Outside Looking In

County nostalgia

After the pandemic forced many places to shut down, the Lyon County Historical Museum was unable to celebrate the county's 150th anniversary in 2020 the way it had intended and have plans for a belated celebration this year.
Another event that originally was planned to be unveiled last May was a magnificent exhibit of life in Lyon County after World War II, from 1945 to the present time.
That second floor exhibit gallery, entitled "Making Lyon County Home" is now open to the public and I got a chance to visit it this past weekend.
For those that have not had the opportunity to take in the new display, it's well worth the time. I plan on re-visiting it a few more times because there are so many videos and information to take in that you are bound to miss things in one trip.
The second floor display is extremely well organized, informative and nostalgic. You will leave with a much better understanding of the county and its way of life over the years.
One of the first things that caught my eye was a display about the 1968 F5 tornado that struck Tracy that I wrote about in my book "Out of the Blue". There are videos from various people recalling the horrific day of June 13. There is an accurate timeline of events leading up to that day. I was even surprised to see a large quote on the timeline with my name attributed to it that was taken from the book.
Growing up in Tracy, I was familiar with many of the things from the county.
My favorite display was depicting the popularity of community and movie theaters in years gone by. The display looked like an actual theater with a lighted marquee. There was event a makeshift ticket window with actual theater tickets and an old popcorn box.
The "Now Showing" movie on the marquee immediately drew my attention as it read: "Planet of the Apes - June 12-18." That was the movie that was being shown the night the tornado hit Tracy. The storyboard accompanying the display reveals that the movie was set to begin 30 minutes after the tornado hit at 7 p.m. the night of June 13.
Another storyboard at this same display told of the Big Store in Minneota hosting theatrical events in the Opera Hall.
There is a large display of several of the communities in the county, including Minneota. Information about each town is shown on a large storyboard. Bill Holm and Les Josephson were featured on Minneota's display.
There is also a short video of several of the communities in front of their large storyboard.
A smaller display across from Minneota's storyboard features an old-time baseball uniform with GHENT written across the jersey front. There was also an old-time mitt, cap and water jug complete with dipping ladle as used in years gone by.
A very informative 16-minute video on the farm crisis period was captivating, even for someone like me who has lived his whole life in the city. A small theatrical setting allows visitors to see and listen while inside a large enclosed glass case shows a farm family seated at a table discussing how they will get through the troubling times.
A display on various industries in the county over the decades includes the Schott's Company in Minneota.
There are also things for children of all ages to do while the parents are enjoying the displays. Through the room are baskets of different types of animal magnets that can be placed on various scenes. There is also an agricultural play area.
There is something of interest for everyone.
The entire second floor display's planning stages began five years ago. It was well worth the wait.

Chocolate on hold
One of my favorite events to attend in Minneota each year is the Chocolate Affair, which entices a large following. I was recently informed by the Friends of the Library that the event has been cancelled this year to the coronavirus pandemic.
The event not only was a great fundraiser for the library, but it was a chance to dine, drink, dance, and visit with friends. And the silent auction was a chance to go home with an item that you felt good about winning a bid on in which the money went for a good cause.
I know a lot of people will miss this popular event. The Friends of the Library are hoping to have the event again in 2022.

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