MIDDLETOWN >> Wildfires have been familiar in Lake County since settlement began here, and probably before. Our county’s volcanic formations can compete with almost any place in the world when it comes to the variety and quantity of rocks.
Both are recognized in new exhibits at Middletown’s Gibson Museum and Cultural Center.
The Valley Fire, followed less than a year later by the Clayton Fire, tops an overwhelming list of destructive wildfires.
Relics recovered from the burned homes of south Lake County residents are poignant but fascinating reminders of fire’s destructive idiosyncrasies: a chamber pot has taken on a lovely iridescence; the glass top of a coffee table now looks more like a paperweight.
Maps showing burn areas, loaned by Chief Willie Sapeta, complement the displays. Videos of the fire are streamed to a large screen TV during visiting hours.
The fire display is considered to be a work in progress.
Folks who have recovered burned objects they would like to loan so friends and neighbors can see them are invited to bring them in during the museum’s open hours: Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday afternoons from 1 to 5 p.m. Or they may call Voris Brumfield at 295-7174, or Marina Vedovi — 987-2923, to arrange a meeting.
Rockhounds were recorded among the earliest visitors to Lake County resorts, and were probably drawn to Lake County’s range of precious and semiprecious stones and minerals even before.
Lake County Rockhound Club members have brought some of their treasured finds in for the community to admire, and to inspire others to join their “digs.” The club meets the first Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. at Redbud Library.
Joyce Anderson, who many Middletown residents recall as a favorite teacher, has contributed not only some of her “finds” but a bit of poesy which begins: “I don’t need Pilates / I don’t need a gym / I don’t need a diet plan/ to keep me trim.”
These exhibits will be up through late October. Write to gibsonmuseum@gmail.com for further information. Or call the museum at 809-8009.
