October 2024 was a pivotal month at Crosscurrents Heritage Center at Tippesaukee Farm. After many years of dreaming and planning . . . we went public! We hosted three well-attended and well-appreciated events.
We are heartened by the responses we received through applause, laughter, tears, and encouraging comments. We are also thrilled by the support we received from local and statewide organizations, including the Richland County Campus Foundation, the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, Friends of Blue River, the Richland County Historical Society, and the Wisconsin Science Festival. On top of that, we received generous monetary donations from individuals, plus generous donations of time from our hardworking, over-qualified volunteers.
Now, we are reflecting on what worked, what can be improved, and what we want to share with our community next year.
Our opening event on October 5th was a talk with slides by Professor Eric Carson titled “When the Wisconsin River Flowed Backwards.” Who would have expected a standing room only crowd for a geology lecture? But Eric got a lively, engaged audience and he delivered a talk that had several asking whether he would be back next year to lead a geological tour of the farm. Stay tuned!
More than one person was intrigued by the unusual location for the talk: our old barn, circa 1861. I heard one woman remark that she’d never seen a barn so clean!
On October 12th “Our Guiding Lights,” our second program with live music and slides, focused on Camilla Coumbe Kirkpatrick, Lottie Coumbe Robertson, and Mary Kirkpatrick Moffat: the three women who inspire Ben and Bruce Moffat to share Tippesaukee Farm with the community. Performed by Ben, with help from Bruce on tech and guitar, the show demonstrated that preserving and protecting this remarkable place is actually a multi-generational effort whose roots go back to the 19th century. As Ben said during the performance, “People have been gathering at this beautiful spot for thousands of years; we should take time to savor it, too.” There were teary eyes in the audience as he shared family stories about these three “fore-mothers,” Camilla, Lottie, and Mary.
The last show, “Old Seeds, New Growth: Stories about Trees, Seeds, and Growing Strong,” brought together traditional stories from Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian chant (oli), and stories about botanists making a difference by protecting endangered plants–work that parallels efforts at Crosscurrents to regenerate oak trees and other native plants.
In many ways “Old Seeds,” Janine Oshiro’s heartfelt show, tied it all together–storytelling, science, and music–while she unpacked the metaphor of the seed.
This kernel of an idea, passed down to Ben and Bruce from their mother, grandmother and great aunt, has now been planted: Crosscurrents Heritage Center is a gathering place where diverse individuals can come together to enjoy experiences that nourish the heart and mind, build a sense of community, and a sense of pride for the Driftless Region.
For next year’s programs, we are once more planning to offer programs that focus on or combine history, natural science, and culture. Maybe there’s a better word than culture, but we haven’t found it yet. What we mean is that we’re not just interested in teaching history and natural science. We are into pleasure and fun, too . . . even entertainment. Music, food, drink, storytelling . . . celebrating life at this beautiful and historic place beside the Wisconsin River. We hope you will continue to be a part in whatever way suits you best.
Crosscurrents Heritage Center 