Sherburne County Heritage Center Interpretive Plan Final Report 2005

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Desired Learner Outcomes 1. Some visitors will describe the four different kinds of landscapes in Sherburne County at the time of settlement. (cognitive) 2. Some visitors will explain how early landscapes contributed to the subsistence and economic importance of hunting and trapping to county residents well into the 201h century. (cognitive) Visitor Experience Visitors will walk along a pathway bordered by two dioramas. On one side, an upland landscape (prairie and oak savanna) prior to settlement will be depicted in dioramas. Insert bison skeleton into the foreground of the upland diorama. On the other side, depict the St. Francis River wetland landscape dotted with beaver dams and muskrat houses. Running on both sides of the pathway, photos, text, and flat or small objects related to settler and early 20th century interaction with that landscape will be displayed on a 45% angle panel. Incorporate a muskrat fur coat if available on the wetland side of the diorama. Maps should identify where different plant communities were located in the county at the time of the General Land Office survey, and a map near Vernon Bailey's text should indicate the location of the Maple -Basswood forest protected by Tibbits Brook and the Bailey homestead. Differing Points of View 1. Some people may believe this summary is too focused on hunting and trapping --but that is the focus of much of the historical documentation on the experience of early settlers with the natural landscape. 2. Some people object to trapping as cruel and inhumane and will not like its inclusion here. Iconic object/media/activities: Dioramas and "Hudson Seal Coat" or other muskrat coat from area and reconstructed bison skeleton from Becker Community Library Additional media and activities to tell the story (objects, film, images, sound, etc.) 1. P1990.200.316 75 photos of gray and red fox shot in Becker or CL Townships April 1955 2. Map showing the Maple -Basswood forest protected by Tibbits Brook and the Bailey homestead. 3. Acquire Archie Larson's Store fur purchasing records if available. Archie Larson may have referred to them in 1978 when Dori Northrup interviewed him for her Masters Thesis, pp 28-31. 4. Acquire a Broad Bill duck call patented by Nels C. Hansen, father of Mrs. George Pratt, in 1914, sold throughout the US, Canada, and New Zealand, and used until the 1960s. 5. Acquire some old traps from the early 20th century trapping industry in Sherburne County, especially muskrat, mink, or raccoon traps. 6. Acquire a muskrat coat from the 1940s—sable-dyed muskrat, or a muskrat coat called "Hudson seal coat" which had the fur clipped off. 7. Acquire an old shotguns or rifle used in the Sherburne County area. Sherburne County Historical Society Heritage Center Interpretive Plan, April 21, 2005, page 38