It is fall!
Don’t we all enjoy this time of year? The aspen and larch changing colors. Those chilly mornings when we put on a favorite sweater. Thinking about cooking soup and hearty casseroles. And yes! The quilters are back at it every Friday from 10:00am to 3:00pm at the Historical Village in the old schoolhouse. We always enjoy having visitors so don’t hesitate to stop on by some Friday to visit and see what we are working on. And while you are there – you can also check out our shop. There are all sorts of quilts, casserole carriers, scrubbies, books by Darris Flanagan, catnip mice and lovely potholders. If you aren’t able to stop by the Village on a Friday, you can always order online and we are happy to ship things to you.
Another treat at the schoolhouse on Fridays, is a wonderful select of fabrics and craft supplies we have for sale. Sally has organized it all very well so easy to pick up exactly what you need – whether its extra material for a quilt or a kit to make a Christmas decoration. Needless to say…great prices and all proceeds support the Historical Village.
Do you realize this is our 50th anniversary year? Fifty years of providing a lovely place for people to enjoy walking or having a picnic, and the buildings and archives to preserve our valley’s history. Thanks to those of you who support the Village with donations, purchases, and/or your volunteer efforts.
Thanks
A hearty thanks to all of you who supported the Historical Village this year. We weren’t entirely sure when we decided to switch to an online shop from our typical holiday bazaar, what might happen. We certainly didn’t expect such an outpouring of generosity from those who purchased our handmade items, and hard work from those who made all the items. Cathryn’s pine needle baskets sold so fast she had to make a few more (which also sold very quickly). Lynda’s huckleberry jams disappeared in a few days as did the special dog treats. The quilters were thoroughly delighted to sell three quilts (two of our tied flannel ones and one lovely hand stitched one that Sally pieced). And you probably missed Renata’s blue starry quilt that was bought up in a flash. There was a run on embroidered dish towels and Jan and Carmen’s lovely Christmas ornaments. Cathy’s spicy peach jam was a big hit as were the hand felted pouches that Carol made. Proceeds from all sales go to the maintenance of the Historical Village. So as you wrap the baby quilt or the toasty scarf that you bought from our online store – you are actually giving twice. Once to the fortunate recipient of your gift, and once to the Historical Village. When you see the old church being painted or a new roof going on the Baney House, please know you are part of making that happen. Oh – and just in case you need a last minute gift, the online shop is still up and running and the quilters are at the old school house every Friday for you to pick up your purchases.
We so appreciate the support from the community. And that was another delight we discovered from having an online store – how far our community actually reaches. Orders came in from Seattle, New York, Kentucky and Israel! It is truly heartwarming to see how many people far and wide appreciate the Historical Village and our efforts. Thank you very much. May you and yours enjoy this season and all we look forward to in 2021.
This Year’s (online) Bazaar
We were tempted to post a photo of a dog rather then the table laden with wonderful items made by the women at the Historical Village. We seriously thought of boasting about old dogs learning new tricks but decided it made more sense to just tell you about the awesome bazaar we’ve set up for you.
Follow the link from the Tobacco Valley Board of History website to our spanking new online store (it says Shop at the top of our Home page). Yes, it will have everything you typically enjoyed at our annual holiday bazaar. Cathryn Schroeder’s pine needle baskets, scrubbies, lovely potholders, embroidered dish towels, and yummy jams. Of course there are quilts – baby quilts, tied flannel quilts, quilts with vintage tops, and quilts hand stitched by the Friday quilters. Actually you should just go to the store now to see everything we have because…..well, there is a lot!
It is truly an online store where you pick out things you want to purchase, and then click on the little shopping cart to check out. The store takes credit cards so that makes it easy. You pay online for your items and then any Friday that is convenient, between the hours of 10:00am and 3:00pm you can stop by the old school house in the Historical Village to pick up your order. Do you work between 10-3 and can’t make it to the Village? No problem. Get in touch and we will arrange an alternate pick up time. And guess what? The online bazaar officially opens November 20 so that gives you plenty of time to purchase those lovely items you want to send to friends and family. And because its an online bazaar, you can shop 24/7. Insomnia? Not a problem – get your shopping done anytime while supporting the Historical Village.
Because as always, 100% of these sales support the Historical Village. So with every purchase, you help us maintain the grounds, keep the buildings looking great and pay the bills. So thank you for your purchases! And if you happen to be a minimalist who really doesn’t want anything more (although the upcycled wreaths Lynda made are really fun), its even possible to make a donation to the Tobacco Valley Board of History from our online store.
