36094 Memory Lane

Polson, MT 59860

Phone

406-883-6804

A Non-Profit

501-C-3 Corp.

81-0437386

www.miracleofamericamuseum.org info@miracleofamericamuseum.org

JUNE 2010 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

Executive

Board of Directors

Gil Mangels-Pres.

Cathleen Wilde-VP

Mel Adams-VP

Joanne Mangels-Treasurer

Nancy Pray - Secretar y

Gracia Normandeau Jones

Kendall Dupuis

Mike Maddy

Stan Cohen

Donna Maddux

Advisory

Board of Directors

Paul Bonelli

Jim Pomajevich

SEEN IN THIS

ISSUE

SUMMERTIME

AD

ADOPTION

FINANCIAL

DONORS

WORK IN

PROGRESS

SYMPATHY

HAPPENINGS

MISCELLANEOUS

DONATIONS

MARK YOUR

CALENDARS

LIVE HISTORY

SUMMERT IME AND THE LIVIN' IS BUSY

If you ever wonder if time is flying by faster these

days, try writing grants and quarterly newsletters and

you will find out. Both Mangels are realizing how im-

portant it is to have helpers. Gil actually enjoys being a

receptionist, it is a break from welding and repairing

things all the time but he must earn a living. Since our

last newsletter we have added a few more buildings,

some in the form of lean-tos. This is a cheaper way to

put a roof over the many large antiques.

One Louisiana couple, whose odometer had just turned 10,000 on their

vacation, spent about 4 hours here one afternoon and said we were the high light

of their trip. We have heard similar comment from visitors who have traveled

from 48 States and 27 international countries so far this year. If you see someone

from Delaware or Rhode Island send them our way. Actually with all the hoopla

about Glacier Centennial and even Polson's centennial, visitation is up. There

were nearly 100 people in the museum at one point last Saturday.

ADVERTISING

We have discovered through

our entrance question, that the

vehicles we have displayed

out front on the tops of our car

hauler and storage vans are

great advertising signs. The

latest addition is this neat,

circa 1958, BMW Isetta Limo

donated by

Hoagy

Carmi-

chael

. These unique little

cars had the front of the car

hinge open for the driver and

1 passenger to enter. A limo, like ours also had a side door for 2 backseat pas-

sengers to enter. Until we can find more parts to restore it. It will help attract

curious visitors. Hoagy also donated three large and very useful showcases.

ADOPTION

John Dark

has recently adopted S1, our Porter Fireless Steam Train engine.

John has been doing some maintenance work on it and its compressor. It should

be up and running (on compressed air - not steam for safety reasons) by Live

History Days. This is truly a labor of love, because it was badly neglected be-

fore we even obtained it. Someday it will be great again. Would any of you

want to adopt a project?

Quarterly Newsletter Page 2

FINANCIAL DONORS

Lif e Members have donated $1000 or more. This

may b e done in a one time donation or as a cumula-

tive donation as some folks have done.

SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP $100 or more

First Interstate Bank

Glacier Bank

Wayne Jensen

Mike Maddy

Moody's Markets

Nickel Cars

Polson Bay Grocery

Bill Sego

Jim & Barb Sohm

Bobby Unser

W States Insurance

WF Credit Union

FAMLY MEMBERSHIP $25 or more

Paul Beckstrom

Herb Egender

Kathleen Gray

Warren "Dite" Little

Bud & Barbara Mangels

Bill & Joan Mc Dermott

Bill & Sally Morgan

Macauley Morrison

Andrew & Diane Speers

There is also a new category for a weatherproof cov-

ering for the Paul Bunyan. The Missoulian ran a big

article about it, but we have only received donations

of $240 for a project which will run over $35,000.

Donors are

Carmine Mowbray, James Halstead

,

and

Pat Williamson

. We hope to be working on

some grants, but they require "match" money.

IN SYMPATHY

Our sympathy goes to the family of Walt

Jones. He'd donated items in the past and his

desire was to have his son, who served in the

Army in the 60s be in uniform in the honor

guard. Well Kevin's uniform had shrunk in the

closet like many veterans uniforms during the

last 20-30 years, but we were able to find one

that fit and loan it to him for the Memorial Ser -

vice. The family has graciously listed us as an

option for memorial donations. Those will go

directly to further restoration of the WW11

Prime Mover like the one on which he crewed.

HAPPENINGS

We participated in the Nelson Old Car Club

Picnic on Finley Point driving the 1937 Terraplane

and the 1914 Model T Ford. The Memorial Day Pa-

rade saw Gil driving the Full Track Ammo Carrier,

Jon Pratt

driving the Hummvee,

Jamie Shepherd

operating the Freedom Truck,

Nate Lamphere

driv-

ing the MUTT (M151 jeep) and

David B Osley

in the

MULE(Platform truck with 106 recoiless gun). The

rain held off just long enough to do the Parade and get

them back home and under cover.

We co-hosted the Chamb er SPLASH with the

East Shore Smoke House

in April. Many new busi-

ness folk attended for the first time and were pleas-

antly surprised. We have noticed greater community

cooperation and more local business are displaying

our brochures & recommending us to their customers.

