Revisiting the place where I discovered a passion for cultural heritage, public history and museums

For nearly a decade, first as a consultant, and later as the executive director, I was at the helm of the Bolduc House Museum in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. It has recently been renamed New France - the OTHER Colonial America (click here to go to its website). About 18 months ago I resigned my post to concentrate on the research and writing of a PhD dissertation in museum studies at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. Next month I will defend that work and, hopefully, acquit myself well. It is odd, though, to return to the museum I successfully transitioned from a sixty-year-old hobby to a growing historical site with departments, an interpretive philosophy, events, programs and policies and procedures intact.

Today I went to Ste. Genevieve to hear the report of the third archaeological dig on that museum's campus. I arranged funding for the first two digs which have resulted in amazing finds to shift what we know and can begin to investigate about the layered historical community of cultures that called Ste. Genevieve home over many hundreds of years.  This year's dig was funded through an extension of last year's grant so I feel that I can take a smidge of the credit for it as well. During my tenure, I also contributed the vision and arranged the funding to double the size of the campus which included the acquisition of the property where the past two digs have been held. I arranged for Dr. Margaret Brown to lead the first dig behind the Louis (and Marie) Bolduc House. She recruited a stellar group of professional and experienced volunteer archaeologists. She recommended that the best person to analyze what had been found was Dr. Robert Mazrim. He came when she called and he continues to lead the archaeological work now at the Francois Valle fils House.

I feel a mixture of pride, nostalgia and sadness when I revisit this place. My predecessor, Lorraine Stange, died this morning. That was sad news. She and her mother, Vergie Stange, were the directors for the first sixty years. Not museum professionals, they did a good job keeping the place open and in decent repair. A lot of what I did to change the museum remains in evidence. French creole music still plays outside the front door of the entrance. The 1820 United States flag flies at one of the houses, built in that era. French and Spanish colonial flags fly outside the Louis (and Marie) Bolduc House. The cue sheet of French words and their pronunciations is still posted in the staff bathroom. A Fox & Geese game kit I designed is still for sale in the gift shop. Lots of other things are different - there is more staff and more office space. Other areas of the site have been re-purposed as the current director, Geoff Giglierano, begins to leave his mark. The logo has been redesigned. A new business structure has been adopted. The members of the Board who were at the presentation were clearly delighted to see me, interested in my progress towards the PhD. After the presentation I visited a few of my friends, my always-ready-for-adventure-friend, Joy; my artist-friend and partner in all sorts of exhibit design and creative mischief, Jean; and a pair of retired archaeology professors, Don and Elizabeth, whom I just happened to spy poking their heads out of another pit at another vertical log house as I was on my way out of town.

This is where I cut my teeth in the arena of cultural heritage, public history and museums after a career in education, writing, grant-writing and consulting for non-profit organizations. It was here that I began to grow into the eclectic background, interests and quirky way of viewing the world that had never quite seemed to fit me in my prior jobs. So, thanks to having been here, perhaps now I can tell my grandchildren that I finally know what I have been created to do - and, since apparently, I can do it quite well, I can stop trying to figure out what to do when I grow up and let the passion point the way forward and be its own reward.
Archaeologist Dr. Robert Mazrim explains what the past two weeks have unearthed at the Francois Valle fils House in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.

Dr. Mazrim displays a shard from a piece of Mississippian (600AD-1300AD) pottery found at the Francois Valle, fils House in Ste. Genevieve.

Dr. Mazrim holds a glass rosary bead painted to look like wood. It was found at the Francois Valle, fils House in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.

By Lesley Barker c. 2017

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