News from the Fort

Fort Museum head seeks to boost opportunities to learn

JESSE HELLING, Messenger staff writer
A lifelong interest in history has led Alan Schaefer to Fort Dodge.

Last fall, the Fort Dodge Historical Foundation voted to appoint Schaefer executive director of the Fort Museum and Frontier Village. Formerly of Pocahontas, Schaefer began volunteer work with the museum last summer.

“I love creating historical displays,” said Schaefer.

Since becoming director of the museum, Schaefer has worked to organize the troves of artifacts the Fort possesses, he said. Although the museum has yet to open for the year, Schaefer has spent many winter hours at the Fort getting ready for the first day of the season, which usually comes in April.

One of his cold-weather projects was reviving the “Fort Museum Bugler” newsletter.

“I’m happy to let people know what’s going on out here,” Schaefer said. “It’s the people of Fort Dodge that make the Fort.”

To attract more people to the Fort, Schaefer said he is working on developing a series of rotating displays.

“We want people to not just see the same thing they saw 10 or 15 years ago,” he said. “I want to get attendance back up and give people a reason to come back out here.”

To bring new artifacts to the Fort, Schaefer said he’s been working with local collectors’ clubs, including the Fort Dodge Stoneware Collectors’ Society.

Schaefer said he also wants to boost the educational content of the museum by including more information about the Fort’s buildings and how people from the relevant time period lived their lives.

“I want to get the Fort active for the community,” he said. “If we can get kids to come out for school, they’ll bring their parents out.”

Volunteers are always welcome, he said.

Schaefer, a native of Buffalo Center, said he has volunteered with different museums, including a recent stint as a consultant for the World War I exhibit at Camp Dodge near Des Moines.

Schaefer has studied at Iowa State University and Mankato State University.

The Fort Museum has been in operation in Fort Dodge since 1964.



Contact Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net'>jhelling@messengernews.net