We are so excited about this endeavor. But to be clear, we are unable to gift wrap and/or ship items you purchase. We are a small group of volunteers and making all these beautiful items (did we mention huckleberry preserves and Cathy’s spicy peach jam?) and managing the online store is what we are capable of now. We are confident you can wrap your own gifts or support our local UPS store if you need any help with shipping. If you live out of the Tobacco Valley and want to purchase something, get in touch with someone you know locally who can pick your items up and arrange to get them to you.
Always a treat to see the Historical Village stretch into the 21st century! Look forward to helping you find perfect delights for everyone on your list. New things will be added weekly so be sure to check back (the cute catnip toys and homemade dog treats are available now!).
still a bit more
In the Tobacco Valley, we all just finished up a truly delightful whirlwind weekend of bazaars. So many wonderful ones to visit from Riverstone Lodge to Trego Hall. No doubt you picked up many wonderful gifts, but if there happens to be someone on your list you are still missing, the Historical Village bazaar continues this Friday (12/13) and next (12/20). Warm hand-tied quilts in thick flannel, scrubbies, homemade biscotti, embroidered dishtowels, huckleberry
jam, baby quilts and more. Stop by either Friday from 10am – 3pm.
Perhaps you have all your holiday shopping finished up, but are considering donations before this year ends? The Tobacco Valley Board of History always appreciates your support. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit and will promptly send a thank you for your records acknowledging your thoughtful gift.
The Tobacco Valley Board of History truly appreciates the support from everyone in the valley and those individuals who live other places who help us maintain our community’s history. Thank you for stopping by our Christmas bazaar, attending Pint Night at HA brewery, sending in memberships, volunteering and helping in so many ways to keep the Historical Village a very special place in Eureka.
PO Box 1452. Eureka, MT 59917
Working
The quilters are well into their fall flurry. One quilt is nearly done (you can tell when 
knees and elbows start touching), one tied, and another hand quilted one that was pieced by Sally started this week. The large table with items for our Holiday Bazaar is overflowing with wonderful items made by the women: potholders, baby quilts, aprons, hand embroidered tea towels and pillow cases, casserole covers, hats, scrubbies and more. All proceeds go directly to help maintain the Historical Village. Mark your calendar for December 7.
And then the Tobacco Valley Board of History will be having a fundraiser at HA Brewery from 4:00 – 7:00pm on November 27th. The Pint Night features live music, a huckleberry pie raffle, a good time connecting with friends, and $1 off every beverage sold that night given to help maintain our valley’s heritage. Hope to see you there. And in case you don’t know, HA Brewery now offers a fantastic menu so plan to come hungry.
On your calendar
All these events help raise money to support the Historical Village. Volunteers bake pies, sew quilts, knit hats and play music so our valley’s museum can be everything you want.
November 21: Pint Night at HA Brewery. 4-8pm. Huckleberry Pie raffle. Live music with Dave Leeman and Al McCurry. $1 from every beverage sold and $1 from every pizza sold goes to the Village.
December 1: Holiday bazaar from 9-4 in the old school house! Handmade items galore with all proceeds going to the Village. Yes its true. You don’t want to miss this.
December 7-21: Every Friday until Christmas, the bazaar at the Historical Village continues. A perfect place to pick up last minute gifts and visit the quilters. 10-3 in the old school house.
Do you want quarterly updates about events at the Historical Village? We now put out an e-newsletter. Leave a comment so we know the best way to contact you.
Crisp leaves
Our community is so generous. There were all those individuals who sent membership checks over the summer to support the Historical Village. Then there were the shoppers who came by for our September rummage and fabric sale. One woman traveling from Pennsylvania was so taken with the fabric strips we had at the sale that she called after she got back home asking if she could buy more. We were tickled with her interests and immediately arranged to have the fabric she wanted shipped to her. And nearly every week now, some one stops by the old school house on Friday when the women are quilting to make a donation.
Last week Donna Todd came in with a lovely old quilt top that she gave to the Historical Village quilters. We are still discussing how it should be quilted. Sally thinks this top was pieced around the 1930s. No doubt it will be a wonder once it is laid out on the frame, all those vintage colors and patterns. We look forward to working on it.
Pam, a staunch Historical Village supporter from Oklahoma, who has sent numerous quilts over the years to be hand quilted, recently gave us fabrics as well as some hand stitched items for our winter bazaar. Along with these treasures, she also sent two beautiful quilts we will work on this winter. One, a lovely collection of rainbow colors, might just be my current personal favorite.
When people say it takes a village – it is obvious the community that supports the Historical Village in the Tobacco Valley is a village that stretches across the entire country. The woman in Pennsylvania, Pam in Tulsa, and of course many people in Montana are all part of our village, helping with resources, quilts and volunteer efforts. As we enjoy this autumn season, it indeed feels like a bountiful harvest. Thank you.
