McLeod County Historical Museum to dedicate new wing, mural May 20

The opening of the Steffel Wing is an opportunity to welcome the public to the museum. Festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. with a book signing. Fans of Haines' More to the Story columns in the Leader will enjoy "Where the Big Woods Meet the Prairie: A Collection of Short Stories About McLeod County." Artist David Wegscheid was brought on board to provide illustrations. Haines and Wegscheid will be signing their book, and a portion of proceeds will benefit the historical society.

"The book has sold wonderfully," Haines said. "We began with 250 copies and are nearly sold out. We’ve even had to ship some outside of Minnesota — to California, Pennsylvania, Colorado, just to name a few. My fingers are crossed that we’ll have enough copies left for the signing."

Next on the evening's schedule is the dedication of the new wing at 5:30 p.m. This event is happening 33 years and a couple weeks shy of the museum building's original dedication on May 22, 1988.

While the original building was made possible through large and small donations, the Vern and Alyce Steffel Wing is due to a gift from the couple.

"I met Vern Steffel in the summer of 2018," Haines recalled. "He lived a very interesting life and wanted to leave a legacy behind. He was in talks with some other museums about preserving his legacy, and in the end, chose the McLeod County Historical Society. With the aid of some dedicated volunteers, we came up with some preliminary designs as well as some cost estimates. We presented this to Vern for his consideration and he enthusiastically agreed to fund an expansion of the museum."

The expanded exhibition area features tidbits about Vern Steffel. He was leader of the Whoopee John Orchestra, a Korean War veteran and an inventor. On display will be several of his notable inventions/creations, as well as his collection of Whoopee John memorabilia.

According to Haines, the overall theme of the addition is the history of agriculture in McLeod County.

"Like Vern Steffel, an overwhelmingly large number of people from McLeod County have a connection to agriculture," he said. "That being the case, we have built an old-style timber-framed barn inside the museum with many, many ag artifacts that would have been used in the early and mid-20th century."

Past visitors to the museum may recall a barn in the old exhibit hall. Haines wanted to transfer the old barn into the new wing. It was one of the volunteers who came up with the idea of building a new barn in the same fashion that it would have been built years ago. He designed it and spearheaded its construction.

"I helped, too," Haines quipped. "My job was to hold the wall up and provide emotional support. In all seriousness, the barn showcases not only how those buildings were built, but also how they were used, and how those very early barns housed more than just a cow or a horse, but a small array of different farm animals."

Enhancing the ag theme, Wegschied was commissioned to paint a large mural depicting Les Kouba’s painting, “Corn Pickin’ in the 1930's.” While many of Kouba's paintings tie outdoors and agriculture together, Haines chose this specific painting because it puts ag in the forefront of wildlife.

"I guess it’s just one of those paintings that can really put the viewer in the picture, so to speak," he said. "I thought it spoke volumes toward the history of ag in the county."

The mural will be unveiled to the public following the dedication. This is Wegscheid's second Kouba mural. The first, "By the Country Store," can be seen on the Ace Hardware building in downtown Hutchinson. If you attended that unveiling, you know Wegscheid goes for the big reveal.

Comparing the two murals, the artist said the museum mural was slower to paint due to its complexity.

"The process was basically the same, as Kouba's style/process is the same for all his works of art, I have found," Wegscheid said. "The 'Corn Pickin' in the 1930's' mural was way more in-depth and interesting — how he layered out eight layers of perspective coming out at the viewer. It was very fun to paint. For example, the pheasants are practically the size of the horses and much larger than the barns. He's got ears of corn that are 1-inch long in the distance and vague, then there is 8-inch corn husk and stalk right in your face. His ability to lay out a scene in great depth and perspective is so fun to view at the size I've reproduced it at — all the great detail and feeling of being there becomes so much more obvious and real."

Wegscheid called the mural a "testament of respect to Les C. Kouba."

In addition to the mural, the block wall on which it hangs is decorated with “legacy blocks,” which pay homage to farmers and historic farms of McLeod County. These blocks are available for individual purchase as a way to preserve the legacy of current farms or those that existed long ago.

Continuing the ag theme is the new timber-frame barn with board-and-batten siding. Haines called the project "really exciting and should be a great attraction to the museum."

"Once we decided to do an ag exhibit in the new wing, I wanted to build some sort of a barn in the back," he said. "I talked with one of our volunteers, Dave Hormann, and gave him a rough sketch of what I had in mind. He took those sketches home and came back with this spectacular-looking drawing of an old-fashioned barn put together with timbers and pegs."

While it was the Steffels' gift that made the new wing possible, Haines wants people to know that credit to this addition, and the exhibit inside, is due to the many volunteers who played a part.

"This was really the work of an entire group of people who worked together for the good of the museum," he said. "I especially want to give credit to Vern Steffel, who made this all possible in the first place. He unfortunately passed away before getting a chance to see the completed addition. I hope we’ve done him justice by preserving his legacy as well as our own."