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The Rock County History Center on East Main Street continues to draw visitors to Luverne, and given the comments from tourists, many are drawn to the room-sized nutcracker collection.
“I dusted them all recently, and it took me almost two weeks — and I had help,” said Historical Society President Betty Mann, who donated the collection that first started in her home.
She addressed a gathering of fellow Chamber members Thursday morning, July 11, at the History Center to update them on what was happening in the organization.
It was part of the Chamber’s monthly “Love the Business” initiative to get local businesses together to learn about each other and share ideas.
Mann talked about steadily increasing attendance at the History Center (more than 530 visitors in June) largely due to interest in the nutcracker collection, which is the third-largest in the world.
Germany has one with 8,000 pieces, Leavenworth, Washington has a 7,000-piece collection and Luverne now has more than 4,000 nutcrackers.
“We have had lots and lots of people, and the billboard has really been getting people here off the highway,” Mann said, referring to the billboard advertising.
Becky Walgrave of Those Blasted Things gift shop on South Highway 75 said she can attest to the fact that nutcrackers bring people into town.
“They stop here off the interstate and ask where they can find the nutcrackers,” Walgrave said.
Mann also shared information about the doll collection — currently bride’s dolls, and about the research room that helps people search history, especially genealogy.
“We have a lot of people spend time in that room,” Mann said.
She said the History Center received a grant from the Larchwood Casino for new cabinets in the interview room, which is used to record — audio and video — local residents’ histories through a guided interview.
“Even though most of you are younger, we should all tell our stories,” she said.
“It’s only $25 and you’d be surprised how fast that hour goes. … Ten generations from now, your people in your genealogy can watch you tell your story.”
Finally, she moved the group toward the new exhibit in the showroom that replaced the Luverne Automobile that had been displayed for many months.
The new display features Rock County agriculture history and has historical farm tools and artifacts that tell the story of farming over the past century.
The display is built around a newly restored 1936 Massey Harris Challenger that assumed its place near the windows of the round showroom.
Phil Vos is sharing it for the exhibit. It first belonged to his grandparents, the late Mike and Anna Vos, who bought it brand new in 1937 to use on their 320-acre dairy farm near Hardwick.