Tomorrow morning we are having the “official” openings for the new railroad exhibit (Byron’s Railroad Era) and the Outhouse exhibit.

Here are some pictures I just took at the end of today… we have a few very minor details we’ll need to iron out or finish after the opening, but it is 95% completed now.

I think this is a stunning exhibit and something that will really set the tone for future exhibits at the museum. We are excited and hope that there will be a good turnout for tomorrow’s opening.

We give special thanks to our staff for extra hard work in getting this ready in time, as well as Melissa Clark who started this process over the summer when she interned here. Kira took it from there and put on the finishing touches. I don’t know WHAT we would have done without Jim Brubaker the past 2 days to help us get everything installed. Andy Jackson built a beautiful case for Tom Norris’s model train, and Randy added some details to make the case really stunning. David Wise from Byron has loaned us a number of original Milwaukee Road items for the exhibit case. I am probably forgetting someone but … well, I am brain dead!

Tomorrow, the official opening time is 10am. We’ll have guys dressed as engineers, hobos, and free pictures with them. We’ll have a mosaic craft using broken pieces from our summer outhouse dig, and decorating the edge of a mirror with mosaic. Several volunteers are lined up to help with all of it. There will be some refreshments and lots of train-related activities for all ages. We really hope to see lots of people come in!

Festival of Trees 2009

The Byron Museum of History invites your group or organization to enter this year’s Festival of Trees, a popular event held in conjunction with the Byron Chamber of Commerce’s Miracle on 2nd Street.

Every year, the museum is filled with dozens of diversely decorated Christmas trees, which are then judged by local “celebrity” judges and by the 1,000+ visitors to the festival.

The festival is free to enter, and the entry deadline is November 10, 2009. Please see below for more information, or download the Entry Form.

Eligibility

Anyone can enter! Do you represent a business, civic group, service club, church, school, scout group, etc? Are you looking for a great way to promote your business or group to the community? (Last year, over 1,000 visitors enjoyed the festival.)

ENTRY GUIDELINES

• Submit completed entry form to the Byron Museum no later than November 10, 2009.
• Pick a theme for your tree, then make or purchase decorations. Almost anything goes! (This year’s Miracle on 2nd Street theme is Poinsettias)
• Please provide all decorations plus a tree skirt. The Museum will provide extension cords & timers.
• All trees must be artificial. Please, no edible decorations, including wrapped candy.

Dates to Remember

TREE SETUP TIMES

• Fri., November 13th from 10am – 6pm
• Sat., November 14th from 10am – 4pm
• Mon., November 16th from 10am – 4pm
• Tues., November 17th from 10am – 6pm

Festival of Trees & Miracle on 2nd Street

• Friday, November 20th from 6-9pm

Tree Judging

• Thursday, November 19th

TREE TAKEDOWN TIMES

• Tues., December 22nd from 10am – 6pm
• Wed., December 23rd from 10am – 6pm

Other times can be arranged by appointment with the Museum staff. Some groups prefer to take their trees down sooner, which is fine. Please, do not leave your tree with us past Christmas.

PRIZES

The 1st place winner from each category will receive $35 and a ribbon; 2nd place will receive a ribbon. The People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice for Most Original will each receive $35 and a ribbon.

CATEGORIES

• Non-Traditional
• Children’s Theme
• International
• Patriotic
• Religious/Spiritual
• Traditional

Pictured left to right, John Hess, Kathy Hess Musselman, Carol Hess Cox, and Jim Hess hold the original sign from Farmers and Merchants Bank of Byron.

Pictured above, the Hess family holds the original sign from Farmers and Merchants Bank of Byron. The sign has been donated to the Byron Museum in memory of Ralph “Papa” and Ada Hess. Ralph and Ada owned and operated Ralph & Ada’s Antiques from 1948 to 1964. Ralph obtained the Farmers and Merchants Bank Sign after the bank closed.

