Highway Signs

The Lemmon area has had interesting summer weather. We've had phenomenal amounts of moisture this year and along with that was phenomenal amounts of hail. Almost every building in Lemmon has had some hail damage. The museum lost both west windows and of course had dents to the steel siding. There has also been dam-age to our highway signs. The DOT paid a visit to our curator (Phyllis) and told us that we need to do something to repair the signs. We've been brain storming as to how to get people's attention and have them stop in for a visit. John Lopez has agreed to work on the design and now we need to decide what type of material would give us the most use for the least amount of expense. This also brings us to fundraising. We are again planning on selling Indian Tacos. It has been a great way of making money for the museum and people just really love them. We need to raise funds for the everyday operation of the museum and we could use the proceeds to help with the expense of the new highway signs.

Sculpture Garden

What do you think? The museum landscaping could use some curb appeal. Stuart and I had gotten some ideas after we had a chance to go to the "Granary" for an art exhibit in Aberdeen, SD. There is a large sculpture garden where they feature a number of metal sculptures from various South Dakota artists.

In 2009 the "Granary" had purchased a sculpture from John Lopez called "Chief Red Iron". (This sculpture is pictured on the cover of the Gift Directory in the South Dakota Magazine November/December Issue.) John has agreed to show case several of his sculptures at the museum during the summer.

We want to build our own sculpture garden and give more people an opportunity to see more of John's work.

In Lieu of a President's Letter

My editor insisted on me telling you of some of our future plans. We are going to Hawaii. No intentions of coming back. Sell the ranch and mail me the bills that are left over. I'll be on the beach with my new friends. Do you see what future plans always look like? Not like reality. But there are some realistic goals that we have for the coming year. We have a fundraiser underway for updating our Highway signs. The design for the sign is on the front page of the newsletter. We think that the consistency of having signs that resemble the sculpture at our front entrance will help visitors recognize us and maybe peak their curiosity. We will be converting a storage space in the museum to a theater room that will house some technology like some of the better big museums do. We will use it to show Creation DVD's and other local historical flavor that we have on film. Such as a 1950's football game of Lemmon High School and modern historical DVD's by Jim Stock and others. Cool stuff. We also have long range plans of a major addition with a major facelift to our outer appearance. Like bringing it into the 2010's. That is the future we envision for the Grand River Museum and also the town.

Now that Hawaii thing doesn't sound so unrealistic anymore does it? If you dream it you can do it and if you build it they will come. We ask for your help and prayers. Nuff said.

Schools and Groups

Children of the Calvary Christian Preschool visit Grand River Museum

Throughout the summer season, we enjoy having different groups stop in for a visit. We have had classes from many area schools. We also had a group of young Boy Scouts who were working on a badge. The groups always enjoy having a guided tour of the museum and then working on a Scavenger Hunt and other fun things. Some groups have a chance to shop in the Gift Shop before going home too.

1st graders from Faith, SD, enjoy a field trip to Grand River Museum in Lemmon

Boss Cowman Honorees

Ed & Phyllis Schmidt were the 2009 Lemmon Boss Cowman Honorees. Many family and neighbors along with their children were able to come to Lemmon to help them celebrate. Sons, Stuart Schmidt of Keldron, SD, and Cary Schmidt of Sturgis, SD, daughters, Teresa (Schmidt) Hale of White Owl, SD and Diana (Schmidt) Brewer of Riverton, WY.

Traveling Exhibits

During the 2009 summer season, the Grand River Museum featured two traveling exhibits from the South Dakota Historical Society. Each exhibit consisted of several portable kiosks. The first half of the summer we set up the "Living Traditions: Dakota, Nakota, Lakota Art" exhibit with information and pictures on Native American history and several different types of art forms. Materials used to make these intricate pieces of art forms. Materials used to make these intricate pieces of art were leather, stones, bones, beads, seeds and feathers.

