Soft opening of Mammoth Exhibit at JC Museum

As part of the Christmas in Mankato festivities on Saturday, the Jewell County Historical Museum hosted a soft opening of the nearly-completed Columbian Mammoth exhibit with more than 95 people in attendance. Drawing winners were Madi Engel - T-shirt, Kyra Lampe - mammoth stuffed animal, Letti Kohn - book, and Lovaeh Meyer - T-Shirt.

The museum has been undergoing renovations since April, and this was the first time the general public were allowed a sneak peak of the progress.

Some of the new features include a model Columbian Mammoth skeleton imported from China, a chainsaw carving of a mammoth commissioned by Karen and Leon Boden, a new tusk and rib display, an interactive children's area and new signage. Additionally, the museum also replaced the HVAC system on the first floor.

Jack Alcorn, Jewell County Historical Society president, commented, "We're really proud of how far this project has come and how we've transformed the museum. The Jewell County Historical Society would like to thank the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, who generously funded the project. Special thanks also go to Mankato Plumbing, S&L Construction, and the team at the Jewell County Community Development Association including: Jenny Russell, Harley Schuster, Kyra Lampe, and summer intern, Reed Knitter. I would also like to personally thank the numerous volunteers who have put in their own time and money to make this project possible."

The museum committee also has some additional improvements planned for the exhibit, including a timeline of Jewell County, a wall mural, and partition walls to complete this phase of the renovation.

To see the new mammoth exhibit, stop by the museum at 118 N. Commercial Street Thursday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. For questions, give them a call at (785) 955-9703 or visit their Facebook page @MammothstoMankind.