Also pictured are two finials which were also donated to the Byron Museum in memory of A.F. “Sam” and Elizabeth Hess. These finials were recovered in 1940 from the old iron bridge constructed in Byron in 1883. It was demolished and replaced with a new concrete bridge. Sam and Elizabeth Hess decorated the front of their home for many years with them.

The Byron Museum thanks the Hess Family for these donations, which will soon be featured in an upcoming exhibit about the history of businesses in the Byron area.

The Byron Museum of History is pleased to announce the opening of two new exhibits: Byron in the Railroad Era and Into the Outhouse. A special exhibit opening will be held for both exhibits on Saturday, October 24th from 10am to 2pm. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

Byron in the Railroad Era is a new permanent exhibit located in the museum’s Exhibition Hall. This exhibit tells the story of how Byron flourished during the early 20th century railroad industry. In 1910, Byron was bustling with the coming and going of trains. The Milwaukee Road and the Chicago Great Western were the two railroads that passed through Byron in those days. “Railroads were the economic backbone of many communities and helped small towns like Byron thrive and flourish,” said Melissa Clark, summer intern at the museum. This exhibit also explores several local businesses that used the railroad to ship their products to Chicago. Several memorable quotes about the railroad, taken from the museum’s Oral History collection, are also on display. Featured objects in this exhibit include an interactive Byron Train Model of 1910, a red caboose lantern, photographs of Byron’s two depots, a model Hiawatha train, and an authentic piece of a railway track.

Into the Outhouse is a another new permanent exhibit opening at the Byron Museum. Before the invention of indoor plumbing, outhouses or privies served as toilets. This exhibit will take you back into the outhouse and remind you of days long past when outhouses were part of daily life in Byron. They were also a convenient dumping spot for household trash. Privy diggers excavate these outhouse pits in search of artifacts, which provides a glimpse into the daily lives of the people who used them. Several artifacts from the recent pit dig of The Lucius Read House are also showcased in this exhibit. The Read House, circa 1840s, served as a place of business as well as a church and a “station” stop on the Underground Railroad. “This was an exciting and important project because the Byron Museum’s collection contains no Read family objects. Hundreds of pieces of broken china, glass, metal, and bone were uncovered during the dig which are now featured in our Outhouse exhibit,” said Kira Halvey, Volunteer Coordinator at the museum.

The Byron Museum will also be hosting several activities for kids during the exhibit opening. Kids will have the opportunity to create either a mosaic mirror or picture frame from historic fine china. This activity will be held between 10-11 am and is recommended for ages 8 and up. Space is limited. Please call 815-234-5031 to make reservations. Byron Museum volunteers will also be dressed up as train engineers and Hobos. Kids will also have the opportunity to get their picture taken with them and participate in a Hobo lingo scavenger hunt. Prizes will be given to those who can guess the correct weight of a piece of train track. We hope to see you there!

The Byron Museum is located at 110 N Union Street. Museum hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Admission is always free. Please call the Byron Museum at 815.234.5031 with any questions. More information can also be found on our website at www.byronmuseum.org.

Ogle County Historical Alliance Meeting

The Byron Museum will host a meeting for Ogle County’s historical societies, museums, and local historians on Monday, September 14^th at 6:30 pm. Our county boasts amazing historical treasures – let’s come together to discuss ways to join forces, so we can all be stronger, better informed, and be greater assets to the areas we serve.

Those interested in attending may call the Byron Museum at 815.234.5031 for more information. The first meeting will be held at the Byron Museum, 110 N Union Street, Byron. Attendees are encouraged to come prepared to discuss goals; ideas for increasing traffic, interest, and awareness; the unique problems and resources of your organization.

New Railroad Exhibit in Progress

The Byron Museum is updating one of its most popular exhibits. The railroad brought new life to the towns of this region, and especially to Byron. We are looking for pictures, objects, personal stories, memories, and anecdotes to include in this new exhibit.

