The Hoard Historical Museum, Fort Atkinson, has announced three events, each of which will take place this Saturday.
Water tower tours
According to information released by the museum, the Fort Atkinson 1901 historical water tower, found within the 300 block of South Fourth Street East, will open for tours, with the first tour of the season offered this Saturday at 10 a.m.
As stated within the release, the tower was constructed in 1901, and served as part of the city’s municipal water system until 1989.
Museum staff advise the public that there are some restrictions in place associated with the tours. The tower is not handicap-accessible, and those individuals who are under the age of 8, and 48 inches are not able to climb the tower.
Tours may be cancelled due to inclement weather.
Dwight Foster House tours, period demonstrations
In addition, the 1841-built Dwight and Almira Foster House, 414 Foster St., will likewise open at 10 a.m. for tours this Saturday.
According to the release, the Fosters were among the first “Yankee settlers” to move into the Fort Atkinson area.
The home is one of the oldest houses in the city, Merrilee Lee, director of the Hoard Historical Museum, noted within the release.
Those exploring the house through tours will find docents available to answer questions and explain the importance of the Foster family as it relates to local history, the release stated.
Also on Saturday, outside of the Foster House, event-goers will find historical blacksmithing, food preparation, and weaving demonstrations, each of which will be provided by members of the Hamele and Szabo families.
Members of the Hamele family, including Nick and Christine, their daughter Rachel Hamele, and their niece, Grae Szabo, will offer the demonstrations between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
“We’re very glad the Hamele family can join us at the Foster House,” Lee said within the release, adding that the food preparation demonstration will include the use of 19th Century equipment and techniques, while the weaving demonstration will involve the use of an “inkle loom.”
Final 2024 garden education program and peonies
Further, at 2 p.m., the final 2024 Garden Education program will be held.
According to the release, the museum annually hosts several garden education programs.
On Saturday, the release continued, Michelle Ovans of Ovan Peony Farm and president of the Wisconsin Peony Society, will be on hand for a presentation about peonies while the museum’s Anderson peonies are in bloom.
Ovans will speak about peonies, their uniqueness, and the creation of the Wisconsin Arts and Peony Festival, held in Beaver Dam, the release noted.
“We are definitely looking forward to Michelle’s presentation. Michelle, as a peony grower, has a unique connection to peonies and is a wonderful source of information regarding peonies, and due to our peony garden, we have a rooted bond to peonies and their history,” Lee noted in the release.
The museum is home to more than 55 Roger Anderson intersectional hybrid peony plants, the release continued, which are now just beginning to bloom. This garden is located behind the museum on the southwest corner of South Fourth Street East and Foster Street. Local residents Roger and the late Sandra Anderson are recognized as one of the world’s leading intersectional peony hybridizers. They established their peony business in the early 1970s. In 1978, they purchased 10 acres of land near Poeppel Road, south of Fort Atkinson, where they built and cultivated “Callie’s Beaux Jardins.” Anderson’s peonies are referred to as intersectional hybrids. Intersectional peonies are created by crossing tree peonies with herbaceous peonies, which allows the blooms to stay more upright than traditional peonies.
At the conclusion of the peony program, the release read, “the museum will recognize the naming of Fort Atkinson as Wisconsin’s Intersectional Peony City by the state of Wisconsin. The museum has been requesting this honor from the state of Wisconsin since 2012 when the Anderson peony garden was installed.”
About the museum
According to the release, the Hoard Historical Museum and National Dairy Shrine Museum are located at 401 Whitewater Ave., Fort Atkinson. The museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A visit to the museum is free of charge. For more information about the museum and its programming, call: 920/397-9914, email: info@hoardmuseum.org, and visit its website: www.hoardmuseum.org.
Standing tall near the Fort Atkinson Middle School, the city’s 1901-built water tower will open for tours this Saturday. Contributed photo.
An assortment of peonies are in bloom at the Hoard Historical Museum in Fort Atkinson. Contributed photo.
Nick Hamele demonstrates yesteryear blacksmithing techniques at an event held in Portage last year. He, and members of his family, will be on hand Saturday at the Hoard Historical Museum where they will offer several similar demonstrations. File photo/Chris Spangler.
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