A spring into Fall
The women started quilting on Fridays again. We set up a lovely blue one with blocks created by numerous people. It will be a pleasure to decide how to quilt each unique design. No doubt it will take us through til November, and there are other quilts waiting to be done. Thankful to have this pile as it is one of the many ways we raise money to maintain the Historical Village.
To begin this season off, the Tobacco Valley Board of History constructed a strategic plan to carry us through the next three years. The Historical Village was first established in 1971 so now nearly fifty years old. Forty-seven to be exact. Forty-seven years of volunteers fundraising, getting old buildings painted, roofs repaired, exhibits set up, 
the museum open everyday in the summer. A lot of accomplishments for an all-volunteer organization in a small town. And now we want to plan well so that this can continue for your children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Darris, Lynda and Sally fine tuned suggestions from the entire board. Some very exciting ideas that we will begin to work towards making a reality.
Sally will create History Suitcases that can be borrowed by schools and home school groups. Each suitcase will have artifacts, photos, books and other items that students can touch, read, examine and learn from. We also decided to expand our outreach to the community as we begin doing more events at the Village starting this winter. For you not to miss anything, get on our email list so you can receive quarterly newsletters. You can ‘like’ the Tobacco Board of History Facebook page as we will have updates there. And of course we will be putting our quarterly calendar in the newspaper.
We are also building our lists of volunteers. There are summer docents for the museum, quilters, archivists and individuals to help with small repairs and some grounds maintenance. Obviously we need more. People who like to help organize events, help get our calendar out, fix things that need fixing (yes, the teeter totter is on the list), do demonstrations in the summer of skills we don’t want lost.
And an archival room is in the plan! This would be a space that is secure, temperature and humidity controlled and with a place for individuals to do research. This has been needed for some time and now we are ready to take it on – find someone to do the design, raise the funds to build it, and then move the files, boxes and other archival materials into the new space. Once this is completed (remember this is a three year plan) it will open more room in the Fewkes store museum to expand the exhibits there.
We are definitely springing into Fall.
Falling into new colors
It is that time of year and yes, we are all ready. The Historical Village museum closes for the season after Labor Day and then the quilters begin meeting again on Fridays in the old school house. The second Friday in September we will have our annual Fall Rummage sale from 10:00 – 2:00. Lots of treasures including all sort
s of fabric for your sewing pleasure. Stop by so you don’t miss out! The third Friday of September is when we seriously start quilting again until next May. All the quilters are looking forward to this: the conversation, the camaraderie, the chance to explore new quilt patterns, colors and designs. We have already decided which quilts we will start with. The blue one is my personal favorite but you will have to wait until it is on the frame to see it.
As always, if you are interested in joining whether as a novice or an experienced quilter, don’t hesitate to stop by on Fridays between 10:00am and 3:00pm. No pressure as this group has a good sense of humor and more patience then anyone might imagine. And if you have a quilt top that you would like to have hand quilted, this is the group to do it. Stop by any Friday and one of the woman will explain the process. Not only will you get your quilt finished but the proceeds from our quilting support the Historical Village.
Picking up speed
Yes, the snow is nearly melted in our valley. There are still patches under trees and on the north side of the old school house but otherwise we see bare ground, mud puddles and a few spring flowers pushing through. The women are hard at it trying to get the current quilts finished by the end of April. That is when things shift for us into the next season.
On April 28, it is Rendezvous in Eureka which mean vendors fill the Historical Village grounds and there is the largest parade of the year down main street. The old school 
house will be transformed from the place we quilt all winter into a book sale. Stop by if you are in town to pick up some great bargains. Then in May school children take their annual trip to visit the museum. We also have a rummage sale, another opportunity for bargains and to get raffle tickets for a lovely quilt we made. And finally on May 26, the Historical Village announces the summer season. Everyday until Labor Day, volunteer docents will open all the buildings and are available to provide information to visitors from 1:00 – 5:00pm.
So now we are trying to get the last quilts finished up. Jana, a guest from the Czech Republic, has been joining us to learn how to quilt and to share her travel adventures with the women as they sew. Cathryn created a pile of new baby quilts that are perfect to welcome little ones to the world. Sally made some lovely children quilts that are for sale in the museum along with our full size tied quilts and, of course, the beautiful hand quilted ones. If you are in town for Rendezvous or just ambling through the Historical Village grounds on a sunny afternoon, stop by to learn about our valley’s history and perhaps purchase a quilt to support this remarkable space.
Tobacco Valley History blog 