• What is your favorite railroad memory?
• What do you remember about the two Byron Depots?
• Did you ever ride the “Dinky” passenger train from Byron? Where did you go?
• Did anyone famous ever come through Byron via the railroad?
• Do you have any memories of the Milk Train?
• What do you remember about the Bowman Dairy, The Canning Factory, and Ashelford’s Cement Factory?
• What was Byron like after the railroads left? What was public sentiment like during that time?

If you have stories to share that relate to any of these questions, please call us at 815.234.5031. This is YOUR museum with your stories and history.

Picket Fence Art to be Removed

Many visitors have enjoyed the beautiful artwork, creativity, and thoughtfulness that went into the “Chicken Wire Picket Fence Wall” that has been on display in the Byron Museum since last fall. Several hundred paint stirring sticks were decorated by over 100 people from throughout the county, creating a unique art piece as a companion to last fall’s Smithsonian traveling exhibit about fences. After hosting this unique art for almost a year, the museum will be dismantling the wall to create space for future exhibits.  Anyone who has contributed to the project is welcome to come and remove their artwork by October 31st Those who have not yet seen the project are encouraged to see it before then – this truly was a spectacular community art project and will be missed on the museum’s walls.

On Saturday, July 18th we hosted a reception for the artists currently showing their works in the show “Realism or Not?”

About 25 people attended the opening reception.

Stay tuned for pictures of all of the works, including information on how to purchase an original work for yourself.

This show is created by a group of women artists working in different media and highly individualized styles, each with a distinct point of view. Media used by the members include oil, acrylic, watercolor, glass, wood and mixed media. Art can be mainstream, sidestream or totally outside the realm of normal experience, but if it’s well done, it’s worthwhile. Although the artists do not claim to be pushing hard against the boundaries of modern art, each is constantly pushing her vision and media to the farthest extent she can reach.

Artists include: Christy Andres, Jean Apgar, Molly Dillon, K. Dyer, Linda Johnson, Sue Mount, Cam Roberts, Mary Rosandich and Peg Sowle.

For more information, please call the museum at 815.234.5031.

Every year we host a tea to thank the volunteers who help with the Quilt Show. This year we had over 35 volunteers in attendance. The Tea is a great opportunity for our volunteers to get to know each other, and to get a preview of the quilts before the show formally opens.

Our food was provided by Cheryl with Three Sisters Cafe & Catering, and it is always delicious!

Volunteers got to know each other, enjoyed the tasty food, and talked about quilts.

About 35 volunteers were in attendance.

Volunteers look at the quilts and get ready to vote for their favorites.

Kira Halvey, Wanda Cacciatore, and Jessica McCanse in front of the lovely "Dear Jane" quilt

View a slideshow from this morning’s tea:

After careful deliberation, Judge Jill Shaulis has selected the following quilts in each category:

Quilts – Antique (pre-1950)

• 1st Place: Helen Debnam, #31
• 2nd Place: Helen Debnam, #32
• 3rd Place: Jan Emmons, #28
• Honorable Mention: Barb Leary, #13

Quilts - Hand Pieced or Appliquéd, Hand Quilted

• 1st Place: Caryl Brix, #26

Quilts - Machine Pieced, Hand Quilted

• 1st Place: Caryl Brix, #24
• 2nd Place: Jan Emmons, #29
• 3rd Place: Darlene Matthys, #19

Quilts - Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted

• 1st Place: Janet Klinger, #7
• 2nd Place: Laura Benthien, #33
• 3rd Place: Cindy Yoakum, #38

Quilts - Machine Pieced, Commercially Quilted

• 1st Place: Diana Jones, #11
• 2nd Place: Kelly Edwards, #37

Quilts - Embroidered, Other

• 1st Place: Joan Hanlin, #6
• 2nd Place: Joan Hanlin, #8
• 3rd Place: Karen Donoho, #5
• Honorable Mention: Joan Hanlin, #9

