By John Valen

It is the 11th year and the 11th hour of the Story Festival! The Story City Historical Society, the Bertha Bartlett Public Library, and the Greater Chamber Connection have teamed up in super-hero fashion to bring to you the 2016 Story! Festival. Volunteers from all three organizations make up the twelve member planning committee. The festival will take place September 15-17, Thursday through Saturday. The committee is excited to present Pippa White and La’Ron Williams as the featured storytellers.

On Thursday of the Festival, the “Dinner and a Story” will combine a satisfying meal from Dinners by Dawn with the enticing stories of Pippa and La’Ron. Guests will dine in the Fairview Lodge while listening to their stories for a relaxing evening. Tickets for this event will be pre-sale only so make sure to grab your tickets early. 

During the day on Friday, the tellers will visit the schools carrying on the tradition of oral storytelling. That night, kids and adults can be spooked in the “Fright Night” of scary stories. There will be a first round of stories for younger audiences, followed by a second round of stories not for the faint of heart. Prepare to be scared!

Saturday will feature workshops with Pippa and La’Ron. Unlike past years, the workshops will not be held concurrently, but will be held at separate times. Anyone wishing to go to both workshops will be free to do so. “Storytelling 101: Improving Your Public Speaking” will be presented by Pippa, and “Changing our Stories Will Change our World” will be done by La’Ron. 

Following the workshops, there will be a Story Slam, which welcomes stories and poetry alike. The event is free and open to all ages. That night there will be two concerts featuring our storytellers. 

As events and times are finalized, there are several ways to keep up-to-date on the latest news. You can visit their website: www.storycity.net/story-festival/, or you can visit their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/StoryFestivalSC/. Tickets, sponsorships, and ticket packages are available for sale directly on the page.

​The historical photo this month features one of the Museums of Story City. The Bartlett House Museum is a Queen Anne style home built in 1903 for Henry Torkel Henryson and his family.  H. T. was the son of Torkel Henryson who brought early settlers from Norway to this area in 1855.  

H.T. was born in Story City in 1865.  He worked in various trades - farming, shoe store clerk, and had an interest in the S.R. Corneliusen store.  H.T. became president of the First National Bank in 1908, continuing there until his family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1913.

This home was purchased in 1996 by the Story City Historical Society with a generous gift from Dr. Frances Bartlett Kinne.  It has been restored and furnished from the 1903-1920 era.  The museum is dedicated to Dr. Kinne's parents, Charles M. and Bertha Bartlett and her brother Charles.  The home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. All of the Museums of Story City are open extended hours during the summer, Sundays from 1-3 pm.