Foster Grand Parents and Big Bro. & sisters 2

for 1 is a service we offer to encourage mentoring. We

can promise an enjoyable time when you share with a

child.

Our own Glacier National Park sanctioned

Centennial Birthday Party and Program went well. A

crowd of about 80 were entertained by Dale Harvey,

retired Professor and Neal Lewing of the Port Polson

Players. Kass Hardy of the GNP spoke and told us that

years ago all Rangers had to learn the Glacier Park

Song. Then Neil led us in singing it. Safeway donated

a cake for half price and visitors enjoyed viewing the

special GNP Historical vehicles, memorabilia and

photos on display. We continue to add to our Glacier

Park displays .

WORK IN PROGRESS

One of the new lean-tos is a foundry with related

equipment donated by

Stella Shaffer Larson

, in

memory of her Dad, Jim Shaffer who built the Retta

Mary, now renamed the Far West which acts as an

excursion boat out of Somers. Stella also made a

monetary donation to cover the cost of a nice sign .

Hopefully that will be done by the next newsletter.

Discounted labor and materials for this and several

other lean-tos has been donated by

Mark & Matt

Fairchild Concrete, Plum Creek Plywood divi-

sion, Western Building Center, Missoula Pacific

Steel, Treasure State Concrete, Dupuis Lumber

and carpentry help from

Jeff Wood

.

Quarterly Newsletter Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS DONATIONS

J.M. Emerson

- Old Chain Saw

Don Erickson

- nice mowing scythe, air compres-

sor, 2 Vintage Tonka sandbox toys

John Erkkila Family

- New Signs for Barb er Shop

& Garage

Phyl Fulkerson

- Misc political buttons, historical

literature, calendars, etc

Dick Geiger

- 1956 BSA book, misc. MT. Sheet

Music etc

Paul Host

- 3 pieces Raku pottery, Player Piano,

building supplies & hardware

Howard Hudson

- Going To The Sun record, Books,

1945 AAF Radio Facility charts

Army Rifle clean-

ing kit, Cedar

GNP Wishing

well & heart jew-

elry box souve-

nirs, panes of

window glass,

blacksmith tongs.

Gene Johnson

Misc antiques

including a wooden wheeled wagon & 2 plows

Anthony Korf

- projectors & military water bucket

Kelli Stock

- Beautiful full sized fully dressed an gel

mannequin

Jean Swanson

- sheet music, salt & peppers, Coon

Chicken Inn ashtray & other Black memorabilia.

A welcome visitor last week from Portland, Or., was

Cindy Iverson

, daughter of Gil's friend, the late

Don Iverson. She not only came to view a special

memorial display to Don in the motorcycling ex-

hibit, but bearing gifts as well from her dad's ex ten-

sive antique collection. Included were toys and

games, antique adv ertising, and early motor cycling

pictures.

A Minneapolis-Moline ZTU Farm Tractor was do-

nated by

Gerry Burden

along with several antiques

and several ton of aluminum, brass and other scrap

metals for use or recycling.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Coming Events include Live History Days the 17

th

and

18

th

, July 24th Trish Frieze (Montana's famous Doll

Lady) will speak on her favorite subject from 2-4 in

the afternoon and will do some Antique Road show

type appraisals and Aug. 18

th

is a Free Movie night ,

Smoke on the Waters (antique boating on Flathead

Lake) and a new-old documentary donated by

Don

Morrow

, about Logging on Flathead Lake.

Do you want to see a fleet of Model Ts?

Come on August 5

th

when the MOA museum will be

hosting The Model T Ford Club of America's tour

right here in Polson. There will be many cars on dis-

play both outside and inside The tour is to celeb rate

the T's 100th birthday!

On Aug 6

th

The MOAM will welcome the

Polson H.S class of 1960 who will be starting their 50

year reunion here.

This Bird Hotel donated by

Tom Needham

was

built by his grandfather, Sheriff W.H. Needham.

Tom is shown at about age 3 near it. The unique

bird Hotel sat for many years in his grandmother's

flower garden. Th eir home was between Kwa-

taqnuk and the car wash adjoining HWY 93

Miracle of America Museum

36094 Memory Lane

Polson, MT 59860

RETURN SE RVICE REQUESTED

20TH ANNUAL LIVE HISTORY DAYS

SAT & SUNDAY JULY 17 & 18

DEMONSTRATIONS

BLACKSMITH

PINE NEEDLE BASKETS

CARVING

POTTERY

EMBROIDERY

SPINNING

SCHOOL HOUSE

GRAIN GRINDING

Ol' TIME FIDDLERS

RIDES ETC.

ARMY VEHICLES

OLD CARS

TRAINS

TRACTORS

PLAYGROUND FUN

TENNIS BALL CANNON

HATCHET THROWING

KC & THE VALLEY CATS

36094 Memory Lane

Polson, MT 59860

406-883-6804

Not Responsible if demonstra-

tor has a health problem and

can't be here

Freedom depends

on personal

& collective

Responsibility