Hello, Friends of Aunt Phoebe:
I've been absent and I apologize. Busy doing lots of new research and creating new PowerPoint slideshows..and showing them. First is one about the history of Lynden's City Hall, beginning in the 1890's and going all the way up to our brand new facility at 4th and Liberty. The side purpose of this program is to draw attention to the Holden and Phoebe Goodell Judson Memorial Statue project, statue to be located in the new Judson Park on the corner of 4th and Main Streets. I've done the program twice and have another scheduled for the 13th of October at the Lynden Library.
The other program is aimed at elementary school children and is entitled "Lynden's History for Children." I presented it this past week to 3rd and 4th graders at Ebenezer Christian School and they were a wonderful audience! Lots of group howling when I showed the slide about the timber wolves in Lynden back in the 1870's. I hope to expand this program and to present it to a larger audience of elementary school students. Later, I will move to middle school and high school students, with an emphasis on reading Phoebe Judson's book, A Pioneer's Search for an Ideal Home.
Other projects include the passing out of thousands of full-color flyers of the Judson Statue in Judson Park with a brief history of Lynden on the back. These are beautiful, glossy prints, suitable for framing and the local merchants are enthusiastically allowing me to place stacks of them on their counters. Some percentage of people who pick them up will end up deciding to call Whatcom Community Foundation to order a brick. My new philosophy is, "Sell 2,000 bricks at $50 a brick and we'll have the statue paid for!" Lynden has 11,000+ residents..here's hoping that they will see the pretty colors and intriguing picture and end up wanting to be a part of this historic project!
Lastly, I am moving forward on my idea to get the churches of Lynden to cooperate on a single plaque paying tribute to the Judsons for "bringing the church to Lynden" way back in 1876. I am going to Chiliwack, B.C., next week to see about having a look at Rev. Tait's diaries which are kept in the museum in that city. Candy Wellman gave me copies of some of those entries but I would like to see the whole collection. This gives a firsthand account of how the first religious services in Lynden were conducted by Rev. Tait and "Captain John" (an Indian) in the Judson's log cabin in July of 1876. The first church I plan to approach about the group church concept is the Methodist Church, who actually acknowledge that the Judsons brought them into existence.
So, lots of work on the horizon, but it is fun, too. I don't have time right now to be writing anything on my new book, Finding Aunt Phoebe; My Search for the True Life of Phoebe Goodell Judson, but I am looking into revising and reissuing my first book, Memory Book, Friends of Aunt Phoebe Reunion. Stay tuned. I have worked out an agreement for profit sharing with Lynden Pioneer Museum in the event that I do republish the Memory Book. There are many, many people who have already expressed an interest in buying one if they are ever republished.
So for now, dear people, I will sign off. Watch this site for future updates which will now be concentrated on the work of "Aunt Phoebe's Corner" instead of all the other fun aspects of my life here in Lynden. I will save the fluff for my Facebook page.
Mary Michaelson
I've been absent and I apologize. Busy doing lots of new research and creating new PowerPoint slideshows..and showing them. First is one about the history of Lynden's City Hall, beginning in the 1890's and going all the way up to our brand new facility at 4th and Liberty. The side purpose of this program is to draw attention to the Holden and Phoebe Goodell Judson Memorial Statue project, statue to be located in the new Judson Park on the corner of 4th and Main Streets. I've done the program twice and have another scheduled for the 13th of October at the Lynden Library.
The other program is aimed at elementary school children and is entitled "Lynden's History for Children." I presented it this past week to 3rd and 4th graders at Ebenezer Christian School and they were a wonderful audience! Lots of group howling when I showed the slide about the timber wolves in Lynden back in the 1870's. I hope to expand this program and to present it to a larger audience of elementary school students. Later, I will move to middle school and high school students, with an emphasis on reading Phoebe Judson's book, A Pioneer's Search for an Ideal Home.
Other projects include the passing out of thousands of full-color flyers of the Judson Statue in Judson Park with a brief history of Lynden on the back. These are beautiful, glossy prints, suitable for framing and the local merchants are enthusiastically allowing me to place stacks of them on their counters. Some percentage of people who pick them up will end up deciding to call Whatcom Community Foundation to order a brick. My new philosophy is, "Sell 2,000 bricks at $50 a brick and we'll have the statue paid for!" Lynden has 11,000+ residents..here's hoping that they will see the pretty colors and intriguing picture and end up wanting to be a part of this historic project!
Lastly, I am moving forward on my idea to get the churches of Lynden to cooperate on a single plaque paying tribute to the Judsons for "bringing the church to Lynden" way back in 1876. I am going to Chiliwack, B.C., next week to see about having a look at Rev. Tait's diaries which are kept in the museum in that city. Candy Wellman gave me copies of some of those entries but I would like to see the whole collection. This gives a firsthand account of how the first religious services in Lynden were conducted by Rev. Tait and "Captain John" (an Indian) in the Judson's log cabin in July of 1876. The first church I plan to approach about the group church concept is the Methodist Church, who actually acknowledge that the Judsons brought them into existence.
So, lots of work on the horizon, but it is fun, too. I don't have time right now to be writing anything on my new book, Finding Aunt Phoebe; My Search for the True Life of Phoebe Goodell Judson, but I am looking into revising and reissuing my first book, Memory Book, Friends of Aunt Phoebe Reunion. Stay tuned. I have worked out an agreement for profit sharing with Lynden Pioneer Museum in the event that I do republish the Memory Book. There are many, many people who have already expressed an interest in buying one if they are ever republished.
So for now, dear people, I will sign off. Watch this site for future updates which will now be concentrated on the work of "Aunt Phoebe's Corner" instead of all the other fun aspects of my life here in Lynden. I will save the fluff for my Facebook page.
Mary Michaelson
