Service Learning Update: Koshkonong Prairie Historical Society

This summer, the Material Culture Program at UW-Madison is sponsoring five undergraduate students at local historical societies and museums in the Madison area. The Summer Service Learners gain real-world work experience and put the skills they've learned in the classroom to practical use, and the host organizations receive help with projects they may not otherwise have the time, staff, or other resources to complete. In this post, Mara Champagne reports on her work with the Koshkonong Prairie Historical Society in Cambridge, Wisconsin.

This summer I have the pleasure to intern at the Koshkonong Prairie Historical Society. Koshkonong Prairie Historical Society, or KPHS, is located in an old brick school in Cambridge, Wisconsin. KPHS and the Cambridge Historical Society are both housed in the school and work together to create a diverse history of Cambridge and the surrounding towns. KPHS focuses on the Norwegian immigrants to the Koshkonong Prairie, a town that was never officially created. KPHS highlights iconic Norwegian arts like Rosemaling, displays motors engineered by Ole Evinrude, and showcases priceless illustrated bibles in Norwegian from the 1600s. KPHS is truly a hidden gem and a place where I have been able to combine both of my majors, Art History and Scandinavian Studies, in a way that I would not have thought possible.

My time at KPHS is spent doing many different tasks. KPHS is open twice a week, Wednesday and Saturday, from 12:30-3:00. During this time, I often serve as a docent to patrons and talk to them about my favorite pieces. I always make sure to show the patrons the Norwegian bibles from the 1600s. The bibles are unexpected pieces in the museum. The detail of the writing and the illustrations is incredible. While serving as a docent I have had the chance to meet children of important figures in Cambridge. KPHS has an exhibit on Dagmar Vesby, a missionary who married a Cambridge man. Artifacts from her time in Africa are displayed along with her book. Recently, I had that chance to meet one of her daughters and discuss Ms. Vesby. This conversation gave me an inside look into her life and the struggles that she faced. Living in a small farming town was difficult on a woman that yearned to travel. I always walk away with a richer understanding of Cambridge. KPHS is run solely by volunteers and it is incredible to work with people who are so dedicated to public history. The patrons are just as curious.

The biggest task I have done at KPHS is starting a cataloging system. This past week KPHS found out that they had received a grant from the Wisconsin Council for Local History to purchase PastPerfect, a museum cataloging software. Before this, KPHS did not have a cataloging system to account for their vast collection. Over the past month, I have worked to create a worksheet to be used for each item in preparation for the software. This worksheet includes crucial things like titles, descriptions, condition, dimensions, and date/person it was donated by. With any new item that comes in, KPHS will be able to record who donated it and when it was donated. KPHS will be able to have a fuller record of all of their items.

My hours that are not spent at KPHS are spent researching and reading. I have read many books on the history of Cambridge and notable people from Cambridge. Since I am not from Cambridge, it has really helped me gain knowledge about the town. I have drawn on this newly learned knowledge many times when talking to patrons. I have also done write-ups on various displays for visitors to read when there are not docents around. I will be working with my supervisor, Janice Redford, to expand my write up on Ole Evinrude to have published in the Cambridge newspaper.

Cambridge is a town that understands its vast history and has dedicated volunteers and patrons that want to contribute to this history. Working at a historical society is a new experience for me. I am confident that the interactions I have had and the projects I have worked on have been great learning experiences that will benefit me in future museum work.

--Mara Champagne