(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson County Museum has a new director. Today (Mon.) is the first day on the job in that role for Jean Ann Myhre, who’s lived in the Spirit Lake and Estherville areas for more than 35 years. She tells KUOO news it was her mother, Charlene Smith Thomsen, who instilled upon her an interest in local history…
“My mother was a Navy Day Queen (in 1955) which was a wonderful celebration for us to reference to, that story, and look up the articles in the old Beacon. That was very nice to do last week when I came in. So historically my mother was always into history of Dickinson county which again has passed on to me and to my daughter Emma with the Okoboji Project with Ryan Maris.”
Myhre has been active in the volunteer community and operated an event planning service in the Iowa Great Lakes. Jean Ann says she looks forward in getting acquainted with even more community members in her new role as Director of the Dickinson County Museum…
“Just immersing myself in this expansive history, and that’s a big challenge. I mean I have a lot of reading to do, a lot of communication with the wonderful volunteers here and relying on Frank and Mary of course.”
First founded in 1961, the Dickinson County Museum at 1708 Keokuk Avenue in Spirit Lake holds the distinction of being the first railroad depot in the state of Iowa to be converted to a museum. The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific depot in Spirit Lake was constructed in 1884 and still stands in its original location. This past October, the Dickinson County Historical Society, which operates the museum, opened a new, state-of-the art exhibit in the depot that chronicles the history of railroading and the important role it played in Dickinson county.
Regarding the (Iowa) Navy Day Queen reference, the event in the 1950’s paid homage to the original Queen excursion boat.
