by April Scheinoha
Reporter
Summer is winding down, and before long, Peder Engelstad Pioneer Village will be closed for the season. At its meeting Tuesday, Aug. 22, the Pennington County Board heard an annual report from Jamie Bakken, Pioneer Village executive director.
The Pennington County Historical Society manages Pioneer Village, which is home to 19 buildings and two cabooses in Thief River Falls. Bakken indicated PCHS owns substantially more buildings than many other historical societies in the state.
A grain bin will soon be added to its holdings. The donated grain bin will be located behind the Engelstad building and near some farm machinery. Brenden Wilde Construction will pour a cement base for the grain bin before it is moved to the site. Bakken said the mover hopes to transport the grain bin before the snow falls.
PCHS is finishing the roofs on two cabins this year, replacing the cedar shingles on each cabin. It also plans to rehabilitate the outside of the Great Northern building, where stucco has been bubbling for more than 20 years and is now breaking off of the building. Bakken said it is looking at encapsulating the stucco and using some faux stucco.
PCHS hopes the county will provide a donation to the organization as part of the county’s 2024 budget. Bakken didn’t request a particular dollar amount. For 2023, according to County Coordinator Kevin Erickson, the county provided $14,500 to the organization. Commissioners took the request under advisement since they are in the midst of crafting the 2024 budget.
For her part, Bakken is in the midst of a fundraiser. After the Thief River Falls School District ceased publication of a school calendar this year, PCHS decided to take on the project as a fundraiser. “We think it will be a great little fundraiser for us,” she said.
Bakken worked with The Times to create the calendar, which features school events, community events and historical pictures. As in years past, the calendar also notes that the sports schedules, in particular, are subject to change.
Bakken added that other nonprofit organizations are featured in the calendar as well, including the Thief River Falls Area Food Shelf, Pennington County Humane Society and Violence Intervention Project.
The calendars may be available as early as the Thief River Falls school open houses Wednesday, Aug. 30. They cost $5 each. Bakken said the calendars will also be available for sale at The Times and Hugo’s.
The calendars may draw more interest in Pioner Village. A study found that Pioneer Village has been visited by more than 2,000 people annually over the past four years. Bakken said that number included 2,661 people from Thief River Falls and 1,562 visitors from other Minnesota locales. Pioneer Village has hosted visitors from every U.S. state with the exception of Maine, Massachusetts and Mississippi. Besides the United States, Pioneer Village has hosted visitors from such countries as Canada, Australia, Norway, Spain and Nepal.
Those totals don’t include the number of people who attended Night to Unite, an annual celebration held in August at Pioneer Village. Bakken said that event usually draws 500 to 800 people per year.
Besides Night to Unite, Pioneer Village has hosted field trips, scare events, Classic Christmas, 4-H camps, mental health camps, and birthday parties featuring laser tag and/or miniature golf.