605.925.7545
News Release - 06.07.21
A deeper look at the 2020 census
2020 census shows steady three-decade increase in South Dakota population
Initial results from the United States 2020 Census Bureau were announced the last week of April, showing a total of331,449,281 residents of the United States. That represents an increase of 7.4% from the 2010 count of 308,745,538; it’s the second-smallest decade-long growth rate since the first census was taken in 1790.
The 2020 census shows that 37 of the 50 states grew more slowly in the 2010s than in the previous decade. Three states lost population – Illinois, Mississippi and West Virginia; that the largest number of states that saw a decline since the 1980s.
However, South Dakota was among the 13 states that showed an increase in rate of growth from 2010 to 2020 – 8.9% compared to 7.9% from 2000 to 2010.
“We were curious about how that compares to previous decades,” says Tim L. Waltner, communication/education coordinator at Heritage Hall Museum & Archives in Freeman. “So we did a little digging into the history; that’s what we do. Here’s what we discovered.”
A review of census numbers going back to 1860 shows South Dakota has seen a steady rate of population growth in the past three decades; from 696,004 residents in 1900 to886,667 in 2020.
“But, as the accompanying chart shows,” Waltner says, “the most dramatic increase in population in our history came in the last three decades of the 19th century.” Census figures show that the territory/state grew from 4,837 residents in 1860 to 401,570 residents by 1900. That growth continue until the 1930s when it reached 692,849.
“The Dust Bowl and the economic impact of the Great Depression resulted in many South Dakotans leaving the state,” he said. “The state’s population declined by more than 50,000 – a loss of about 7% between 1930 and 1940. It remained relatively stable for most of the remainder of the century before the steady increase since 1990.”
“But if we want to look at the real big picture of South Dakota’s population,” Waltner said, “that means going back a lot farther.”
The land we know as South Dakota has been home to humans going back several thousand years, he noted. The first inhabitants, Paleoindian hunter-gatherers arrived as glaciers that covered the northern half of the North American continent began to gradually melt. That exposed new land for occupation around 17,500-14,500 years ago. Those Paleoindian hunter-gatherers disappeared from the area around 5000 BC. Later residents included the Mound Builders, Arikara, Hidatsa, Mandan and Sioux (Dakota and Lakota). European contact began in the 1740s, when French explorers and fur traders began exploring the region. In 1762 the region became part of Spanish Louisiana.
In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory and President Thomas Jefferson organized the "Lewis and Clark Expedition" to explore the newly acquired western portion of the country that included what today is South Dakota. An American fur trading post was established at present-day Fort Pierre in 1817; that began American settlement of the region. In 1858 the Yankton Sioux signed the 1858 Treaty, which ceded most of present-day eastern South Dakota to the United States.
Land speculators founded two of eastern South Dakota's largest present-day cities: Sioux Falls in 1856 and Yankton in 1859.
In 1861, the Dakota Territory was established by the United States government (today North Dakota, South Dakota, and parts of Montana and Wyoming). The 1862 Homestead Act drew thousands of European immigrants as well as people from the eastern United States.
“That’s where our community’s story begins,” Waltner said. “The influx of Germans-from Russia-immigrants who settled in Hutchinson, McCook and Turner counties established the larger Freeman community we know today. The arrival of the railroad in 1879 spawned our local towns.”
The 2020 census results are being released in several stages. This first release of total populations for states was scheduled for December 2020. But the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters delayed the release until now. Much more detail about population trends is expected to be shared later this year, including changes in cities and counties.
“We’re eager to learn what that will tell us about our part of South Dakota,” Waltner said. “We look forward to sharing that with folks as well.”
“Our archives are filled with history about the story of our roots, immigration and settling on the prairie nearly 150 years ago. We’re open daily weekdays and weekend afternoons. We’re also open by appointment; call 605-925-7545,” Waltner noted.
A quick look at a few 2020 census numbers
Utah is the fastest-growing state at 18.4 percent compared to 2010.
Idaho is the fastest-growing second at 17.3 percent.
Our neighbor North Dakota grew by 15.8% in the last decade.
