Homer, AK - Pratt Museum

Having visited the touristy side of Homer yesterday, we visited the museum side today. But, first, we headed over to Two Sisters for a treat. Oh, how awful - we have to make a decision: the blueberry scone, the cinnamon roll or the chocolate roll. Oh, how about one of each? We left the chocolate scone, the three berry danish and the raspberry cream cheese croissant for tomorrow. And, yes, we will be here tomorrow.

Off to the Pratt Museum, where we found an exquisite small museum with an enormity of material and a creativity of presentation. They covered the history of the town, the danger of the seas and lives it takes, the different kinds of boats used in fishing, those who lived here prior to white settlement, the 1964 earthquake, and lots of other topics. But we were impressed with the imagination of the presentations. In the Storm Warming Theater, there were pictures of 6 people who barely escaped death when their fishing boats went down. Harrowing stories in the first person where fishing can end your life.

Now fishing boats carry this little gadget to help others find them.

There was a scrapbook of pictures and quotes from those who had lived through the ’64 earthquake.

There were drawers to open, artifacts to view, first person stories, ship models and other ways that they presented their material.

Here’s a neat presentation of why many Alaskans save everything.

Here’s a prothesis made from car metal,

a bellows made from a car muffler pipe,

On the other hand, homemakers had to be ingenious too. Eggs didn’t keep over the winter in their shell but this way they would: pickled.

This lynx has huge padded feet, perfect for tracking and living in the snowy Alaskan winter.

Here’s a cute way to show how long the shoreline is around here. Wrap string around it then take the string off and measure it.

I was intrigued enough to wrap that string around each of those tacks and then take it off and measure it. Cute little demonstration for kids - or adults.

Then we went out side to the homestead cabin to talk with Cora Mae who actually homesteaded here in the 1950’s. She still lives in Homer in the same house - with a few additions. This house was not hers but she is the docent in it.

Check out that garden. Huge plants but then they couldn’t go to the grocery store for fresh veggies.
Homer itself was founded by Homer Pennock, an adventurer from Michigan. He landed here in 1896 with a crew of gold seekers convinced that they could make their fortunes here. Not to be and they soon left for the Klondike. But others landed and opened coal mines but soon found that fishing was the way to go Cora Mae and her husband came to farm but then bought several boats and, with their sons, made their living on the sea.

Excellent museum with a garden of local flora out front and a trail through the woods out back.