Quilts - Machine Pieced, Hand Quilted

• 1st Place: Caryl Brix, #24
• 2nd Place: Jan Emmons, #29
• 3rd Place: Darlene Matthys, #19

Wall Hangings & Other Fabric Art

Hand Pieced or Appliquéd, Hand Quilted

• 1st Place: Jan Emmons, #30

Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted

• 1st Place: Miriam Bruening, #17
• 2nd Place: Diana Jones, #10
• 3rd Place: Gayle Clikeman, #12

Machine Pieced, Commercially Quilted

• 1st Place: Kelly Edwards, #36

Original Fabric Art

• 1st Place: Miriam Bruening, #14
• 2nd Place: Miriam Bruening, #15
• 3rd Place: Darlene Carlson, #23

Machine Pieced, Commercially Quilted

• 1st Place: Diana Jones, #11
• 2nd Place: Kelly Edwards, #37

Special Categories

Entrant’s First Quilt or Wall Hanging

• 1st Place: Caryl Brix, #25
• 2nd Place: Amy Wombacker, #35
• 3rd Place: Karen Donoho, #4
• Honorable Mention: Cindy Rocco, #30

Youth, Age 16 & Under

• 1st Place: Matt Wombacker

Quilted Clothing or Wearable Art

• 1st Place: Kathy Lonergan, #2
• 2nd Place: Kathy Longergan, #3
• 3rd Place: Melody Hedges, #27

Our thanks go to all of the staff and volunteers who help make this show possible. Special thanks go to Pete & Wanda Cacciatore for sponsoring the show, and our Quilt Show Committee: Wanda Cacciatore, Mildred Bridgeland, and Jan Emmons.

It’s that time of the year again; we’ve put away our privy probes, shovels, and cleaned up the dirt. This year’s ByronFest marks the 22nd Annual Quilt Show hosted by the Byron Museum. Our Quilt Show is a very popular event and each year, around 60 quilts, wall hangings, and other fabric art is entered for display in the show! It is free to enter as a “just for show” entry, or $5 to have work considered by the judge and public voting. We award a prize of $25 to the first place in each category, and give ribbons for 2nd and 3rd place.

This year’s show had 41 items entered for judging, and 17 for “just for show”. Every year we are amazed by the creativity and handiwork of the people who bring their work here!

This quilt was made by Cindy Rocco and was her first machine-stitched quilt.

As always, we met lots of interesting people during quilt registration. Many of the same people bring new quilts every year, but every year there are also new faces, which we warmly welcome.

Thank you again to all of the volunteers who help make this show possible. We had about a dozen people working last night during registration to make everything go smoothly; several people helping check quilts in, and 8-10 to hang the quilts throughout the museum.

If you’ve never visited the show before, we encourage you to visit this year! The hours for this year’s show are:

Friday, July 10th from 10am to 8pm

Saturday, July 11th from 9 am to 7pm

Sunday, July 12th from 11am to 2pm

FREE ADMISSION

If you are concerned about parking or how to get here, there is a free shuttle bus which stops at the museum every 30 minutes during ByronFest. More information about the shuttle bus is at the ByronFest website.

Below is a slideshow of this year’s quilts. Dazzling as the pictures might be, you really must see them for yourself!

Today we’ve been washing some of what we’ve dug up! Mary Rose Krupa has graciously volunteered to help with that this morning. Here is a picture of her scrubbing away. She seemed to be having quite a bit of fun!

Mary Rose diligently scrubs the "old stuff"

Today we have taken a hiatus from digging in the hole. We are all busy with other tasks, and MY arms needed a break from shoveling! Here is what the hole looks like as of today:

The Pit... No, we're not planning to bury anyone!

Stay tuned for pictures of some of the stuff we’ve found, as well as pictures from Sunday’s 1st Annual Outhouse Dig & Cookout.