West Virginia lost the most population, down 3.2 percent from 2010.
California is the most-populated state at 39,538,223
Texas is the second-most-populated state at 29,145,505
Florida and New York swapped rankings from previous census; Florida is now third and New York fourth in population.
South Dakota remains 46th in population ranking in the United States.
Wyoming is the least-populated state at 576,851.
Vermont is the second-least-populated state at 643,077.
News Release - 04.22.21
Freeman museum eager for 2021 summer season
Improvements, new exhibits emerge in year of Covid-19
FREEMAN: Heritage Hall Museum & Archives is gearing up for its summer season and looking forward to rebounding from the impact of Covid-19 in the past year. The museum is resuming summer hours May 1; it will be open daily through September. Winter hours are weekday afternoons only.
Located south of the Freeman Academy campus and sitting on the northern edge of the 40-acre Prairie Arboretum, the museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from May through September. The museum is also open by appointment.
“We’re eager to resume welcoming an increasing number of guests in the upcoming months,” says Marnette (Ortman) Hofer, executive director and archivist of HHM&A. “Last year we saw less than 10 percent of the visitors we have come to expect in a year. We’re looking forward to the return to a more normal year.”
And the museum is offering a special incentive to families to visit.
“We’re pleased to announce that, starting April 30, we will be open until 8 p.m., the last Friday of every month,” Hofer said. “We’ve created “Family-Friendly Final Fridays” to encourage families to visit the museum. We’re admitting all children 12 and under free those evenings when accompanied by a paying adult.”
In addition, she said, “we’re planning a fun ‘discover more about your museum’ activity for kids – with a chance to win a prize.” The “final Friday” promotions will continue through September.
Museum tells immigration/settlement story
The Freeman museum tells the story of Germans-from-Russia immigrants and others who settled in southeastern Dakota Territory in the 1870s. The museum has 25,000 square feet of displays featuring everything from old cars and buggies to Native American artifacts to agricultural equipment to local business history to household items and musical instruments.
In addition, the complex also includes four historic buildings: a one-room school house, two early rural churches and an 1879 pioneer home.
“Unfortunately, the Deckert House is closed because we moved it to a new location where it will be part of an outdoor farmstead exhibit that’s being developed,” Hofer says. “We’re excited about that, but it means the house is not ready for guests at this time.”
However, Hofer says, guests – even those who visited in 2020 – will discover some major additions, improvements and upgrades undertaken in the past 12 months inside the museum.
“One of the unintended benefits of the reduced traffic at the museum over the past year is that it’s enabled us to make some dramatic changes,” she said. “We’ve revamped many of the exhibits, added some new ones and significantly expanded our mercantile that features the work of local artisans. I think these changes will be a highlight for people visiting the museum.”
New gas station exhibit
One of those highlights is a new gas station exhibit that debuted several weeks ago.
“I’ve been intrigued by the number of gas stations in our community in the first half of the last century,” Hofer says. “We’ve been wanting to consolidate elements scattered throughout the museum for some time and creating a gas station exhibit seemed like a fun project.”
Hofer and her staff decided to utilize an area in the Unruh-Tieszen Wing, which is home to the agricultural and transportation exhibits, for the project.
Once we got started we saw the potential to do something even bigger,” she said.
That led to the decision to model the exterior after the Main Street Freeman Junior College Service Station that operated in the 1930s and 40s on the site where Stucky Electric is today. The distinctive peaked-roof profile of that station was a common design in that era.
“It’s been a fun project,” she said. “The ideas just kept flowing.”
That includes putting a Model T inside the station “for repairs,” she said. The interior also includes tools, parts and other items one would expect in a gas station of that era. The exhibit includes a brief history of the FJC Service Station.
The new exhibit bears the name “Graber’s Service Station,” honoring Linden Graber and his late father, Cleon, who both played major roles in the museum’s development, particularly in the transportation exhibits.
Other updates
Another major change in the Unruh-Tieszen Wing is new LED lighting that replaced the sodium-vapor bulbs and the difference is remarkable, Hofer said.
