Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Bottineau Remembered: Historic Minnesota

Bottineau Remembered ...

an Historic Exhibit about Minnesota from the 1850s through mid 19th century during the Minnesota Statehood sesquicentennial year.

1. Vintage Slate Chalkboard with Abacus

Blackboards, dry erase boards and overhead projectors as visual aids in the classroom didn’t exist in the 1800s, and paper and pencils were often scarce. Students used hand-held slate boards, something like the example shown here to do their work. Teachers went from student to student, writing out problems and examples on each board.

Mr. James Pillans, headmaster (principal) of a school in Scotland is called the inventor of the chalkboard and colored chalk that everyone could see, with which he taught geography. Mr. George Baron, an instructor at West Point Military Academy, is considered to be the first to use a large chalkboard for teaching.

These boards were made of slate. Slate is a rock and had to be mined out of the ground before it was made into chalkboards. By looking at the cracked area in the middle you can see that the board is made out of stone.

The wood-framed slate board with top abacus on display here is a representation of how the slate looked. Slate, was mined in Vermont, Maine, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and New York. Schools in remote areas might have had a wall painted black instead of a real chalkboard, because of the shipping and purchase cost, and also because of the difficulty of communication—transporting objects wasn’t always easy.

By the middle of the 19th century a board in the front of the classroom for the teacher’s use became fairly standard.
Felt erasers had not been invented yet either. Cloth rags would have been used instead to wipe of markings on the boards.

3. Antique Eyeglasses

3A. Eyeglasses and Case
B. F. StraubJeweler & Optician
Masonic Block
Faribault, Minn.

Benjamin F. Straub was born October 30, 1840 in Hemlock Township, Pennsylvania. On April 30, 1862, he married Charlotte Jane Yancey, whose family arrived in America before 1637. He died while en route to his son’s home, traveling from Montesono, WA to his son’s home in Hoquiam, WA. Mr. Straub was buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Faribault, Rice County, Minnesota.

In the census of 1870 and 1880 Benjamin’s occupation is listed as jeweler and Charlotte’s as “keeping house.” They had five children: Edgar, Allie B, Fred and Maude. In the census information below we can note that Edgar at age 16 was learning telegraphing.

3B. Pincers in Black Case
3C. Pincers in Red Case

BOTTINEAU REMEMBERED: MINNESOTA SESQUICENTENNIAL IN OSSEO MN


~ Free Historical Exhibit ~
BOTTINEAU REMEMBERED

A MINNESOTA SESQUICENTENNIAL DISPLAY

IN OSSEO, MN

DATE: September thru October 2008
HOURS: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 9-5 Saturday or by appt.
LOCATION: Quality Music and Books
Quality Music and Books is presenting a display of historic objects from the time of Minnesota's entry into the Union in 1858 through the first half of the 20th century.

Pierre Bottineau, instrumental to the founding of the cities of Osseo and Maple Grove, Minnesota, also played an in important role for the whole state of Minnesota. He acted as interpreter, scout, and acted as a guide for expeditions and buffalo hunts. Bottineau was the founder or played a part in the founding of at least four Minnesota towns, and his name appears on both North and South Dakota maps and in their history books. All items are available for purchase at the end of the exhibit. Exhibit items may be held for purchase with a 50% reserve payment.

BOTTINEAU REMEMBERED
A Minnesota Sesquicentennial Exhibit is FREE to the public.
DATE: September thru October, 2008