EXHIBITS
ROTATING EXHIBITS
We have rotating exhibits located at the New Prague Memorial Library and featured on our website.
The exhibits at the library change frequently and are themed. They are always a wonderful way to showcase our collection or the collections of local historians.
PERMANENT EXHIBITS
We have permanent exhibits located in the Centennial Log Cabin and the History Shed in Memorial Park.
The exhibits showcase rural and early settler life in the New Prague area. It is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the history of our ancestors.
FEATURED EXHIBIT
Tour of the Centennial Log Cabin & History Shed
Our featured video is a tour of our Centennial Log Cabin & History Shed located in Memorial Park in New Prague, MN. We have the cabin open to the public several times a year but now you can get a tour right from your home! This video was created with interpreters Dennis & Linda Dvorak and gives you a glimpse into what life was like for a family living around New Prague in the late 1800's. To see the cabin in person, check our Events page for upcoming openings or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
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The Centennial log home was a part of New Prague's Centennial Celebration in 1956. The home was dismantled on the Catherine Hopfhauer farm south of Lydia, MN and rebuilt in its present location in New Prague's Memorial Park. Catherine Hopfhauer purchased the property that the log cabin resided on on May 7, 1875 after moving to Minnesota from Ohio. The one room log cabin may have had a dirt floor when built. The original roof was constructed to accommodate a sleeping and storage loft accessed from the interior. The step up entrances kept unwanted moisture, dirt and guests from entering the interior of the home. The walls were white washed to reflect light. Ceiling beams would have been exposed to hang herbs, food, utensils and clothing. The large old growth logs used in the construction of the home kept the home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Chinking between the logs would have been made from a combination of clay, straw and manure.
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Members of the team who dismantled and reconstructed the cabin in 1956 included Frank Kohout, Frank Unger, Tom Kubes, Dan Tikalsky, Frank Kuzelka, Charles Seda, George Janovsky, John Kotek, Joseph Novotny and John Tuma.
The history shed was built with donations from community members in 2017-2018. The wood for the history shed was donated by the Edwin Topic family. The shed holds items regarding the history of New Prague with many items paired with historic photographs from the collection of the NPAHS. Gerold Construction Co. coordinated the construction of the history shed.
If you like what you see, please consider joining or renewing your membership. Your $25 annual membership fee goes a long way to creating more of these projects, and especially if you encourage others to join as well. Outright donations, either monetarily, historical content, or other ways would also be greatly appreciated.
After viewing these videos, please take a scroll through our new website, like us on Facebook, and spread the word about bringing OUR History to Life!!
Enjoy!
The Settlement of New Prague: Flyover Series
Come experience the Settlement of New Prague: Flyover series which depicts how a small group of settlers, on the advice of Bishop Cretin, ventured the Mississippi River only to take a wrong turn to the Minnesota River to Sand Creek just north of Jordan. They followed Sand Creek 10 or so miles before coming across Anton Phillip’s cabin. The rest, as they say, is history.
With the help of Adam Bartusek of Bartusek Media Management, you’ll get to experience the primitive creek those settlers experienced, along with some important spots along the creek and a tributary of Raven Stream that helped define New Prague. Throughout the videos, Dennis Dvorak, New Prague’s resident historian, provides interesting insight into those locations. Finally, we include a map of the area identifying those locations relative to the city and a longer version of Dennis’ narration providing additional information.