The next exhibit was called "Marketing Dakota". We were able to set up this exhibit for the second half of the summer season. This display consisted of four kiosks which featured information on how people were encouraged to move to Dakota Territory during the late 1800's and early 1900's. The museum is proud to give our visitors a taste of South Dakota's culture and history.

Quilt Winner

The winner of the star quilt is Beth Webster of Traverse City, MI. Beth has been a visitor to our ranch on and off for over 10 years. She loves Lemmon and all things South Dakota. Beth has also been an awesome supporter of the museum. We were very happy to be able to pack up the quilt and send it her way. Winners of the door prizes are: T Shirts, Leonard and Violet Wenck, Spearfish, SD and Tami Schmidt, North Hollywood, CA. Cap winners are: Al Zabel, Vatavia, IL and Rex Witte, Glad Valley, SD. Mug winners are: Dave & Jackie Meyer, Big Stone City, SD and the winners of one of Phyllis' books are Dave and Judy Anderson, Lemmon, SD.

Photos of the Past

This picture of Lewis Schmidt and his horse was taken in 1939 by his cousin Rex Schmidt. Rex worked for Kodak Company and was here visiting when he took several pictures of Lewis.

A photo of the Glen Blaylock sod house at Grand Valley, SD

Spear P Ranch- Ralph Patterson Ranch, along Flat Creek

Lee Schmidt saddling a bronc-1926

Kid's Art Contest

All famous artists start out as kids. And some of them never really grow up. They just create. And we thought we should celebrate the fact that we are a Creation museum by asking the kids of our members to create some artwork for us. The kids would be free to use their imaginations but we hoped they would use the theme of people and dinosaurs together, like the Flintstones cartoons. We are going to use the art in our displays and newsletters and other future ideas. The winners will receive prizes from the gift shop We need the contest entries by spring and John Lopez is the judge so, be creative. Anybody who knows John will know that he is the most generous judge there is. Kind of like the fans judging their favorite team. It's a contest but all entries will be used by the museum in some form. Think of our museum as a giant refrigerator and we'll cover it with refrigerator art. Kids, sign your entries and mail them to the museum or drop them with Phyllis or one of the directors. So all you kids out there from 1 to 100 send in your artwork and who knows, it might make you famous.

Creation Science Presenters Now Available

When the Black Hills Creation Science Association was formed in 1999 after the Back to Genesis Seminar in Rapid City, one of the goals of the people who formed the organization was to take the evidence where the nationally known speakers could not go. Speakers from BHCSA took evidence to small towns across South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana. Board members, Conrad and Joanne Cutchin, did a loop tour of over forty churches taking them through the northeast, southeast and as far west as Las Vegas, NV.

BHCSA president, Dr. Randy Guliuzza, not only spoke locally at several church venues, but has participated in debates with evolutionists across the country on behalf of the Institute for Creation Research. Randy now works for ICR and has written a number of Acts and Facts articles.

BHCSA has been somewhat inactive for some time, but now the Grand River Museum has been informed that speakers from BHCSA are now seeking speaking dates in a variety of settings. If you would like to host a creation seminar in your church, your school, or your town, please call or email the following people: Conrad and Joanne Cutchin 605-745-6608 email: tcfm@goldenwest.net, Don Kopp 605-343-8528 email: donkopp35@gmail.com and Bob Wittstruck 406-794-1860 email: walktruth@gmail.com

Adventure Safari's Dinosaur Dig

This last summer during our Adventure Safari's Dinosaur Dig, we were privileged to have Joe Taylor spend a week with the crew. Joe is a world renowned paleontologist and he was generous with his time and expertise in helping the crew during our dinosaur dig. Joe is the operator of Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum in Crosbyton, TX, and specializes in fossil reproductions which are on display in major museums all over the world. Joe is also a creationist which is becoming more common in the paleontology world, but Joe has been for decades. Like the old country song, Joe was a creationist when creation wasn't cool. He spoke with Russ McGlenn at one of the seminars that Adventure Safari's hosted at the Beeler Building this last summer. We were so appreciative of this humble, down home humorous cowboy, and hope to have him back many times more.