Tue Feb 07 2012
By BOBBY WARREN
Staff Writer
The board and volunteers of the German Culture Museum are happy to be in their new home, the lower level of the Walnut Creek Community Center.
When the group had a grand opening in mid-August to show the community the expanded displays, it was standing room only.
The event attracted a number of people who were important to the museum's founding and existence, and even a 222-year-old who likely got the whole thing going a couple of centuries ago: None other than Jonas "der Weiss" Stutzman, Walnut Creek's first white settler.
To borrow a line from Tevye in "The Fiddler on the Roof," for a man who has been dead nearly 140 years, he looked pretty good.
Actually, Larry Miller, chairman of the museum board, played the part of Stutzman, a man he described as an eccentric character. He was born Jan. 31, 1788, and died Oct. 18, 1841. He came to the Walnut Creek area from Somerset County, Pa., in 1809.
Stutzman's nickname, der Weiss, literally meaning "the white," came about because he dressed in white. His garb came about because he wanted Jesus to see him as a man of holiness and purity upon Christ's return.
"He was the only Amish man to wear a white suit," Larry Miller said.
Der Weiss admonished his neighbors and friends to seek a closer relationship with God, and he wrote a book about it, a copy of which is in the museum.
Within months after Larry Miller became chairman of the board, he decided to bring back Stutzman, because he felt der Weiss "was the most significant point in history here. We should focus on the guy who started it all.
"Since he was an eccentric character, why not bring him back to life."
After "Stutzman" was introduced to the crowd, he informed the guests the mission of the museum is to give new generations a window to the past. He noted the museum was filled with family treasures worth keeping and worth sharing for generations and generations.
Atlee D. Miller, a board member, also addressed the group. He pointed to a grain cradle on the back wall, which was similar to one his grandfather used.
"The cradle on the wall represents one of the hundreds of stories to be rediscovered," he said. "We must not forget the dedicated and hard-working people who paved the way for us."
Atlee D. Miller said visitors do not need to be Amish to enjoy the museum.
"We have a unique community," he said.
In the museum is a replica of an early log cabin; showcases featuring Walnut Creek's first white settler, Jonas "der Weiss" Stutzman, special events, businesses, Bibles, books, tools and disasters in the area; and a variety of rooms, including a bedroom, children's room, dining room and parlor, a leisure room, a kitchen and a women's work room; and a three-seat surrey made by Joubert & White Carriage Co. and owned by J.D. Rockefeller.
"This is beautiful," said Margaret Schlichting of Millersburg. "It looks like a lot of people have done a lot of work."
Pam Miller became active on the board because of her husband, Kermit, another board member. She said it took a long time figuring out how to place all of the rooms in the museum.
Kermit Miller spoke of how his wife added another perspective to designing the layout of the museum and its rooms.
After the grand opening and observing people walking through the museum, Pam Miller said it was a good feeling. She was also seeing how the people moved throughout the displays to see if things needed to be configured differently.
While the new museum home has more room and more items on display, "there are still quite a few things in storage to be discovered," she said.
The seeds of the museum were planted in the 1960s when two friends, Ed Schlabach and Wayne Hochstetler, picked up historical items from private sales, auctions, attics and garage sales. The two picked up their treasures for a dime, 15 cents or a quarter. In her will, Ruth Schlabach, Ed Schlabach's sister, donated the land for the community center and museum.
Reporter Bobby Warren can be reached at 330-287-1639 or bwarren@the-daily-record.com.
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