Road Reports

Buchanan's Brilliant Finish

Key Ingredients is bidding farewell to the state of Georgia with gusto! This past month, the Haralson County Historical Society in Buchanan, Georgia, hosted the final exhibit opening of the state’s tour

Attendees at the opening reception in Buchanan included U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey, who gave his remarks during the opening ceremony. In the words of Arden Williams, Program Officer for the Georgia Humanities Council, Rep. Gingrey “was quite taken with Key Ingredients and spent a lot of time viewing the exhibit.” Congressman Gingrey is an alumnus of Georgia Tech, like our very own Smithsonian Institution Secretary, Wayne Clough. In fact, they attended the university at the same time!  This is big news for Haralson County and big news for MoMS.

  
Congressman Gingrey views the exhibition and converses with Arden Williams

Hosting Key Ingredients enabled the historical society to make improvements to the Buchanan courtroom, the space in which the exhibit was showcased. Upon being chosen to host the Key Ingredients exhibit, Buchananites rolled up their sleeves to clean the courtroom from top to bottom, and began efforts to have much-needed insulation added to the ceiling. Members of the Haralson County Historical Society were impressed with the opportunity the exhibit offered them to rally community support for their work and for the facility improvements.

Historical reenactors portrayed members of the Confederate Army and offered visitors batches of “johnny cakes” and several pots of “rebel coffee” to sample. Despite being the final venue to host the exhibit, Buchanan went to great lengths to ensure attendees enjoyed a well-rounded and historically meaningful experience.

We will end our farewell to Key Ingredients with some lovely sentiments from Arden Williams herself, with whom we’ve had the pleasure of working closely for the past 3 years:

“In Georgia, we believe the Key Ingredients exhibit has made a significant impact on food traditions and culture, inspired new audience interest for our host communities and raised awareness of the humanities. All of our host site communities have been rewarded with new community partnerships and improvements as a result of hosting Key Ingredients. We think that is a winning legacy.” – Arden Williams, Program Officer, Georgia Humanities Council

- Roxanne Berschler --  SITES, Washington D.C.

Between Fences Enjoys a Successful Run in Medora, North Dakota

The Between Fences Smithsonian exhibit is a popular attraction in the town of Medora. It is no wonder, considering the town's western flavor and heritage. The exhibit stimulates visitors to carry the concept of fences farther than just wood and wire. It is this new mindset that many bring with them to Medora's seven museums and it creates a deeper appreciation for other exhibits.

On June 29th, the Chateau de Mores State Historical Site and the Billings County Historical Society hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for Between Fences with special guests U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan, State Senator Bill Bowman, and State Representative Pam Gulleson. Local elementary students were also present at the event to be recognized for their work which is displayed in the exhibit. Medora area students were given cameras earlier in the year and asked to take pictures of fences in their lives. A PowerPoint presentation and booklets made by the children are available for viewing at the beginning of the exhibit.

   

U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan stands with students Thomas Christensen and Anya Baranko alongside their teacher Kathy Chernenko to acknowledge their work in the Between Fences exhibit.

Two large maps have been placed on the walls near the guest book, one of the United States of America and the other of the World. All visitors are encouraged to place a stick pin in their hometown. So many visitors from North Dakota have attended the exhibit that a North Dakota state map was added. It is interesting to see how many visitors from across the world have ended up in Medora.

The latter half of the Between Fences exhibit's stay in Medora will be supported by special events on Tuesday. The Between Fences speakers program for Medora featured Dr. Barbara Handy-Marchello on July 15. She is the state scholar for the exhibition and offered a slide presentation on the use of walls, fences, and other boundaries from world history. As an interactive program, the audience participated in a "quiz" and took part in a game that led to discussion about the changing meaning of fences and boundaries. Special productions of Recollections of Murder and Mayhem in Medora will be held on July 22 and 29. The play chronicles the murder trials of the Marquis de Mores, the French aristocratic founder of Medora. The Marquis' efforts to fence and civilize the land led to disputes with local free range cattlemen culminating in a shootout that killed one of the cattlemen. Actors in the productions portray the various viewpoints in the subsequent murder trials. Teddy Blue Abbot will be presenting on July 29 and 30. His performance topics will cover the Texas Trail and the Open Range.

The exhibit is scheduled to stay in Medora on view until August 1. Between Fences is the perfect exhibit to help celebrate Medora's 125th anniversary by bringing more interest and visitors to the town.

-- Marie Zeller, Medora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Medora, ND