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History River Tour

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Hi everyone. My name is Mike Hatfield. I hold a degree in Gunsmithing from Trinidad State Junior College, and am currently completing additional degrees in History, English, and Creative Writing from Drury University. While pursuing these degrees I have had the opportunity to view the collections of many wonderful museums, as well as assist in preservation efforts for their collections. Two things I have always noticed, particularly in the case of small, often overlooked local museums, is a lack of public awareness and a lack of funding for full-time professional preservationists. This is where the History River Tour comes into play.

Beginning August 22, 2015 I will be travelling the entire length ofthe Mississippi river by canoe, from Lake Itasca Minnesota, 2500 odd miles, to the Gulf of Mexico. My goal is to raise awareness for the local museums and historical societies that survive in the waterfront towns along the "Big Muddy." Along the way, I will be stopping at these depositories of historical artifacts to volunteer my time and efforts. I will be filming video tours of these great collections, interviewing the curators, and offering my services in appraising and preserving the many great firearms these museums hold in trust.

My website, historyriver.com, will feature a regular blog post and YouTube video updates throughout my journey and will be up by August 1st. A full length documentary will be available post-trip as well.

I invite all those with a passion for adventure and an appreciation for history to follow my journey as I volunteer to raise awareness for these amazing museums and the history they keep. Your gracious donations will be used for the trip expenses, including food and equipment. Any gifts above the goal will be divided among the participating museums to help fund future preservation efforts.

I thank you all for your generosity and look forward to sharing my adventures with you in the upcoming months.

Organizer

Mike Hatfield
Organizer
Two Rivers, WI

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