“Not only is it brighter, the colors are much truer,” she said. “The colors of the cars, trucks and tractors are much more authentic in the new light.”
Other new exhibits feature:
• local dairy farming
• the history of the Freeman Fire Department
• Abe Kautz, a Freeman entrepreneur who began making harnesses and transitioned to the era of automobiles.
There are refreshed and updated displays throughout the museum, renovations at the Bethel Church and a new welcome area for visitors.
“We’ve made some major changes in the entrance lobby area of the museum,” Hofer said. “It includes a new welcome/orientation area that helps introduce our museum and a quick review of who we are as a community.”
This rearranging includes an expanded mercantile/gift show that features, exclusively, local handcrafted items ranging from stained glass to pottery to photo/art prints to notecards to knitted items.
“Our mercantile has quadrupled in size with the increased participation from local artisans whose creations we’re thrilled to share with the public,” she said. “We also have books for sale by local authors or about our community.”
Hofer said that the museum remains committed to being cautious about Covid-19. Guests are strongly encouraged to wear masks and groups larger than 10 are asked to contact the museum.
Heritage Hall Museum & Archives traces its roots back to the winter term of Freeman College in 1911, but today operates as an independent, non-profit organization.
Although there is an admission fee to tour the museum, both the archives and the mercantile are open to the public at no charge. People are welcome to call 605-925-7545 or email info@heritagehallmuseum.com for more information or go online to heritagehallmuseum.com and to the Heritage Hall Museum and Archives Facebook page.
News Release - 03.18.21
New exhibit opens this week
Gas station modeled after FJC Station
FREEMAN: A new gas station exhibit debuts in the transportation exhibit area of Heritage Hall Museum & Archives this week and some folks who see it may feel that it looks a bit familiar.
That, says Marnette (Ortman) Hofer, executive director and archivist of HHM&A, is no coincidence.
“I’ve been intrigued by the number of gas stations in our community in the first half of the last century,” Hofer says. “We’ve been wanting to consolidate elements scattered throughout the museum for some time and creating a gas station exhibit seemed like a fun project.”
Ortman and her museum staff decided to utilize an area in the Unruh-Tieszen wing to do that.
“Once we got started we saw the potential to do something even bigger,” she said.
That led to the decision to model the exterior after the Main Street Freeman Junior College Service Station that operated in the 1930s and 40s on the site where Stucky Electric is today. The distinctive peaked-roof profile of that station was a common design in that era.
“It’s been a fun project,” she said. “The ideas just kept flowing.”
That includes putting a Model T inside the station “for repairs,” she said. The interior also includes tools, parts and other items one would expect in a gas station in that era. The exhibit includes a brief history of the FJC Service Station.
It bears the name “Graber’s Service Station,” honoring Linden Graber and his late father, Cleon, who’ve played major roles in the museum’s development, particularly in the transportation exhibits.
The new exhibit is part of a major renovation of the Unruh-Tieszen Wing, which houses the museum’s transportation and agriculture historical exhibits.
“I think people will enjoy the new look,” she said.
Like everyone, Heritage Hall Museum & Archives felt the impact of COVID-19, Hofer noted.
“We saw less than 10 percent of the visitors we have come to expect in a year. That’s why we’re so looking forward to being open during the Freeman Academy Auxiliary “Drive-thru Schmeckfest” this weekend and next.”
The museum will be open both days both weekends from noon to 8 p.m. March 19-20 and 26-27. (Normal winter hours are weekdays from noon to 4 p.m.)
The extended hours also offer free admission for children age 12 and under when accompanied by adults. Hofer noted that the popular model train exhibit will also be running those days.
“We’re also looking forward to showing visitors our expanded mercantile, which features unique handcrafted items from local artisans,” she said.
Hofer says one unintended benefit of the reduced traffic at the museum over the past year is that it’s enabled the museum staff and volunteers to make some dramatic changes, particularly in the Unruh-Tieszen Wing.
“We’re excited to share what we’ve been working on,” she said. “I think that will be a highlight for people visiting the museum.”
And speaking of highlights, one of the projects has been installing – literally new “high lights,” – in the Unruh-Tieszen Wing.
