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Knox Creek Heritage Center |
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The Knox Creek Heritage Center is a museum and more - a place to discover exciting things about our heritage and environment. The site consists of six buildings and a donated two-and-one-half acre parcel of land in the southeastern part of Price County. The Center collects, preserves, and displays photographs, documents, and artifacts that illustrate the historical, social, cultural and natural heritage of the area.
The Main Farmhouse was built circa 1900 in the basic style of the period with materials that were available at the time. The studs are round tree trunks set between two and three feet apart, covered on both sides by one inch thick rough sawn lumber. No insulation was used. The rafters are also round tree trunks set far apart. There is an etched glass window with the plowing scene that is original to the building. The house is furnished with items that have been donated by area residents.
The Keto House was also built circa 1900 and was moved to the farmstead from its original site one fourth mile to the east. Its construction is similar to the Main Farmhouse. At this time the house contains a logging display, a display of co-op items and memorabilia from the numerous schools that were in that area. A log building was recently moved to the site and is in the process of being prepared for housing new exhibits. An original Finnish sauna was moved to the Center in 1996. The main part of the sauna is constructed of hand-hewn logs in typical dove-tailed construction. The building has undergone complete restoration. The Spirit Baptist Church, which was built in 1890, was moved to the Center in 1998. It is used to house exhibits that tell the story of the early settlers with photographs and memorabilia. The exhibits include a display honoring the veterans of the area from the Civil War to the present.
A pole building on the grounds houses exhibits that represent the many facets of life on the farmsteads of the area. The exhibits include a blacksmith shop display, items from the agricultural era, and tools of the trade for mechanics and builders. A building that was used as a summer kitchen on the original homestead now houses a gift shop with items that represent the ethnic backgrounds of the areas settlers. Knox Creek Heritage Center serves as an educational resource for our local school district and for individuals doing genealogical and/or historical research. Four ethnically themed events are held each year. They are a St. Patrick's/St. Urho's Day Dinner of corned-beef and cabbage in March, a Scandinavian Mid-summer celebration in June, a Country Afternoon in September, and a Finnish Independence Day Dinner of Finnish stew (mojakka) cooked outdoors in an iron kettle in December.
Knox Creek Heritage Center has
underwritten the cost of painting a mural of the Brantwood area in the
early years of the 20th century. The mural can be seen at the
Brantwood Community Center at the intersection of U.S. Highway 8 and
County Highway North D. The Center is open to the public,
free-of-charge. Some buildings are not handicap-accessible,
however. Call (715) 564-2525 or 564-2520 for information or to make
an appointment for a personal or group tour. |
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