In this week’s update: Millfest Sponsorship, Chamber Connections, Swedish Genealogy Workshop on Saturday, and more!
In this update, keep up to date on what staff and volunteers at the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum are working on to lift up the history of Lindsborg and the surrounding region. This weekly update both looks back at what happened and looks ahead at what’s coming.
For October 27 – November 2, 2025:
- Sponsorship opportunities for Millfest 2026 are now open and available!
Scheduled next year for Saturday, May 2, this is the one time annually that tours of the 1898 Old Mill IN OPERATION are available! The festival also includes, music, entertainment, arts & crafts, antique tractor show, games, demonstrations and face painting!
Giving levels to sponsor run from as little as $25 to get your name in the program to $5,000 or more to secure topline “Brought to you by…” overall event sponsorship. You can also choose to direct your donation to specific Millfest attractions, including face painting, tractor show, Old Mill tours, or music performances! See full details including how to arrange your sponsorship with the forms included below.
(Adam and Aubrey worked last week on preparing for and requesting Millfest Sponsorships.)
- Last week we hosted the McPherson County Chamber of Commerce “Chamber Connections” event in the 1904 World’s Fair Swedish Pavilion! Our thanks to the 30 people who came out to learn more about the museum and the Pavilion Restoration Project!
- The next daylong Online Swedish Genealogy Workshop is THIS Saturday, November 8! Registration is still open and available through this Friday!
Also, we are excited to offer the first “Discover Your Past” Virtual Genealogy Workshop, set for Saturday, January 31, 2026!
Rather than the usual focus on Swedish genealogy research resources, this time the sessions will be able to apply to any genealogy or family research, regardless of country background! Museum members can register for either workshop with a $20 discount. We hope you can join us!
- A big THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to or supported our Community Service Program tax credits grant, as we have now FULLY used this grant opportunity through the Kansas Department of Commerce!
We have now completed our grant – originally awarded to the museum in summer 2024. Overall, this opportunity has raised $240,541.15 for repairs and improvements to the Pavilion. Individuals and families who donated generously after staff phone calls to them put us over the top.
Contributions under the grant paid for critical structural repairs (costing $151,500), allowing us to safely reopen the Pavilion to the public in summer 2025. This also brings us about halfway toward the funds we will need under the “Raise the Roof” campaign to repair the Pavilion’s roof in a more durable and historically accurate way.
If you would like to help with Raise the Roof, you can learn more at www.oldmillmuseum.org/raise-the-roof.
We have several recognition reward levels available: These include recognition on our website and an invitation to a special VIP event once all of the funds needed for the roof (at $100 or more) and opportunities to have a “roof tile” with custom wording added to a permanent honor wall (at $1,000 or more)!
Finally, it is possible that in November the Department of Commerce may reallocate tax credit grant funds from other organizations that have not fully used their grant to us. If this happens, we may be able to offer more tax credits under the grant for donations made before December 31, 2025. Keep following us here for more information if that becomes available!
(Adam worked last week to send two donors their approval documentation.)
- Adam processed two renewing and five new museum memberships last week! Secure your membership at www.oldmillmuseum.org/members!
- Lenora was out of town last week, attending a genealogy conference in Utah. Adam helped search for a particular obit in newspaper archives back at home.
- Aubrey attended a class with the Bethany College English Department talking about ghost stories.
- Adam and Aubrey worked on preparing for a rebranding “retreat” to be held later this week.
- Aubrey and Caroline worked on preparing the Heritage Trust Fund grant.
- Aubrey submitted a grant for operational funds and worked on preparing an application for the same purpose. She also worked on a donation request for the Train Depot and possible in-kind work for the Pavilion porches.
- Aubrey worked on a “Harvest of Giving” campaign rough draft.
- Aubrey confirmed a knitter to be a vendor at Heritage Christmas on December 13.
- A new volunteer at the museum started today!
- Adam designed a sponsorship form, event poster, miller information sheet, and Millfest for Kids flyer for the upcoming events!
- Tyler continued working on scanning historic publications.
- Need a great gift for the genealogist or history enthusiast in your life? You can now purchase a gift certificate good for a free registration to one of the museum’s Online Swedish Genealogy Workshops anytime in 2025 ($50) or a 2025 Pursuing YOUR Past presentation ($10). Your gift recipient will receive a one-time-use code by email or mail good to pay for the registration fee for one of these popular sessions!
Thank you to our weekly volunteers!
Last week, volunteers included Tim Stewart, Karmon Almquist, Jerry Hammerton, Leland Nelson, Betty Amos, Julie Ann Neywick, Teagen Miller and Kylan Lindquist!