MONDAY MORNING MUSEUM UPDATE – August 12, 2024 – Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum

In this week’s update: Historical Speaker Series replay, Museum Media Day results, TV ad on KSN, and more!

In our weekly update, keep up to date on what staff and volunteers at the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum are working on to lift up the history of Lindsborg and the surrounding region. This weekly update both looks back at what happened last week and looks ahead at what’s coming.

For August 4-11, 2024:

- We are just shy of the halfway point (49%) on fundraising under the Community Service Program (CSP) Tax Credits through the Kansas Department of Commerce. Read about all the latest here: www.oldmillmillmuseum.org/save-the-pavilion!
  We’ve had 28 individuals, families, and businesses contribute to this progress to the tune of $117,300. We need about another $50,000 before the funding for the essential structural repair is secured.
  Have we heard from you yet?
  Any Kansas resident can qualify to receive back a 70% fully refundable tax credit on their Kansas return with a donation of $250 or more to the project! The available tax credits will be used to enhance fundraising efforts for the Pavilion Restoration & Improvement Project. The credits are expected to raise $238,000 in donations, which will fully cover critical stabilization repairs to prevent collapse of the historic structure and will partially cover installation of a new, more historically accurate roof.
  This will be a successful initiative only if individuals, families, and organizations step forward to give under the program’s tax credit opportunity. Please carefully consider your own ability to give to this project, and to share this opportunity with your own friends and family!
- The first session in the Historical Speaker Series about Albertha Sundstrom was on Saturday, August 10, with 33 registrants. If you missed seeing this great online presentation opportunity, you can view it “on demand” on our Museum YouTube page at www.youtube.com/@lindsborgmill.
  There are still another The Historic Speaker Series is a set of online talks in partnership with the Smoky Valley Historical Association featuring great historical figures in Lindsborg and Smoky Valley History. Registration is completely FREE to the first 100 to sign up and is made possible with a grant from Humanities Kansas. You can read more about the entire speaker series and register your attendance at www.oldmillmuseum.org/historical-speaker-series!
- Welcome to our new Executive Director – Aubrey Wheeler – who had her first day on the job on August 1! The previous director – Lenora Lynam – is staying on board as Mission Director to help create a smooth transition. Read more about Aubrey’s background and her plans for the museum at www.oldmillmuseum.org/news/#director! We are starting to arrange meetings and coffee opportunities with Aubrey for her to start reaching out to the community. Please reach out by email if you would like to get on the schedule for your community group.
- We held a special “Museum Media Day” last Thursday, August 8, at the Lindsborg Museum. We had four media organizations in attendance, and the opportunity led to stories on KSAL and Ad Astra Radio so far. Out of preparations for the day, we also now have available a full Press Packet of resources on our website for journalists interested in covering the museum!
- SAVE THE DATE: Our next online Swedish Genealogy Workshop will be Saturday, October 26. Watch for details and registration instructions coming soon!
- We have a :30 ad that will be appearing on KSN television in August. If you don’t happen to catch it on TV, you can watch it anytime HERE.

NOW OPEN: “Skeleton-Of-Dog… Selected Geology & Natural History Artifacts from the Bethany College Collection Archives” is a temporary mini-exhibit at the museum featuring some unique artifacts not seen in public for decades!
Our Endowment Campaign 2025 is ongoing to add $1 million to our endowment in supporting our annual operational budget to make sure that not only do we preserve these historical treasures, but we can also “keep the lights on.” Read more on the flyer and giving form below, or visit to www.oldmillmuseum.org/donations to learn more!