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Create a compressed "stage set" of a rural kitchen and porch with lighting and key electrical
<br />appliances from the 1940s, including refrigerator, stove, iron, electric frying pan, and
<br />washing machine on porch. Link one- or two -sentence oral history excerpts to particular
<br />items on display in the kitchen on a waist -high panel railing. Provide a push button to
<br />activate a particularly good oral overview of the changes. (maybe Ruth Nelson's oral
<br />history?).
<br />Use selected excerpts from the following oral histories to convey major points about
<br />electricity and to bring the kitchen environment to life:
<br />Angela Goenner, oral interview 1995, Talks about what life was like before electricity —ice
<br />boxes, separating milk, lighting to establish how farmers got by.
<br />Ruth Nelson, oral interview, 1995. Talks about refrigeration, stoves, cooking, canning,
<br />heating, ironing before electricity and how electricity made life easier for women.
<br />Willard Cox oral interview, 1996, different woods for heating, cooking and how different
<br />wood provided different heat; difficulties of wiring brick house for electricity in 1855.
<br />Vern Dahlmeier oral interview, 1995, Sherburne viewed as a poor county when other
<br />counties had electricity, but it did not; NSP only wanted to wire easily accessible locations;
<br />electricity improved quality of life and changed what you could do at night.
<br />Karl and Frona Eiffert, oral interview 1996, NSP wouldn't extend lines to remote areas of
<br />county. Utility companies didn't think farmers would use much; Frona bought an electric fry
<br />pan as soon as they got electicity; role of REA and Anoka Electric Cooperative; problems
<br />with power lines, wiring, poles, rates, electricians.
<br />Allen.Enger, oral interview, 1996, impact of electricity on the resort and camping business in
<br />Big Lake.
<br />Frank Hendrick, oral interview, 1995. Use this interview to introduce wind charger
<br />information.
<br />Doris Leitha, oral interview, 1995. Before electricity, water froze in the pail and food in the
<br />house froze. Dairying without electricity.
<br />Alice Mathison, oral interview, 1995. Negative aspects of electricity. Nostalgia of life before
<br />electricity, when there was more family socializing and neighborliness.
<br />Bert Nelson, oral interview, 1996. Use excerpts form this to tell the story of wind chargers
<br />and glass batteries for lighting before electricity.
<br />Leo Stadden, oral interview, 1995. Talks about the value of electricity for visually impaired.
<br />He uses a "reading machine" that enlarges print so he can read books, papers, magazines,
<br />etc., and listens to books on tape and has a closed circuit TV.
<br />Sherburne County Historical Society Heritage Center Interpretive Plan, April 21, 2005, page 82
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