Syttende Mai—Old Traditions, New Directions

I happened to be in Decorah, Iowa last week on Syttende Mai, Norway’s Constitution Day. Decorah goes all out with a Nordic Fest in July, so I knew the Syttende Mai celebration would be low-key. It was, and it was delightful.

I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the local Sons of Norway – Valdres Lodge Norwegian Constitution Day Dinner on May 15th, which was a treat even without reference to the holiday. First, I met a lot of lovely people.

Gathering in the fellowship hall.

Second, I love any gathering that includes traditional foods.

Lefse, which I like best spread with a little butter and brown sugar, then rolled up.

Several options for dessert, all traditional Norwegian favorites.

And third, the meal and meeting took place at the beautiful Washington Prairie Lutheran Church outside of town. This was the congregation (then known as the Little Iowa congregation) that called Ulrik Vilhelm Koren  to serve as pastor in 1853. Ulrik’s wife Elisabeth accompanied him, and The Diary of Elisabeth Koren, 1853-1855 is a must-read for anyone interested in the immigrant experience.

The church is on a hill, surrounded by farmland. I can imagine people looking up from their labors and taking comfort from seeing the spire.

The modern church clearly cherishes its history.  And the people I met at the dinner do too. I’ve visited ethnic festivals in towns where the celebration has become part of the community’s heritage, more so than the people who actually live there now.  Not so here.

After-dinner entertainment included a beautiful mini-recital by Rachel Storlie.

On to May 17th. One of the things I like about Syttende Mai is that it is a non-military holiday, and festivities often focus on children. In Decorah, children celebrate with a traditional parade from the courthouse to Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum.

Perfect weather for a parade!

The parade was followed by a street performance by The Nordic Dancers of Decorah.

Students audition for the Nordic Dancers in the third grade, and make a ten-year commitment!

The Junior and Senior Nordic Dancers performed some of the  thirty-plus traditional folk dances in their repertoire.

The dancers also invited anyone in the crowd to come out and join them for a dance.

A good time was had by all!

Later that day came a wonderful climax to the festivities:  opening of a formal exhibit in one of Vesterheim’s galleries featuring the work of 4th grade students.  They had spent six weeks visiting the museum, studying the immigrant and pioneer experience.

How many fourth graders get to see their work formally displayed in a museum? Pretty cool.

Each student then chose a special project, and wrote an immigrant diary.

I was impressed with the projects!

Many kids mentioned that working on their project with a parent or grandparent was the best part of the experience.  They also became comfortable spending time in a museum.

Intergenerational sharing was one of the program highlights, both during the project phase and at the grand opening.

Some of the kids focused on Norwegian culture and heritage for their projects.  Others used Norwegian studies as a springboard to delve into their own cultural identity—whatever that might be—or a group that interested them.

Which is what visiting places like Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, or a Sons of Norway Lodge’s Syttende Mai celebration, so special—even for non-Norwegians like me.  It’s fun to explore the traditions and heritage preserved by descendants of the Scandinavian pioneers who settled the area in the 19th century. It’s also meaningful to consider how their stories reflect our own.

American Girl and Me

I know lots of American Girl fans are eager to learn more about the new Historical Character coming this fall. Since I created the character, I am too! Her name was announced this week:

I had a marvelous time writing six books about Caroline. While I can’t tell you anything more about her yet, I can answer one of the most common questions I hear from readers:  ”How did you get started writing for American Girl?”

Actually, I first connected with American Girl long before anyone at the company knew that I was a writer! When the first books and dolls were introduced in 1986, I was working as a curator at Old World Wisconsin, a large outdoor museum. During the day I got all kinds of hands-on experience with historical activities, from gardening to cooking to crafts. I also had the fun of conducting research to support new events and programs at the museum.

That’s me working at one of the Norwegian farms at Old World Wisconsin.

In the evenings, I wrote historical novels. During those early years I was practicing, learning the skills I needed to be a successful writer. And I had big dreams about that!

While American Girl was developing its first Historical Characters, I got a few telephone calls from researchers at the company. They called me because I was a curator, not knowing that I was very interested in writing historical stories. Sometimes the researcher was looking for a particular antique to use as a model for an object in one of the stories. In each case, I would check the antiques in Old World Wisconsin’s collection to see if we had something that might be helpful. If so, I’d take a photograph and send it to American Girl.

