurie and Jacob Gapko
Mrs. Robert M. Lotz
Susan McLeod
Mr. and Mrs. Hubert L. McNamara
Johanna Warloski
Barb and Marlow Wathke
26 • Currents
Kaye and Steve Senn
Bill and Mary Sherman
Roger and Susan Tietz
Susan Pittman and
Dr. Peter Ullrich
Mary Ann Wagner
Wayne and Elizabeth Wille
Dennis and Karen Zacho
Thomas and Sheila Zahorik
In Memory
Dr. David Angell
Owen Ayres
Ann Barland
Marlene Cable
Melvin Cohen
Eunice O. Finstad
Walter Gold
Dorellen and Leonard Haas
Elizabeth Kleiner
Mag Lansing
Robert M. Lotz, M.D.
Anonymous
Mrs. Edith Phillips
Calvin Quayle
L. Joe and Kay Stucky
Arthur R. and Chester F. Wagner
Ron Warloski
By the end of FY14, CVM assets were valued at $922,289 as compared to $893,804 at the end of
FY13. This figure represents the net of additions, distributions to CVM, change in market value,
and investment return. The end value included $6,664 in new gifts, distributions of $27,427 for museum operations and programs, and a special distribution of $13,500 in unrestricted funds to replace
the museum’s primary humidification system.
FOUNDATION:
MARKET VALUE
OF ASSETS
Structural changes affected CVMF. Following Bylaws changes, the foundation now has a separate
board president. The CVMF and CVM board presidents each serve ex officio on the opposite board.
The number of positions on the board was re-stated as 9-11. Electronic attendance is now permitted.
DATA
ATTENDANCE
Museum
Off-Site
Schlegelmilch House
Total 17,839
1,076
1,503
20,418
MEMBERS
Sponsor
Ingram Society
Carson Club
Pathfinder
Heritage Club
Associate
Supporting Regular Total
3
8
24
70
142
73
106
465
891
(including 4 Life Memberships)
(including 4 Life Memberships)
(including 16 Life Memberships)
(including 36 Life Memberships)
PROGRAM, OPERATING, AND EQUIPMENT GRANTS AWARDED IN FY14
American Folklore Society: Teachers of Local Culture Convening
$2,762
AnnMarie Foundation 2014: Changing Currents Hands-On Materials
$2,854
Eau Claire Oil Co-Op/Land O’Lakes: Energy Support
$1,016
Eau Claire Community Foundation: LED Gallery Lighting
$2,500
Eau Claire Community Foundation: Krause Fund/Security Equipment
$1,100
Eau Claire Community Foundation: Thompson Fund/Unrestricted
$797
Institute of Museum/Library Services: Thinking, Local
$150,000
Neil E. Park Foundation: Changing Currents$5,000
Rutledge Charities: Chippewa County School/Youth Field Trips
$2,500
US Bank: General Operating Support
$2,250
Wisconsin Arts Board: Creative Communities/Folk Arts
$6,000
Wisconsin Humanities Council: Teachers of Local Culture Convening
$10,000
GRANTS AWARDED IN EARLIER YEARS AND CONTINUED IN FY14
Institute of Museum/Library Services: Changing Currents$149,784
National Endowment/Arts: Building Local Culture Teams
$35,000
National Endowment/Arts: Here at Home Cultural Tour
$30,000
National Endowment/Humanities: Implementation Grant: Changing Currents$250,000
Wisconsin Arts Board: Creative Communities/Folk Arts
$5,637
Wisconsin Historical Society Mini-Grant: Collections Supplies
$700
Wisconsin Humanities Council: Going Deeper
$10,000
Xcel Energy Foundation: Changing Currents Children’s Materials
$3,000
Fall 2014 • 27
PO BOX 1204 • EAU CLAIRE WI 54702
US POSTAGE
PAID
Non-Profit Org
Permit No. 39
Eau Claire
Wisconsin
54702
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
School-Year Hours
Tues.-Sun. 1-5 p.m., plus
Open early on Sat. (at 10 a.m.)
Open late on Tues. (’til 8 p.m.)
Regular Admission
Museum Members: Free
Non-Members: Adults $5 • Students with ID $2
Ages 5-17 $2 • Under Age 5 Free
Fee waived on Tuesday evenings
http://www.cvmuseum.com
The following agencies funded major CVM projects in FY14.
Changing Currents and Thinking Local have been made possible in part by major
grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. See IMLS grants
numbered MA-04-12-0089 and MA-20-13-0175.
Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture is supported in part by an award from the
National Endowment for the Arts. Art Works.
Changing Currents is supported by a major grant from the National Endowment
for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. Any views, findings,
conclusions or recommendations expressed in these projects do not necessarily
represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Wisconsin Arts Board grants support the exhibit Always Beading and components of Changing Currents.
Going Deeper and the WTLC Bringing It Home Convening have been funded in
part by the Wisconsin Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Wisconsin Humanities Council supports and
creates programs that use history, culture, and discussion to strengthen community life for everyone in Wisconsin.