Gem of the West Museum’s Harvest Treasures Auction on Oct. 19

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Sunny South News

By Nerissa McNaughton
Southern Alberta Newspapers

The Gem of the West Museum’s Harvest Treasures Auction fundraiser will take place on Saturday, October 19, from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. This event promises a fun and engaging experience featuring a delicious catered dinner by Country Kitchen. The Tom Price Band will be on hand to entertain the crowd, and the stars of the show will be the live and silent auctions.

Craig Day, Museum Manager, explains, “This fundraiser takes items that have been decommissioned from our collection. The items are first offered to other museums and if they don’t find a home, are auctioned off to help the museum’s operations. We also have all sorts of donations from a variety of local businesses going into our silent auction.”

Highlights of the museum treasures auction include an old wooden school desk, an antique Singer sewing machine, and a Hoosier kitchen cabinet. 

A Hoosier cabinet, a type of free-standing kitchen cabinet that also serves as a workstation, was popular in the early 20th century. It was manufactured by the Hoosier Manufacturing Co. in Indiana, which led to the term becoming a generic name for this style of furniture. These cabinets were designed to provide storage and workspace in kitchens that lacked built-in cabinetry. They typically featured a pull-out work surface, storage compartments, and innovative accessories like flour bins and spice racks. Hoosier cabinets peaked in popularity in the 1920s and declined as built-in kitchen cabinets became standard. Today, they are valued by antique collectors for their historical significance and unique design.

The Gem of the West Museum helps to preserve a rich and interesting history. Originally constructed in 1929 as the first Mennonite Brethren Church in Alberta, the building quickly expanded to accommodate its growing congregation. Over the years, it transformed from a place of worship to a factory, before a group led by Erna Goertzen proposed its preservation as a museum. In 1995, the Town of Coaldale, recognizing the building’s historical significance, purchased it, and the Gem of the West Museum Society was formed to oversee its restoration. 

The museum opened its doors in 2001, after a long renovation, and was declared a Registered Historic Resource in 1999. Today, it stands as one of the largest rural museums in Southern Alberta, featuring over 15 unique exhibits, an art gallery, and a working blacksmith shop within its 15,000 square feet. As a cultural hub, the museum also hosts public programs and events.

An iconic building, a local destination, a community hub – The Gem of the West Museum is, well, a gem! Support this gem at the Harvest Treasures Auction Fundraiser and visit the museum during the year to immerse yourself in local history.

Day concludes, “Come out and enjoy the event because everybody has fun at an auction! Compete against and outbid your friends!” 

Tickets are priced at $40 each, with a special offer for groups—a table for eight can be reserved at a discounted rate of $300.

Learn more at http://www.gemofthewest.ca and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/@gemofthewest6905).