New LED lighting has replaced the sodium-vapor bulbs and the difference is remarkable, Hofer said.
“Not only is it brighter, the colors are much truer,” she said. “The colors of the cars, trucks and tractors are much more authentic with the new light.”
Hofer noted that Donovan Friesen, recently elected as museum board chair, has spent scores of volunteer hours assisting Brian Skinner, facilities manager at the museum with projects, including the upgraded lighting.
And Friesen is not alone.
All the updated, revamped and rearranged displays in recent months wouldn’t have happened without a core group of volunteers, she said. Volunteers were instrumental in helping with the gas station project, particularly painting, she noted.
“I can’t say enough about how important our volunteers are to us,” she said.
Although there is an admission fee to tour the museum, the mercantile is open to the public at no charge. People are welcome to call 605-925-7545 or email info@heritagehallmuseum.com for more information or go online to heritagehallmuseum.com and on the Heritage Hall Museum and Archives Facebook page.
The exterior of a new gas station exhibit at Heritage Hall Museum & Archives is modeled after the Freeman College Service Station. Museum staff named it “Graber’s Service Station” in honor of Cleon and Linden Graber, who together have provided more than 35 years of leadership at the museum with particular interest in the transportation exhibits there. The Freeman College Service Station opened at Fifth and Main on July 1, 1933 as an enterprise to support the school. It remained in operation until 1948, when it was sold. The building was later used by Fred Haar Co. and Stucky Electric. It was demolished in 1984 when Janver Stucky put up a new building on the site for his business.
News Release - 02.28.21
Freeman museum plans for Schmeckfest 2021
FREEMAN: Normally, staff and volunteers at Heritage Hall Museum and Archives (HHM&A) would be busy this time of year gearing up for an influx of visitors as part of the annual Schmeckfest activities at the adjacent Freeman Academy campus.
“Of course, nothing been normal since Covid-19 spread across the globe and reached South Dakota in early March last year 2020,” says Marnette (Ortman) Hofer, executive director and archivist of HHM&A. “The cancellation of Schmeckfest 2020 was the start of a dramatic drop in visitors to our museum over the past 12 months.”
Although the traditional Schmeckfest activities have been cancelled this year as well, the Freeman Academy Auxiliary is planning a “drive-thru Schmeckfest” with homemade ethnic food items and Schmeckfest sausage to be sold March 19-20 and 26-27. Hofer says the museum staff and volunteers are also preparing to welcome guests those days.
“We will be open with extended afternoon-evening hours Friday and Saturday both weekends, so people can stop by at their convenience,” she says. “We invite everyone coming to pick up their Schmeckfest food items to include a visit to our museum.”
The museum will be open both days both weekends from noon to 8 p.m. (Normal winter hours are weekdays from noon to 4 p.m.) As a special promotion, the museum is offering a “family package” those four days; children under the age of 12 will be admitted free when accompanied by adults.
“Although the numbers of visitors has been down significantly this past year, we’ve been busy with some major projects all year long and we’re eager to show people what we’ve been up to,” Hofer says.
That includes:
• New lighting in the Tieszen-Unruh wing;
• A rearranged and revamped transportation display that includes the addition of a gas station exhibit;
• A new Abe Kautz display;
• A dairy exhibit;
• Refreshed and updated displays throughout the museum;
• Renovations at the Bethel Church;
• A new welcome area for visitors;
• A new look for the lobby including an expanded mercantile, a gift shop that features items handcrafted by local artisans – stained glass, artwork, notecards, handmade soap, knitted items, etc. – as well as books by local authors.
“We’re looking forward to sharing these new features at our museum during the 2021 version of Schmeckfest and we’re hoping to see a return of visitors as we come out of this pandemic phase of life,” Hofer said.
She noted, however, that HHM&A is continuing to take precautions because of COVID-19; masks are required.
Although there is an admission fee to tour the museum, the archives are open to the public at no charge; anyone wanting research assistance is encouraged to call 605-925-7545 or email info@heritagehallmuseum.com.
