Sweden's Farmers Museum taking shape

Donations have been coming in and plans are being put into place for the opening of a historic farmers museum in the Town of Sweden's Lakeview Cemetery caretaker's property. A Sweden Farmers Museum committee was formed to take on the task of collecting donations for the museum.

"When the town was given the responsibility of taking over the cemetery we toyed with several different options of what to do with the caretaker's house," Town Councilperson Danielle Windus-Cook said. "Now we've decided to use it as a place where individuals looking to purchase cemetery plots can come, a home for a farmers museum and office space for the town historian."

The town took over the operation of the cemetery when the former association in charge of it abandoned the task because it had run out of funds for its operation and upkeep, she said. The home in the middle of the cemetery had always been a place for a caretaker and an office.

Sweden has never had a designated spot for its historian nor has it had a way to house and display its heritage and historical artifacts, Windus-Cook said.

"For years and years our community has been geared toward farming and we know there are a lot of artifacts out there and when we get our museum open we will have a place to display our history for the public to enjoy," she said. "Agriculture is one of the cornerstones of Sweden's past and the preservation of this history is one of the town's priorities as set out in the comprehensive plan."

The caretaker's house won't require much work in order for it to house the museum and the historian, she said.

For information about the museum or to make monetary, historic or donations of wooden display cases to house artifacts, contact Windus-Cook at 395-9574, extension 1.