a new approach as BONANZAVILLE

Partnering With NDSU to BRING HISTORY TO LIFE

In August of 2015, however, as part of the instrumental efforts of Colin Kloster (a Bonanzaville volunteer and Fargo K-12 educator), a new partnership between Bonanzaville and NDSU’s public history program was born and has since given rise to a more hands-on interactive experience at the museum. Brenda Warren, executive director of Bonanzaville, and Dr. Angela Smith, head of NDSU’s public history program, endeavoring to create a partnership and combine the academia of public history with the work being done at museums such as Bonanzaville, created an associate curator and intern coordinator position; one which was ultimately filled by public history graduate student Lynsay Flory.

Since coming on board eight months ago, Flory has worked with Bonanzaville staff to introduce new exhibits and revamp the educational program, while also helping to create new museum programs and provide daily training on cataloguing and exhibiting artifacts. When describing the new approach at Bonanzaville and the concept of “history outside the classroom,” Flory reflects on her own realization that she “loved history but hated textbooks,” and that history needs to be experienced in order to truly pass on the knowledge and stories of the past: “We need to make history applicable to life.”

This hands-on approach has already resulted in positive reviews from visitors at Bonanzaville. From the changes felt throughout the main museum’s revised living history program (including visitors being able to bake sugar cookies in a wood burning stove) to interactions with volunteers such as Allen Burke demonstrating how to use antique printing equipment, visitors have enjoyed learning the stories behind the exhibits and being able to begin to understand what life was like in that particular moment in time. In the agriculture exhibit, for example, Bonanzaville brings the Red River Valley’s agricultural heritage to life with an interactive seed display, embodying visitors with the feel of what it would have been like to have been a farmer during the pioneer era. This same flow is carried through to the pre-Lewis-and-Clark bison exhibit, where real bison fur is available to be handled and a strong Native American historical component is present. A revamped wedding dress exhibit in the Pioneer Village has become a hit for brides-to-be and has also created a deeper understanding of the nuances of life for immigrant homesteaders. As part of the changes to the educational program, school children now have the option of a guided tour through the Pioneer Village, which has increased the impact of the exhibits and has allowed an opportunity for the children to experience what life as a student would have been like over one hundred years ago.

With plans in the works to extend the living history component of Bonanzaville to include the whole Pioneer Village, visitors will be able to experience new, never before heard stories and different hands-on learning opportunities during each outing. These plans will also provide the unique opportunity for select college or high school students to secure an internship at Bonanzaville; for which applications are currently being accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on Bonanzaville or NDSU’s public history program, call 701-282-2822 or visit bonanzaville.org