The Polk County Museum is going old school. A new display features artifacts and many photographs of historic schools throughout Polk County.
One of the featured photos on display shows the Crookston High School debate team that won the 1935 state championship. The team included debaters Francis Norman, Mary Robbins, and Paul Sharp, and teacher Fred Seeman.
The main building of the family-friendly museum features vignettes of a pioneer kitchen, a parlor, a general store, a doctor’s office, and a children’s play area. There is a chapel with artifacts from several churches in the county. Several hundred antique items are on display.
In addition to the main building, there are 11 buildings on the grounds, including a 1876 log cabin, the 145-year-old Hafslo Church, a blacksmith shop, a “Little House” from the prairie, and a one-room schoolhouse.
Antique tractors and vehicles, farm machinery, fire trucks, and firefighting equipment are located in three other buildings. The displays total an impressive 25,000 square feet.
The museum, which is operated by the Polk County Historical Society at 719 East Robert Street, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. through the second week of September. Admission is free, and tours can be arranged by calling 218-281-1038.