News Release - 02.05.21
HHM&A helps SDPB tell Freeman’s story
In early February of 2021, South Dakota Public Television aired "Greetings from Freeman," an all-new episode of Dakota Life. Here's a link that enables you to watch it online.
Several weeks earlier, Heritage Hall Museum & Archives welcomed production members to our complex as part of that story. They recorded many of our exhibits to provide images that were used to provide context of the half-hour show.
An SDPB promotion for the show described the episode as an opportunity to "Learn the history of Freeman, which begins with the still-unsettled question of its naming, and meet Freeman's earliest settlers, including some of the Mennonite Germans from Russia who immigrated to the area seeking religious and social freedoms they didn't have in their home country. Immigrants from northern Europe also established enclaves in and around Freeman, and the story of how those diverse ethnic and religious groups learned to work together, while still maintaining their cultural identities, defines the character of Freeman today."
While visiting the museum last month, Larry Rohr, who hosts Dakota Life, told us the segment is designed to offer "a complete slice of life of Freeman." That includes the community's history, what it has to offer today and a look to the future, he said. Rohr, who is assistant general manager of SDPB, says he thoroughly enjoys traveling across the state doing stories like this. "You want to tell those stories of place; those stories that only you can tell." That means visiting with people who can offer insights and perspectives, he explained.
"The museum is pleased to help SDPB to tell this story," says Marnette (Ortman) Hofer, executive director and archivist of HHM&A. "We're always excited to share the rich history of the Germans-from-Russia immigrants and others who settled here.
"Thanks to the support of our members, we are able to share many interesting details about what brought these settlers to Dakota Territory, what they discovered and the community they created.
"The Dakota Life segment gave only a small glimpse of what is here. We have an extensive collection and there truly is something for everyone.”
The museum is open weekday afternoons from noon to 4 from October through April. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, call 605-925-7545 or email info@heritagehallmuseum.com.
News Release - 12.03.20
Exploring the Drama
Local author blends prehistory, birth, growth, maturity, decline and rebirth in review of a rural community
FREEMAN: A large threshing machine was the backdrop for a stimulating conversation about the agrarian roots – as well as the future – of a rural South Dakota community at Heritage Hall Museum & Archives in Freeman last week.
Local author S. Roy Kaufman sat down with Marnette (Ortman) Hofer, executive director and archivist of the Freeman museum Tuesday morning, Nov. 24, to talk about his latest book, The Drama of a Rural Community's Life Cycle. The conversation, fittingly held in the agricultural exhibit area in the Unruh-Tieszen wing of the museum, was recorded by Nathan Schrag for the museum and is available on the museum's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXXVFQqA3uM&feature=youtu.be
"We wish we could have done this as a public event," Hofer says, "but in the interest of health and safety in the current environment, we're sharing this using social media."
Kaufman describes the book as "an attempt to chronicle the birth, growth, maturity, decline and rebirth of the larger Freeman community."
Kaufman has a deep and abiding interest in the history of the Freeman community. He grew up on a farm in rural Freeman and, after pastoring five rural churches in Canada and the United States, returned and retired here. He has been curator at the museum for the past eight years. He also brings a philosophic and ethical perspective shaped by his experiences serving rural congregations for four decades.
"Agrarian cultures always carry in their life the agricultural wisdom and the faith heritage and values that form their cultural life," he says. "Rural communities are always a work in progress at some stage of their life cycle.”
"We wanted to get an inside peek at his motivations and to learn a bit more about why he put it together," Hofer said of the conversation she had with Kaufman. "We wanted to know why he thought it was important to write this book."
The conversation reveals all of that and more.
Kaufman talks about his personal history and growing interest in rural culture and his evolving views and perspectives.
“Agrarian culture is shaped by the way that people relate to the land – how they farm,” he says, noting that even within a given community, there are differences and unique approaches to agriculture based on values and faith perspectives.
“To understand the culture, you have to understand these communities … how they function and how they live.”
In the introduction to his book, Kaufman writes "This book and the story it tells are designed to describe some of the dynamics that enable rural communities and agrarian cultures to survive and thrive even in the midst of the imperial forces that have always exploited and oppressed them."
