MONDAY MORNING MUSEUM UPDATE – July 29, 2024 – Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum

In this week’s update: 3D Con, Historical Speaker Series registration, Repainted Train Depot, 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 July 22-28, 2024:

- We continue to work 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 remain at 41% of received commitments on the available credits. We’ve had 27 individuals, families, and businesses contribute to this progress to the tune of $97,300.
  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!
- We had about 30 visitors last week as part of “3D Con 2024” from the National Stereoscopic Association (NSA) – taking unique stereogram photos with a 3D effect. Thanks to these great visitors, and we hope you enjoyed the tour!
- Our thanks to Derrick Gordon and the City of Lindsborg crews who helped us to quickly recover from a large downed tree limb that also took out a power line and a security light by the Homestead Cabin.
- The McPherson County Community Foundation featured us in an awesome Grant Spotlight video about our completed project to repaint the exterior of the 1904 World’s Fair Swedish Pavilion and to install restored, more historically accurate windows. You can watch the full video feature HERE.
- Registration opened this week for the Historic Speaker Series – an 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. The first session is about Albertha Sundstrom on August 10. You can read more about the entire speaker series and register your attendance at www.oldmillmuseum.org/historical-speaker-series!
- Wheat State Paint Co. finished repainting the Lindsborg Train Depot, and it looks great! This is part of the many projects funded under the museum’s $250,000 SPRINT grant.
- The Museum Handy Crew continued restoration work on the 1908 Dempster No. 9 windmill on Heritage Square. In addition to work on the upper platform and painting the structure, work is progressing off-site on building a new, more historically accurate “tail” vane.

Sunflower Summer is still here – but not for much longer! Now through August 11 with the Sunflower Summer app, Kansas students and their parents/guardians can get free admission to the museum! While you’re at it, use the app to also get free admission to more than 220 attractions and events across the State of Kansas!
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!