History Buffs Will Want To Check Out An Event This Weekend In Spencer

(Spencer)– If you’re a fan of local and regional history, you’ll want to check out something that will be going on this weekend in Spencer. Michael Luick-Thrams is the Executive Director of TRACES, an organization specializing in the study of history and culture. He says a mobile museum detailing five different historic events will be open to visitors this weekend in Spencer. Luick-Thrams says this isn’t the first time they’ve brought the so-called “buseum” to the area…Buseum01 

“We’ve been here before with the story of the Algona P.O.W Camp. We’ve been here before with the story of the Iowa soldiers captured by the Germans kept as P.O.Ws in the 3rd reich. This story is very different. It’s called Hidden or Forbidden No More: Prequels To The Greatest Generation. And it is about five background stories: what forces shaped the greatest generation. We look at anti-German histeria during World War 1; we look at the flu pandemic of 1918 and 1919; the third story is the midwest bootleggers during the prohibition great depression era, specifically in Templeton, Iowa. A lot of Iowans know about Templeton Rye. The fourth story is called America’s White Cancer: The Klan. It’s a local story to the (Iowa) Great Lakes. The fifth story is the crop wars how midwest and other farmers tried to force a commodity crisis by going on strike.”

Luick-Thrams says the “buseum” is being made possible in part through the generous donation of Spencer businessman John Vanderhag…Buseum02 

“He’s gifting us this new bus. In fact right as we speak he’s got his workers putting on the finishing touches. The bus is stored in Spencer and it goes out. It will be this Sunday, the 23rd of February from 1:00 until 5:00 at his shop, because it’s too cold to show it off outside, of course, so we’re going to show it indoors. And then a week from Saturday, the 29th, we’ll be showing this all day long at his shop in Sioux Falls. Our schedule is on our website, www.traces.org.”

From Spencer the “buseum” will travel to Omaha-Council Bluffs, Ankeny and Kansas City. Admission is free but donations are appreciated.