Hot Springs museum plans for future

After a complete restructure, LaRue Hot Springs Museum board members will be heading into their winter break reflecting on the year's accomplishments and gearing up for next season. In April, the public elected six new board members to join Norah Potts and George Heinselman, who were the last two members from the museum's previous board. After Potts and Heinselman reached out for help, the town of Hot Springs convened an election.

"It wasn't because of COVID that the board was restructured, rather the case that the previous board members either died or moved away," said Christine Walsvick, LaRue Hot Springs Museum board president. "We are a new board and we are learning and working together as a new board."

The board members added this year were Christine Walsvick, president; Sher Loberg, vice president; Bob Neiman, vice president; Chris Bishop, secretary; Jerry Kontos, treasurer and Margaret Leichtnam, as volunteer coordinator.

While COVID-19 closed the museum for the entire year of 2020, the board members had their hands full as they set out to find new members and prioritize the needs of the museum. At the top of the list was to rebrand the museum in order to breathe some new life back into the establishment.

Walsvick said it was Loberg and her youth entrepreneur class who took on the task of rebranding. After visiting the museum, the students engineered a new logo and a catchphrase along with helping create a new user-friendly website that includes a membership forum and a place to sell local items.

Jobs for Montana Graduates is one of several organizations the board members hope to continue a relationship with. "The goal is to have different organizations in school continue involvement in the museum," Loberg said. "We will also host more activities and events to continue community involvement."

Another goal board members have set is to update and preserve many components of the museum including the Sorenson Cabin and another log cabin on the property, which will be no easy task as Walsvick says part of the struggle is gathering history on the Sorenson Cabin. The structure was purchased in 2010 for $2,000 and came with little information when it was moved to the museum.

"They are in desperate need of repair and preservation updates," Walsvick said of the two cabins. Board members say there is the possibility of adding plumbing and electricity and even turning the Sorenson Cabin into a bed and breakfast, but for now they would like to repurpose the two structures into historical buildings that will house different exhibits.

Because of the emphasis on homesteading history throughout, the board says visitors see the museum only as a homesteaders' museum with little history of other cultures in the area. It is an element of the museum they would like to improve upon.

Walsvick says she would like to build a partnership with the local tribal community as she will look to them for involvement as they build educational and information displays that are both respectful and appropriate.

As the board continues to update and repair, Walsvick plans on spending the winter break applying for several grants to help fund future projects. While the board president did miss out on funding through one of the American Rescue Plan's grant programs, Walsvick will be applying for funding from Montana History Foundation, Montana Historic Preservation Grant and the Collections Assessment for Preservation grant.

Alongside updates and repairs, funding will also be used to improve the museum's curb appeal. The board's newly formed landscaping committee got a head start when they received a donation from Montana Ace Garden Place in Missoula for $300 of trees.

Leichtnam said they chose cottonless cottonwood to plant on the property, along with an aspen tree, a willow tree and a pine tree. "Eventually we would like to put in a few shrubs," Leichtnam added. The landscaping committee would like to turn the land behind the museum into an event area by bringing in picnic tables, a gazebo and a pavilion. The museum is currently looking for donations of top soil to help with the landscaping plans.

LaRue Hot Springs Museum will open next year on May 6. Visit http://www.laruehotspringsmuseum.com for more information and community events the museum is planning for their 2022 season. LaRue Hot Springs Museum is located at 166 Hwy 77 east of Hot Springs.