A Newsletter of the White River Valley Museum October 2001

Artifact Moves and Transfers by Dr. Tina Brewster Wray, Curator of Collections   Setting up shelves in the new artifact storeroom In late June, the museum's new 2000 sq. ft. artifact storeroom was finished. With the help of an able volunteer crew, all the artifacts and shelves were removed from what is now the Key Gallery and reinstalled in the new storeroom in two days. The increased space provided by the new storeroom will also allow us to bring back the furniture and other large items that have been stored off-site since 1997. Preparing the thresher for transport In May the museum board approved the deaccession (removal) of the c. 1912 threshing machine from the collection. This decision was based on several factors, including the lack of storage space for such a large piece of machinery and its relatively poor condition. In addition, unlike the rest of the large farm equipment in the museum's collection, threshers were not typically used on the small farms in the White River Valley. After searching for a good home for the thresher, it was transferred to the Marysville Historical Society, where it will be restored and used on a nearby farm for threshing demonstrations. Unloading the farm equipment at Olson Farm As part of the renovations, the farm equipment storage area on the west side of museum has been converted into an open-air pavilion for activities such as summer classes and outdoor craft demonstrations. The farm equipment has been moved into the newly re-roofed barn at Olson Farm. The farm, which is owned by the City of Auburn and managed by the museum, is in the process of undergoing improvements and restoration so that it can eventually be open to the public. At that time, these farm implements will be used to illustrate turn-of-the-century farming tools and techniques. Dr. Tina Brewster Wray