Some of old objects are on display at Old World Wisconsin.  Many more are kept in storage.

Once or twice someone from American Girl read me a short paragraph from one of the stories being developed. They wanted to see if the specific details about some process or activity were accurate. I could tell that everyone involved with American Girl cared a lot about getting the details right.

Whenever I got one of those calls, I was happy to help. And each time I hung up the phone I’d think, I’d love to write American Girl stories one day!

After working at Old World Wisconsin for twelve years, I moved on and took a job developing programs for public television. I was still writing in my spare time, and in 1996, my first historical novel was published.

Soon after that, editors at American Girl decided to develop a new line of books called History Mysteries. Someone who worked at the company knew of my interest in historical fiction, and she recommended me. The editor in charge of the History Mysteries called and asked if I’d like to try writing one. That call was a huge surprise.

Of course I said yes!

That was the first time I tried writing a mystery.  It took me a couple of attempts to get the story put together well, but in time American Girl accepted my manuscript.

This was my first book written for American Girl. The main character, Suzette, lives in northern Wisconsin

Later I wrote two more History Mysteries, Whistler in the Dark and Betrayal at Cross Creek.  After Betrayal at Cross Creek was published, the company ended the History Mystery series.

The editors knew how much readers were enjoying the historical mysteries, though. They decided to publish mysteries about the main Historical Characters. My editor invited me to write a mystery about Kit.

It was a real privilege to write a story about such a beloved character! I worked hard to develop a story that fit well with the first six Kit books. I traveled to Cincinnati to learn as much as I could about Kit’s time and setting.

Danger at the Zoo was the first book I wrote about one of American Girl’s Historical Characters.

In time I also wrote a second Kit mystery, as well as mysteries about Josefina, Kirsten, and Molly. (You can find stories and pictures about all these books on my website:  http://kathleenernst.com)

This is my most recent American Girl book. It was fun to write a story about Molly!

I was having a fine time writing these books.  Then, one day, I got another telephone call from American Girl.  Editors were ready to plan a new Historical Character.  Would I be interested in writing the books?

Of course I said yes!

Next month, I’ll share a bit about how that project developed.  Stay tuned….

Special Old World Wisconsin Tour — And Tickets Giveaway!

Old World Wisconsin is the premier outdoor history museum in Wisconsin, and one of the very best in the country. If you have ever visited Old World, then you know what I mean. If you haven’t yet, then a memorable experience awaits you.

Starting in 1982, I spent twelve years there as an interpreter and curator. When I wrote my first two Chloe Ellefson Historic Sites mystery books, Old World Murder and The Heirloom Murders, I set many of the key scenes in the museum’s public and private areas that I knew so well.

If you’d enjoy seeing where many of those scenes take place, and discussing them, then please join me for an exclusive, before-hours/behind-the-scenes guided tour through the historic buildings that make up a big part of Chloe’s world.

You’ll also have the special opportunity to hear about the historic buildings from Old World Curator Marty Perkins, who knows more about the historic site than anyone else.

The inaugural tour will be held Sunday morning June 10th. Attendance is limited to facilitate Q&A. Prior registration is required. In addition to the tour, tickets provide access to a group reception, and to the museum for the rest of the day. This is a fundraiser – all proceeds go to support Old World. For additional details, including how to sign-up, click HERE.

Want to attend, but the gas pump ate your ticket money?

Don’t despair! I’m giving away one free pair of tickets to the June 10th tour. If you’re 18 or older, you could be the lucky winner. To enter the contest drawing, just send me an email at k.ernst at kathleenernst.com (replace “at” with @). I’ll announce the winner next Monday, May 21st, so reply before then (just one entry per person please).

I hope to see you on the tour!

The First Lady’s Gown

I recently visited the Lincoln Museum in Springfield, IL, with my family. One of the many exhibits that caught my eye is called “What Are They Wearing in Washington?” Front and center is Mary Lincoln, with her dressmaker Elizabeth Keckly helping her into one of the sumptuous ballgowns popular during the Civil War era.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, IL.

