The Journal-Democrat, February 12, 2004

By Nora Yeager

Special to the J-D

SPENCER COUNTY - Meeting at the Buffalo Run Restaurant in Lincoln City, the Friends of the Lincoln Pioneer Village and Museum announced their incorporation as a not-for-profit charity.

Incorporation enables the organization to apply for grants to make improvements in the Village and Museum. Members represent countywide civic organizations, governmental agencies and the private sector.

For five months the "Friends" have planned events, repaired the museum and promoted activities to accomplish a threefold mission to preserve our cultural heritage, provide an educational resource and contribute to the economic development of our community.

The grand re-opening of the Lincoln Pioneer Village and Museum is scheduled for April 15-17.

Saturday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, March 13, are work days for volunteers at the Lincoln Pioneer Village. Everyone can help from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church will provide lunch to the workers on Feb. 21, and Trinity United Methodist Church will provide lunch to the workers on March 13.

Each volunteer will be assigned to a cabin team. The team will find sotred contents and move them to the team's cabin, assess the condition of each item and recommend needed repairs.

Gentler workers who can't lift and carry may work in the museum on the "white cotton glove" detail to label precious museum contents.

Local volunteers have contributed time, energy and historic memorabilia to the Lincoln Pioneer Village since 1936.

Noted sculptor and architect George Honig designed and promoted the building of the unique landmark. His wife Alda (McCoy) Honig taught piano, inspiring her students with descriptions of her experience performing at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

The notable Rockport couple lived in an apartment over Payton's Clothing Store on Main Street.

From its beginnings, The Lincoln Pioneer Village has served the dual purpose of preservation of historical heritage and economic development. The original building of the Village was a Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) and a Works Progress Agency (WPA) project funded by the federal government during the Great Depression to provide work for the unemployed.

Today, we want to recreate a local cultural center to install pride in our historical heritage and a tourist attraction to contribute to our economic development.