Today is shaping up to be a busy and exciting day at the museum. Several volunteers are coming in to help set up our new South Gallery exhibit, Cavities & Cures: The Equipment of Doc Lottes and Dr. Fischer. If you follow us on Facebook, keep an eye out—by the end of the day you should see photos and more details as the exhibit comes together. And if social media isn’t your thing, don’t worry—I’ll be sure to highlight it here in next week’s post.

Before we dive into exhibit work, though, I’m happy to share the completion of a project that has taken far longer than I ever anticipated. It’s amazing how easily both life issues and technical hurdles can slow even the best-laid plans! Still, persistence has paid off.

For the first time, we are now offering video recordings of our conference presentations for purchase. This new option allows those who couldn’t attend in person to benefit from the rich scholarship shared at this event.

If you need a reminder, our 2025 Immigration History Conference, held October 23–25, was titled Origins: Sailing, Survival & Settlement. Over the course of the weekend, we explored what compelled these Saxon Lutherans to leave Germany, what they experienced during the Atlantic crossing, and what daily life looked like upon arrival in St. Louis and Perry County. We also examined the pivotal moments that shaped the long-term success of their settlement story.

We had a wonderful time learning together, and we’re excited to make this content more accessible than ever.

What presentations will you see? Scroll through here to see!

The conference recordings are available in two formats. You may choose either a Google Drive link for convenient online access or a flash drive, which we will mail directly to you.

If you attended the conference—or if you registered and paid but were unable to attend—please contact me, and I will be happy to set you up with whichever format you prefer.

For those who did not attend the conference, the full set of conference videos is available for $200. This pricing reflects our desire to continue encouraging in-person attendance whenever possible, while still making the valuable content accessible to those who are unable to join us onsite.

To purchase, click one of these options:

Google Drive: https://square.link/u/5U53oYAT

Flash Drive: https://square.link/u/1pGgIB4R

Thank you for your continued support of the museum and its educational mission. We look forward to sharing more projects, exhibits, and programs with you in the weeks ahead.

Now, off to build a new display!

Until next week! Denise Hellwege, Director