Museum « Fillmore County, Minnesota

Museum

Museum

The Fillmore County History Center Museum and Genealogy Library is located at the start of the Root River Recreational Trail in Fountain, Minnesota, on Highway 52 and County Road 8. The History Center is home to one of Southern Minnesota’s largest collection of antique agricultural equipment. From vintage tractors to rare handmade wooden tools, the museum traces the tradition of farming in Fillmore County.

However, that is just one portion of the History Center. We also feature a wide variety of rooms focusing on various time periods. Visit a turn-of-the-century newspaper office, an old-fashioned post office, or an antique country kitchen. Listen to the songs of yesteryear on grandma and grandpa’s Edison Phonograph or Gulbransen Player Piano. It’s all just part of the many fascinating exhibits to be found at the History Center. Children will love our displays of old-fashioned dolls, toys, and model railroad, as well as excitement of seeing authentic Native American artifacts.

There is also our turn-of-the-century schoolhouse, offering a peek at the ABCs of early education. Mom will be fascinated seeing the exhibits of vintage and antique fashions from a bygone era. The collections number approximately 15,000 objects and over 10,000 printed, written, and photographic materials. Most of the objects date from 1870 to 1915, with a fair number of turn-of-the-century artifacts.

Agricultural Buildings

The Agricultural Display Buildings have been designated for the interpretation of the farming history of Fillmore County. Displays focus primarily on early farm machinery including:

Textile Exhibits

Our museum maintains one of the largest collections of women’s and children’s vintage clothing to be found anywhere in Southeastern Minnesota.

Log House

The log house was donated by Alfred and Gladys Seem in 1998 to the Fillmore County History Center. Robert Stark built the log house in the 1860s. The Robert Stark family occupied the log house until 1919, and at that time it was purchased by Carl Lawstuen, father of Gladys Seem.

After a year of planning, the log house was moved to the Museum location. The building was moved in two sections– the lean-to and the log house. The house was set on a cement slab, and the lean-to was reattached. Repairs were completed and the exterior was given a fresh coat of paint. The interiors was also repaired, painted, and a decision was made to decorate it in an early 1900s styling. The furnishings were taken from the collection of items available from the museum’s collection. The log house’s grand opening was held June 10, 2000. It is the hope of the Historical Society that you will enjoy your “walk through the past.”
(NOT open November 1st- March 31st.)

Pleasant Dale/Watson Country School

Relive your childhood memories, as you step back in time to an original one-room country school, furnished with artifacts that were once used in the early days of Fillmore County education.
(NOT open November 1st-March 31st)

Pietenpol Airplanes

On display at the History Center is a 1932 Model “T” Sky Scout, built by Bernard H. Pietenpol. Known as the “Grandfather of the Experimental Aircraft”, Pietenpol was a native of Cherry Grove, Minnesota. He became world famous for designing a home-built airplane powered by an automobile engine. He was a self-taught engineer who sold airplane building plans and built twenty planes himself. The Model “T” Sky Scout was purchased by the History Center in 1990. On December 27, 2006, another one of the late Bernard Pietenpol’s airplanes made its final landing. This Air Camper was built in 1947. Both of the Pietenpol airplanes can now be viewed at the history center Mondays through Fridays from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M.

NOTE: The museum regularly adds and changes displays, so even if you’ve visited before and think you’ve seen it all, you haven’t SEEN IT ALL!

Fillmore County, Minnesota

Museum

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