As I approached, I flashed on an ever-popular exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.  Growing up in Maryland, I was lucky enough to visit the Smithsonian several times as a child, and I loved seeing the First Ladies’ Gowns. The oldest belonged to Martha Washington.

Martha Washington’s gown. (Smithsonian National Museum of American History)

The Smithsonian collection, originally called “Collection of Period Costumes,” officially began in 1912. Volunteer curators began collecting gowns worn by former first ladies, and created the first collection focused on women. By 1931 a gown had been collected to represent each presidential wife or hostess, and in 1955, a curator created a new “First Ladies Hall” exhibit. Gowns were presented within period rooms.

The Smithsonian asks each First Lady to donate a gown to their collection.  Helen Taft donated her inaugural ball gown in 1909, starting a trend that continues to this day.

This gown belonged to Louisa Catherine Adams.  (Smithsonian National Museum of American History)

As a girl visiting back in the 1960s and 1970s, two things appealed to me about the exhibit.  There was something amazing about gazing upon a dress actually worn by Martha Washington or Eleanor Roosevelt.  It was also fun to watch how fashion changed from gown to gown.  (FYI, today gowns are rotated on and off display, and some are simply too fragile to exhibit.)

This gown belonged to Mary Lincoln. (Smithsonian Museum of American History)

Back to the gowns on display at the Lincoln Museum.  They are reproductions—gorgeously done, but without the magic of an original. However, exhibit designers used those reproductions to superb effect.

Mannequins are arranged in a semi-circle around Mary Todd Lincoln to represent some of Mary Lincoln’s social rivals, the Washington elite.  A short paragraph introduces each woman, and includes a quotation that criticized or ridiculed Mary.  Young visitors might simply delight in the sumptuous fashions, as I did way back when at the Smithsonian.  Older guests will leave the Lincoln exhibit with a new appreciation of Mary’s position at the center of a storm of public contempt.

There are lots of ways to present historical stories.  Some touch the mind, and some the heart.  The best manage to do both.

Meet Meg Justus

I’m delighted to welcome Meg Justus to Sites & Stories!  Although we haven’t met in person yet, we are clearly kindred spirits.  Meg is an author, an independent museum curator, and an avid traveler who has visited almost every national park west of the Mississippi.  Her first novel, Repeating History, is set in Yellowstone National Park.

Thank you, Kathleen, for having me guest on your blog.  I really enjoy reading your entries about various aspects of living history.  My only personal experience so far with being a performer at a living history event  is when I quilt in public, so to speak, at the Job Carr Cabin Museum (http://www.jobcarrmuseum.org/) during their living history day in July every year.

It’s a fun project.  The Job Carr Cabin is a replica of the first building in what is now the city of Tacoma, Washington.  It was the brainchild of two local businesswomen who started fundraising for it in the 1990s.  The building, located only a couple of blocks from where the original once sat, was dedicated in 2000, and now it not only hosts the general public four days a week, but welcomes school groups of all kinds to learn about Job, who was the first mayor, postmaster, and justice of the peace in Tacoma, and about the city’s early history.

The living history day itself draws upon the local community to come and demonstrate skills and chores that were common in 1865, when Job built the original cabin all by himself in a spot where he predicted the Northern Pacific railroad would eventually have its terminus (as it turned out, he was wrong by two miles, but the town grew up around him, anyway).  Various kinds of textile, wood, and food crafts share space in Old Town Park with booths where children can grind coffee and wash clothes with a scrub board and even pan for “gold” in a trough set up for the purpose.

As a freelance museum curator who specializes in working with collections and as a writer, I don’t often get the chance to see people react to my work.  This event is very gratifying as I show people what it’s like to quilt by hand and tell how women made warm, serviceable bed coverings out of the materials they had to hand.  Children, especially, seem to be fascinated by the whole process.

I find it also feeds both of my careers.  As curator when I handle the actual artifacts used for those tasks back in the old days, and as a writer of fiction set in the historical West.  It gives a sense of authenticity even when the fine details may be lost by the participation of 21st century visitors.

