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It may be small, but the Auburn Museum is not lacking in history — or spunk. With a new year right around the corner, folks of all ages are looking for change. A change in politics, a change in the economy, a change, even, in the way they eat. What better way to change the future than to study the past?
The Auburn Museum is undergoing some change too, to its aesthetics anyways. The quaint little building which belongs to the city is sporting a fresh coat of paint, a new roof, new windows, new siding, a new front porch and some new flooring thanks to Citizens for a Better Auburn and the Historical Committee, who collaborated efforts to restore the property.
"[We] partnered to clean it out and restore it as close to original as we could, with what limited funds we have," said Paul Brown, president of Citizens for a Better Auburn.
Most of the work was completed by volunteers and prison detail, who helped to paint the exterior of the historic building.
A recent tour of the museum gave me some insight to the rich history on display there. George Morin, grounds keeper a.k.a. "caretaker extraordinare," took me through the small structure which previously housed railroad workers, and pointed out some of the more interesting artifacts, newspaper clippings and books that date back, some of them, to the 1800s.
Morin, a spunky and well-spoken character, spends his time volunteering at the museum, where he takes folks on tours, talks about the items on display and even though he didn’t grow up around these parts, can recall many of the time periods represented on the walls and bookshelves of the museum.
The items on display are marked by specialized sections. The far right corner when you walk in is host to a variety of photos and news clippings on Pearl Harbor Day, one of the main headlines catching ones eye stating "The War is Over," another, "750 Bombers Pound Berlin; Allies Start ‘Double Squeeze,"’ and yet another, "U.S. Alert to Jap Comeback Threat; MacArthur Ready to Dictate Terms."
"I was in Guam at that time," Morin explained. "Then I left Guam to come back to the states after the war ... most of the stuff that you got to read back then was lies anyway; they didn’t tell us what the extent of the damage was on Pearl Harbor," he said.
Along that same wall is photos of soldiers, old letters, plaques, poems and an American flag sits snuggly in the corner.
In the center of the museum is a long bookshelf that holds all sorts of photos, magazines and artifacts, an old yellow Tampa Nugget cigar box, a lantern and photos of Parks Mill being some of the highlights. A yellow bonnet worn by Ella Willard O’Bryant sits atop the shelves and a photo of Johnnie O’Bryant, a local musician, dated 1971, shows an older woman donning ’70s attire and playing a guitar.
There is also a section devoted to school items such as class photos, yearbooks, school books and more; a section that displays all sorts of farm tools and living necessities such as razors, children’s crayons, soap, scissors, eating utensils and reading glasses; a section that highlights Auburn churches containing Sunday school photos and hymnals; and a make-shift model of the local Post Office from the 1800s.
Miriam Wood is a lifetime resident of Auburn and several of the items on display were donated by her.
"My daddy’s people moved here in 1907," said Wood. "You wouldn’t believe the changes I’ve seen -- I used to know everybody that lived here, their cat and their dog too," she said. "Not any more."
Wood said that many of the items came from an old trunk her grandmother stored keepsakes in.
"Several different people have donated items to us, they’ve been real good, very generous about bringing in pictures and newspaper clippings ... my grandmother (Mary Collins) had packed a bunch of items, newspapers, away in an old trunk. To me, it was a treasure," Wood said, "So we hung them in the museum."
One item that stands out as endearing to Wood is an old map of Auburn.
"It was a layout of what the town was supposed to look like," she said. "I find it very fascinating."
The map, which was designed by railroad workers in 1891, just one year prior to the establishment of the city, sits above the fireplace mantel.
Wood said that the museum has moved several times since opening in October of 1992, at Auburn’s Centennial Celebration. It was first in the caboose, then at the house where the old library was, before moving to its current location at the section house.
"And now we’re about to grow out of the section house too, but we’ll find a spot for everything," she assured me.
"Anything that anyone wants to bring by would be really appreciated," she said. Wood explained that anything pertaining to Auburn or the surrounding area that would be of interest to folks is welcomed. That includes anything dealing with Perry Rainey Institute, school items, church items, old photographs, clothing, tools of different eras and other similar items.
Wood also said they will take newer things as long as they pertain to Auburn and would be of interest
to people.
Morin said that preserving the history of Auburn is important and that Paul and Sally Brown have tried to do just that.
"What they are trying to do is keep alive the history of the area, and they want to preserve some of these things ... you don’t have to go very far back in history to see how primitive things were," said Morin. "Some of these things are from 100 years ago ... see how much times have changed."
"There’s a lot of effort being put out on part of some of the people, Sally and Paul in particular over the years, to try to revive the historical aspects of the town," Morin said. "They’ve put a lot of work into it."
Paul Brown said the museum is seeking funds for a new floor covering and to upgrade the electrical service, restore the foundation and add a handicap ramp as funds allow.
"We also need more space. We get offers of historical items and have no space to display them," Brown said. "We would like to see historical zoning so we can slow down the loss of our historical sites and buildings."
Wood said another goal is to begin preserving some of the artifacts and newspaper clippings that are on display with acid-free preservation techniques. Many of the articles are currently displayed in a plastic or glass poster board frame without any sort of preservation method.
The museum currently opens the first Saturday of every month and on special occasions such as festivals and certain holidays. Wood said that it makes for a perfect field trip for school-aged children, scouts or family who is visiting.
"We are flexible and will work with people. All they need to do is call or contact me, George or Paul to schedule a tour," she said.
Anyone that has items they feel would be of interest to the museum can contact Miriam Wood at (770) 963-4152.
To make a financial donation to the Auburn Museum to aid in its restoration or preserving of its artifacts, contact Paul Brown at pbrown1734@bellsouth.net. To schedule a tour of the museum on an off-day contact George Morin at gbmorin@gis.net.
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