Kaufman begins with a focus on the land and then delves into the evolving relationship between the inhabitants of the earth and the earth itself. He explores the native culture that was here before immigrants arrived in the 1800s and the "doctrine of discovery." The middle section of the book looks at how the Freeman community matured in the 20th century – what was gained and what was lost. The final section is centered around both challenges and successes of efforts to revitalize the community in the current century.
"The agrarian cultures of the Freeman community are at a crucial time in their nearly 150-year history on this land," Kaufman said. "Local agrarian cultures need to re-invent themselves, both as local cultures and as agricultural entities in order to build a renewed rural community."
"I appreciate that he took this big view and then zeroed in the details," Hofer says. "That seems key to me."
Hofer likens Kaufman's approach to a device commonly used in film – opening with the wide shot and increasingly narrowly focusing on a specific area.
"It almost feels cinematic," she says. "It's like these satellite views of the universe and you see the Earth; you zoom in and see North America. Then further you see the Great Plains, southeastern South Dakota and then down to Freeman.
"To fully understand this community, we need the wider view, not just each of the little stories. You realize you're just a pebble in such a vast universe," she said. "But," she adds, "every moving piece affects the rest."
"At their best," Kaufman says, "agricultures understand they are called by the creator to participate in the unfolding of creation and life for the welfare of the whole creation."
"Our calling as humans is not to manage the world. It is rather to grow in our understanding of our place within the drama of life and reaction in which we find ourselves."
"His book runs the gamut – from pure history to theological implications; it's all-encompassing," Hofer says. "I appreciate how well researched it is and how thoroughly documented his history pieces are.
"It's almost a love letter to his home community," she says. "You feel his passion for the community. You feel his voice and it's a lonely voice."
Kaufman acknowledges that in the book.
"I often felt quite lonely, like a voice crying out in the wilderness," he writes.
"I respect the choices every farmer makes for his or her operation," Kaufman says. "There is no right way to farm and rural communities like Freeman are on a journey of discovery, as the changes in agricultural technology for the past century has shown. When we observe clearly harmful effects of our agricultural practices on the soil, plants, and animals in our care, we need to keep exploring other ways to farm. No one is to blame for how they farm. The failures, if such they be, are communal rather than personal. But together we can keep exploring agricultural practices that mitigate the damage agriculture can inflict on the soil, plants, and animals in our care."
But, he continues, "I finally began to realize that I was not alone."
Kaufman writes about the emergence of Rural Revival, a non-profit organization that meshes with his perspectives and includes "like-minded farmers and community members for support, networking and collaboration."
While the book focuses on Freeman – with a specific focus on the Mennonite church community here – Kaufman and Hofer agree the message goes far beyond that.
"The story is universal," Hofer said. “This is a scenario that plays out all over the world. It is a ‘drama’ that that plays out all over the world.”
“Birth, growth, life, death,” Kaufman says. “It’s a continual process and we’re all in it somewhere. It’s a challenge for us to figure out where we are in the drama. Which act are we in? Is it death or is it a new birth?”
In addition to resonating with area residents because of the local history and stories, Kaufman believes his book will appeal to those interested in South Dakota history, faith communities, educators, community developers, conservationists and, of course, those in the ag industry.
The timing of the interview – two days before Thanksgiving – is not coincidental.
"This is a traditional time to give thanks," Hofer says. "But it's also a time to reflect on not only what we have but to use what we have in responsible ways."
In the final chapter of his book, Kaufman writes this.
"Traditional agrarian cultures throughout the world and throughout history understand food to be sacred. It is sacred because it is the stuff of life; it is what sustains human life. It is sacred because its presence is always perceived to be gift, something given to us in a sacred and mysterious process of growth. We plant seeds and till the plants for food, but we have no ability to make seeds grow or plants produce their crop. We breed and tend animals for the food products they offer to us, but their lives are always a gift given to us and for us."
Kaufman is donating proceeds from his book to Heritage Hall Museum & Archives. It is for sale there as well as online at Amazon.com.
News Release - 11.12.20
Freeman museum features local artisans
FREEMAN: For more than a century, Heritage Hall Museum and Archives (HHM&A) has been collecting and sharing the rich history of the greater Freeman community.
