IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES!
The idea of a local industrial heritage Museum came from a group of local men
spearheaded by Elliott Epstein to establish a museum of industrial history in the Twin
Cities. “People will be able to say that (the development of Lewiston’s mills) made a
significant impact on the history of the country,” says, Epstein. Museum L-A became its
name. It was incorporated in 1994 and received its nonprofit status in 1996.
In April of 2004, its first Executive Director was hired to help organize and push forth the
vision of a Museum for the Lewiston-Auburn area. Soon after, she organized a Mill
Worker reunion to honor all millworkers for having been part of building the community.
Machinery was nice to show, however, what was the story of the people who made
everything happen? The Reunion led to a major Oral History Project that now has over
350 oral histories of mill workers, shoe workers and brick makers as well as leading and
unknown community figures that had major impacts.
Through these oral histories, we looked into a very special lens of our community and our
ancestors’ lives. It also became clear that we couldn’t just tell the story of work because
their lives were so interwoven with community. Music was not only a huge industry in
L-A, but a huge influence in individual, home and community life. We also saw that,
many, despite very little education, were Creative and Innovative in everything they did.
During the past 5 years, we completed the trilogy exhibits of our past with textiles, shoes
& bricks. We knew that we now needed to turn to other areas that made us great – Music
and the spirit of Innovation. We understand that “we are not a mill town anymore,” but,
what we have found to be important is the spirit that always kept us in the forefront of
all new movements. This is what we need to keep at the very top of our minds and
remember that history repeats itself and WE are that history in the making.
I was born and raised here and I thought I knew the history of our community. I knew
nothing. After spending these past years rubbing elbows with our elders and learning our
history, I am even more of a believer in Lewiston-Auburn then before.
The spirit of our ancestors is our amazing legacy, not large brick buildings and a gone
away era. We are talking about a spirit of – “We can do it”; a spirit of adapting to living
with many cultures as immigration was key to economic vitality; an attitude of resiliency
in very hard times; a love of family, music and play with a love for younger members;
and, most of all, with so little to work with, an amazing spirit of creativity and
innovation. And, that is what Museum L-A is all about. The Museum’s future now leads
us to focusing on the Spirit that made us and continues to lead us.
We are about the future development of L-A, not just about the past!
Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Executive Director