A Room of Her Own—in the Museum
by
Carolyn Saul Logan
Frances Messer comes to mind when naming people who have made a contribution in education to Humboldt town and county. She was one of that generation of intelligent, educated women who, perhaps because other professions were closed to them, dedicated their lives to education. She was a forward-thinking county superintendent of schools, a leader in special education programs, and a stout supporter of the Historical Association’s work to establish our museum
She deserves the room of her own in the northwest bedroom of the Mill Farm House, dedicated to her in June, 1995.
We often know only the public face of people. The items in the Messer Room gives us a glimpse of Frances Messer at several stages of her life.
There is the bed in which she was born, its quilted cover the handiwork of her grandmother who spun the wool, wove it and dyed it with walnut and butternut dye. It is hand quilted with linen thread made from flax the family raised in Vermont. Two of Frances’s dolls are cradled on a pillow.
Two more dolls and a teddy bear sit on small chairs. A photo in one doll’s lap shows a very young Frances sitting on the porch of her home, showing off what appear to be all her dolls.
There is a portrait of Frances as many knew her in later life. There are also two portraits of Angus Messer, the young brother of Frances, who died in childhood. Displayed in the ballroom of the Mill House is a portrait of teenage Frances, in which she seems to be meditating on the loss of Angus.
In 1915, Frances was a junior in Humboldt High School. In the class photo, a serious Frances is bracketed between Evelyn Himrod and Dorothy Stong. In her senior year Frances was Editor-in-chief of the Nokomis. Beneath her senior photo is her nickname “Franc” and a quote—“With head as level as her heart is big.”
The comment is often made that “old things”—a description of items ranging from photos to dolls and left-hand plows—should be discarded. “All those people are dead” and “that old stuff is useless now” are other comments.
These are true, to a degree. However nothing that shows and tells us how a person lived, worked, and contributed to their community is useless. It gives us something by which we can shape our own lives.
The Messer Room shows and tells us how Frances shaped her life.