But recently, the non-profit organization has been collecting and sharing the rich “present” of the greater Freeman community.
“About a year ago we decided to give local artisans the opportunity to display and sell their wares in our museum,” explains Marnette (Ortman) Hofer, Executive Director and Archivist at HHM&A, which traces its roots back to Freeman College in 1911.
The HHM&A Mercantile was established last year in the lobby of the museum and has expanded in the months that followed. Today, it includes a wide array of items created by people who live here or have ties to the community. For example, you’ll find stained glass from Heidi Schrag, note cards from Polly Waltner and scarves from Kevin Gross. There are knitted items, birdhouses and art prints. There are books by authors who grew up in this community including Rodney Hofer, Jim Kaufman, S. Roy Kaufman and John D. Unruh Jr. You can learn more at heritagehallmuseum.com/museum-mercantile.
“We’re thrilled to support the creativity of these authors and artists,” Hofer says. “Our mission is to preserve and celebrate the lives of the people of this community and this is a natural extension of that mission.”
All items are sold by consignment and proceeds from the sale help support that mission, she explained.
The mercantile also includes T-shirts and notecards from the museum as well as items celebrating the South Dakota Chislic Festival. You can find a sample of items at http://heritagehallmuseum.com/museum-mercantile .
HHM&A is open from noon to 4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays except on holidays; winter hours continue through April. Hours are expanded May through September.
The mercantile and the archives are open to the public at no charge; anyone wanting research assistance is encouraged to call 605-925-7545 or email info@heritagehallmuseum.com. There is an admission fee to tour the museum
HHM&A is taking precautions because of COVID-19. Groups are limited to 10 or less, guests will be staggered and are asked to wear masks.
Additional information about the museum’s history and displays is available online at heritagehallmuseum.com and on the Heritage Hall Museum and Archives Facebook page.
News Release - 10.22.20
Freeman museum announces winter hours
FREEMAN: Heritage Hall Museum and Archives (HHM&A) has transitioned to winter hours. The facility, located at 880 S. Cedar on the southwest side of Freeman, is now open from noon to 4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays except on holidays through the month of April. This is the second year the museum and archives are open to the public throughout the year; prior to 2019 the museum was open only by appointment during the winter months and the archives had limited hours. HHM&A is also open daily from May through September.
“We feel it’s important to be open to anyone interested in history regardless of the season,” says Marnette (Ortman) Hofer, Executive Director and Archivist at HHM&A, which traces its roots back to the winter term of Freeman College in 1911.
Today, HHM&A operates as an independent organization, boasting one of the region's largest and most diverse collections representing the heritage and history of the greater Freeman community.
“Being available to visitors – whether they’re local residents or people visiting from other states – is an important part of our mission,” Hofer says.
Although there is an admission fee to tour the museum, the archives are open to the public at no charge; anyone wanting research assistance is encouraged to call 605-925-7545 or email info@heritagehallmuseum.com.
HHM&A is taking precautions because of COVID-19. Groups are limited to 10 or less, guests will be staggered and are strongly encouraged to wear masks.
Additional information is available online at heritagehallmuseum.com and on the Heritage Hall Museum and Archives Facebook page.
HHM&A shares local immigration story
The non-profit museum tells the story of Germans-from-Russia immigrants and others who settled in southeastern Dakota Territory in the 1870s. More than 25,000 square feet of displays feature everything from old cars and buggies to Native American artifacts to agricultural equipment to local business history to household items and musical instruments.
The archives library includes more than 10,000 books, maps, periodicals and photos documenting a wide range of history from the Freeman community and beyond.
The complex is located south of the Freeman Academy campus and sits on the northern edge of the sprawling Prairie Arboretum. It includes four historic buildings: a one-room school house, an 1879 pioneer home and two early rural churches.
HHM&A recently established a “Museum Mercantile,” a small gift shop that features the work of local artisans and books of local interest. It is open to the public during regular museum/archives hours.
You can find a sample of items at http://heritagehallmuseum.com/museum-mercantile .