The one comment made most often at this event always seems to be to the effect that life was so much harder back then.  Which is most likely the case, but it was also very rich.

My novel, Repeating History (an excerpt is at http://mmjustus.com/fictionrepeatinghistory.html), is about a young man from 1959, who is thrown back in time to the Yellowstone National Park of 1877, into the middle of flight to Canada of the Nez Perce Indians.  It is available as an ebook through

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005E8S8UM

Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/76672

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/repeating-history-m-m-justus/1104728901

iTunes:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/m.-m.-justus/id454474720?mt=11#

My website is at  http://mmjustus.com, and my own blog is at http://mmjustus.blogspot.com.

Rocky Ridge Farm

Books have the power to change lives. One of the first to touch my life was Little House in the Big Woods. That’s why I’ve been visiting historic sites that relate to Laura Ingalls Wilder. (See my posts about Pepin, WI, and Burr Oak, Iowa.)

In 1894 Laura, husband Almanzo, and their young daughter Rose left De Smet, SD, to find a new home. A friend had given Laura an apple grown near Mansfield, MO, which Laura found to be especially sweet. The family traveled by covered wagon to Mansfield and purchased 40 acres (later quadrupled) for a dairy, fruit, and poultry farm.  They named their property Rocky Ridge Farm.

Last September my older sister and I visited Mansfield. I was curious to see the place where Laura had written some of the Little House books, but since this site didn’t appear in the series, I didn’t expect to connect on an emotional level.

I did. It was touching to take the tour, imagining Laura cooking in the kitchen, tending Almanzo though his final illness in the bedroom, writing at her desk. Certainly this came partly because of the affection I feel toward Laura—both the author and the main character.

Almanzo built this home.

He included fossils when he built the chimney.

Almanzo built the home with her comfort in mind—positioning kitchen counters to suit her height, for example. The home looks as if Laura just stepped out.

Photos weren't permitted inside the home proper. This is a covered porch off the kitchen.

Upon reflection, though, I realized there was more to it. As a child, Laura lived an almost nomadic existence. Readers journey with Laura as her family moves…moves…moves again. The constant upheaval makes for fascinating reading. The Ingalls’ restlessness, and the adversities they encounter, make Laura an easy person to care about. So it was unexpectedly comforting to see tangible proof that after so many childhood challenges, Laura had a beloved and stable home. Laura and Almanzo lived in this simple farmhouse for over sixty years.

In 1928, daughter Rose—a successful writer in her own right—gifted a new house to Laura and Almanzo. She evidently hoped to provide more modern conveniences for her aging parents. Laura and Almanzo lived in their new home while Rose lived at Rocky Ridge Farm. But when Rose moved to New York in 1936, Laura and Almanzo moved back to Rocky Ridge. Almanzo died at home in 1949; Laura, in 1957.

The house Rose provided for her parents was close to Rocky Ridge Farm, but evidently never felt like home.

Laura Ingalls Wilder helped spark my lifelong fascination with history. I’m grateful for that. As a writer myself, I’m in awe of her ability to capture the imagination of so many readers, in so many places, for so many years.

The Hanging Gale

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day…

Most of us know the basic facts surrounding the potato famine that drove countless poor Irish people to immigrate to America. A blight devastated the potato crop. Tenant farmers couldn’t pay their rents, and many people starved. Most of us know that the politics of race and class also played an enormous role in the misery and exodus.  And we know a bit about how the Irish immigrants fared after arriving in North America.

Scott and I recently watched The Hanging Gale, a four-part series set in Ireland during the 1846 famine. Four brothers of the Phelan family take different approaches to saving their families and farm from disaster. The programs provide a thought-provoking look at how hunger and oppression led to additional emotional conflicts within families as everyone struggled to stay alive.

Should such oppression be met with violence, or with prayers? Should unfair rents be paid if money is available, or might the landlord actually take notice if every single tenant refused to pay? Such choices had the power to rip families apart—and they did.

Much of my work as a curator and writer has focused on 19th-century immigration, and I’ve read and thought a lot about how painful those final good-byes must have been when one branch of a family decided to cast their lot in the new world. This series presents more complexities.  In one vivid scene an elderly couple are turned out of their stone hovel. They are not permitted to take refuge with relatives. They have no money and nowhere to go. Two adult daughters, with other obligations, watch and weep as their parents simply walk away into the mist.

