Wednesday, January 22 at 1 o'clock, National Park Service Ranger Matthew Bruce of the Hagerman Fossil Beds will speak at the museum. Learn the history surrounding the park and the various flora and fauna discovered here. The Oregon Trail went through this area and there are still places to see the wagon wheel ruts cut in the ground. This will be a fun and interesting talk so be sure to mark your calendars.
The event is free and open to the public.

This series is shaping up rather nicely as we have scheduled every Saturday from January 4 through the end of March. Some of the speakers have been here before, but others are new and the topics will be diverse. 
All programs are open to the public and are free to attend.
Programs begin at 1 o'clock and generally last about an hour. The museum is open from noon to five so if you would like to stay after the presentation you are welcome to do so.
Last year we were fortunate in not having to cancel any presentations for any reason. This year we hope all will go as well, but please note, we have to shovel snow from sidewalks and the handicapped ramp and the parking lot(s) also need to be easily accessible. If adverse weather conditions merit closing the museum we will give the public as much advanced notice as possible. 
Our first program will feature Max Black and his book about Diamondfield Jack Davis. In 1897 Jack Davis was arrested for the murder of two sheep herders in the Rogerson area. He was sentenced to hang but two others pleaded guilty to the crime. They were found innocent at their trial and Davis was again sentenced to hang. He was finally pardoned in 1902. Several prominent figures in Idaho politics and legislature were attorneys representing either side. It is a great story, the kind western movies are built upon. Max will be here January 4 at one o'clock.
January 11, Steve Hartgen will talk about his book "Tradition and Progress." Mr. Hartgen was editor at the Times News for a number of years and served in the Idaho State Legislature from 2008 to 2018. His book explores how Idaho's growth has affected traditional values.
January 18, Alex Kunkel will surprise us with a selection of his choice. Alex has been involved with the Historical Society for nearly 20 years and has an amazing amount of knowledge about our collections. He is a bit of a reticent speaker, but once the shock of an audience wears off he comes across in great form.
January 25, Carl Nellis worked with Idaho Fish and Game for a number of years and he'll talk about furs, hides and skulls. We will have him help identify some of the furs used in our winter "Baby, it's cold outside" display. One coat is horsehide with a sheared beaver collar. Others are mink, muskrat, sheep, etc. We will bring them out and let people feel the textures.
In February we will have Shawn Willsey, Jim Gentry, Karen Olen, Dave Heidemann, and Shauna Robinson. March, Brian Olmstead, Matthew Bruce, Kelly and Jim Jones. There may more lectures in April and we will know more about those as it gets closer.

For the last several years we have had Alex Kunkel bring in a large sagebrush for our Christmas tree. There are some previously made paper chains, snowflake cut outs and other decorations already here at the museum or feel free to bring in your own ornaments.

Hot Chocolate, Coffee, Cookies or other treats will be provided and visitors are welcome to sit at the table to discuss upcoming events or other topics.

The museum opens at noon and the decorating will begin at one o'clock.

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The annual members meeting is this Saturday, November 9th at noon at the museum. Members will be voting for board members, there are two incumbents running for reelection. 
The museum will close to the public until after the meeting. Members will be asked to participate in a poll regarding speakers for the Saturday events beginning in January 2020 and also whether they are interested in continuing the decoration of a sagebrush tree in December.
Member dues must be paid in advance of the meeting to vote in this years election. You may choose to join or renew a membership on the 9th, but you won't be issued a ballot until the next election.
We will try to answer any questions from the members and encourage them to make suggestions regarding general operations and special events. 

October 15, 2019 - -  the Filer fourth grade students stopped by the museum to learn about how school was in the old days, what kind of farm equipment was used and how the early residents lived. Thank you Karen Olen, Larry Koldewey, Duane Ramseyer, and Patti Hurley for taking the time to explain things to some curious kids.

Jim Holler is looking for photos of the old train depot that was located in Filer. I found this one in the book that Peggy Cristobal put together called "100 Years of Memories, Filer, Idaho 1906- 2006". Thank you for donation Mr. Holler, we appreciate the support.

We had a great turnout for the field trip to the Brose House - we had limited space and time so weren't able to accommodate everyone that wanted to go this time. Shauna Robinson of the Twin Falls County Preservation Commission led the Brose house tour, while Friends of Stricker explained the ranch history and Louis Zamora took us to a number of points of interest concerning the canal system. 

Shauna shared information on the barn being purchased as a kit from Montgomery Ward and how Mr. Brose poured the concrete blocks that the home is made from. 

Some of the original fence is still in place and many ornate urns and accents poured into cement molds can be found around the property.

​This is the south porch of the home. Kudo's Shauna and many thanks for the tour.

We were able to wander freely at the Stricker Ranch, with volunteers from Friends of Stricker available at certain points to explain the building or area they represented. We had our lunch there, then went along with Louis Zamora to see some interesting things about the Twin Falls Canal Company.

We stopped at each end of the 10 foot siphon that crosses Rock Creek.

Last, but certainly not least, we were able to access the building that stores some of the artifacts collected by Joe Webster and others at the canal company in Twin Falls. 

It looks like we will have a full bus on the 21st, with several others either following or meeting us at one of the points of interest. 

The trip to the Brose House, Stricker Ranch and other areas around Hansen should prove to be a fun and interesting day. Be sure to bring your own lunch, beverages, etc. as we will leave the museum at ten and return about 3 or 4. There will be plenty to see and learn about on the trip, some places we have visited on previous field trips, but there is always something new. We are getting a lot of sign ups for the bus, but still have some seats available, (as of the 13th). Brian Olmstead of the Twin Falls Canal Company may be able to take us through their historical displays later in the afternoon. There is no fee for the trip, but we gratefully accept donations and hope to be able to continue these adventures. Our weekend lectures will be starting in a few more months, so if there is something of special interest to you, please feel free to contact us to set something up.