Welcome Hannah!

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A New Executive Director Named

Hannah Thompson, HCHM Executive Director, 2018

Harvey County Historical Museum and Archives is pleased to announce the appointment of Hannah Thompson for the Executive Director position vacated last October by Debra Hiebert. Thompson’s enthusiasm for sharing community history and her leadership experience in non-profits will serve as an asset in bringing together and engaging community voices as well as in exploring avenues for growth.

“Hannah is an innovative leader with the skills to build upon Harvey County Historical Museum’s past successes and build a strong vision for the future,” Nancy Krehbiel, Board President said. “We are thrilled to have her join our team.” Thompson began at Harvey County Historical Museum January 30, 2018.

“I am excited and honored for the opportunity to lead this organization and serve the present-day and future residents and visitors of Harvey County by exploring and telling the stories of the past,” Thompson said. “I have a passion for making history exciting and engaging, and I look forward to sharing it.”

Meet Hannah!

Sunday, February 18th the Museum will host a lecture from 2-3, “Miniatures in Art” by Marla Pauls. Admission is free for members, $5 for non-members.  The new exhibit, Memories in Miniature, will also open this weekend.  

Immediately following the program, help us welcome Hannah to the Museum & Archives with a meet and greet.  Refreshments will be served. The meet and greet is free and open to the public until 4.

 

 

“The Coffee that Won the West”

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On the trail, coffee was made by throwing a fistful of coffee beans into boiling water over a campfire. Tradition said if the cook threw a horseshoe into the pot and it sank, the coffee was not ready to drink.

Cowboys at breakfast. HCHM Postcard Collection

The Cowboy’s Coffee

Until the close of the Civil War, coffee was sold green. Beans had to be roasted on a wood stove or in a skillet over a campfire before it could be ground and brewed. One burned bean ruined the entire batch.

In 1865, John Arbuckle and his brother Charles, discovered a new way to process coffee beans. By roasting and coating the coffee beans with an egg and sugar glaze, they were able to to seal in the flavor and aroma. Shipped all over the country in sturdy wooden crates, one hundred packages to a crate, Arbuckles’ Ariosa Coffee was a big success with chuck wagon cooks on cattle drives.

“Who Wants the Candy?”

In addition to coffee beans, each package of Arbuckles’ contained a stick of peppermint candy. This was considered a treat for the cowboy who got the tedious job of  grinding the coffee beans. Upon hearing the cook’s call, “Who wants the candy?” some of the toughest cowboys on the trail were known to vie for the opportunity of manning the coffee grinder in exchange for satisfying a sweet tooth.

After grinding the beans, a pot was filled two thirds full with cold water. Over an open fire the water was brought to a roiling boil. Then, a pound of Arbuckles was added. The pot was allowed to slow boil for several minutes before serving.

Today, Arbuckles Ariosa Coffee, including the peppermint treat, is still available  at Arbucklecoffee.com.