The landlord, far away in London, never confronts the misery. His agent has the unpleasant and dangerous job of enforcing the landlord’s policies. (The land agent is played by Michael Kitchen of Foyle’s War fame, and I kept hoping he was saving a pithy and articulate speech that would somehow redeem his position.)  Although the agent does at times offer small graces, and although viewers learn that he himself harbors some bitterness toward the rich aristocracy, he is only able to do so much.

The series was shot in Ramelton, Donegal, Ireland. It has a great period feel.

This 1995 series is a production of the BBC-Northern Ireland, and is available on DVD.  Although sometimes grim, it’s well worth watching.

Frieda’s Kitchen

If you’ve read the second Chloe Ellefson novel, The Heirloom Murders, you’ve met Frieda Frietag.  Frieda is an elderly woman of Swiss descent, living in an old family farmhouse in Green County, WI.  Based on reader response, Frieda and her husband have become favorite characters.

In the book, Chloe meets Frieda in her kitchen:

Martine led them through the house to the kitchen.  The room was hot enough to take Chloe’s breath away, but also welcoming in a cluttered and comfortable way.

“Gran?” Martine said.  “Here are the visitors I was telling you about.”

A tiny wren of a woman with stooped shoulders turned from an iron-and-enamel cookstove.  Markus made introductions.  Frieda beamed at him, then turned to Chloe.  “Gruetzi!”

“Hello,” Chloe said.  “I’m afraid I’m not fluent in your first language.”  She’d tried hard to scour all things Swiss from her mind, and her command of the language was rusty at best.

“No matter,” Frieda assured her.  “I’m glad you’re here.”

I like to pin my books on real places to the extent possible.  The inspiration for that kitchen came from a display at the Swiss Historical Village and Museum in New Glarus, Wisconsin.  THM takes place in 1982, so I thought this kitchen might not be too far from what a traditional woman, well advanced in years, might have.

Most people pass on without leaving diaries or reminiscences handy for curious novelists.  But sometimes, the essence of a time and place can be sensed in the objects that  people owned, used, made, cared for, and left behind.  My favorite artifacts in the kitchen?  These embroidered storage bags, which provide a hint—just a hint—of the woman who made them.  I hope she’d be pleased to know that they have a place of honor in the museum.

An American Girl

Big Announcement!

In the fall of 2012, American Girl will launch a new Historical Character. And guess what? I had the privilege and pleasure of creating her.

I must quickly add that I was part of a wonderful team. Editors at American Girl chose the era. Once I joined the project, I worked with editors, researchers, and content experts to create a series of six books. Many, many more people are involved with the other elements that go along with this type of major release—including developing the doll which will represent the character.

For me, this was an amazing opportunity-of-a-lifetime. I plunged into the research. For the past three years I’ve been immersed in the chosen time and place, and busy creating characters and stories.

What time? What place? What characters? Well, it’s too early to say. What I can say is that I am very excited! I think girls will love exploring this world as much as I have.

graphic c. 123RF

If you’d like to be the among the very first to learn more about American Girl’s next Historical Character, sign up for updates by clicking on the blue box that says “Kathleen’s Email List” on the right side of the page. I promise to share more information as soon as I’m able!

Shards

One of my favorite artifacts at Old World Wisconsin sits on a high shelf at one of the Finnish farms. Someone affixed bits of broken china to a crock—including a doll. Were the shards themselves treasured bits of something precious? Sad story. Was someone simply trying to make the crock more decorative with materials at hand? Happier story. Either way, it’s fun to wonder.

I’ve seen similar pieces elsewhere. Check out this one from  the collection of the Swiss Historical Village & Museum in New Glarus, WI.

Not too long ago, I traveled through Door County, WI, and stopped at a favorite cafe in Egg Harbor. I’ve visited several times, but only just noticed the decorative work on a couple of benches and a manhole cover just outside the door.

The pieces are unexpected, funky, cheerful.

I started to go back inside to ask the proprietors the story behind the artwork… but I decided not to. It’s more fun to wonder.