The Northfield Historical Society (NHS) is inviting graduates — both college and high school — to take some “loot” with them when they graduate and “go that-away” on life’s journey. The Museum Store is the perfect place to shop for graduation gifts. There are coffee mugs, books, T-shirts, post cards, the new insulated tumbler and more, all reminders of an important time of life that was spent in Northfield.
The theme of the Museum Store’s retail campaign for the graduation season is “Take more Loot than the James Gang when you leave Northfield.” This is a reference to the storied bank raid of 1876 when Jesse James and the James-Younger Gang left town in full retreat with virtually nothing to show for it.
The theme was developed by St. Olaf College senior Laura Begin. Laura is a Studio Arts major with a concentration in Media Studies. She was looking for a way to become involved in the community and apply her art to a real-world, commercial situation. Her contribution earned her college credit.
“Laura has done a phenomenal job creating a theme and a look that reflects the merchandise we have to offer graduates,” said Nola Matheson, chair of the Museum Store Committee. “We think this will remind shoppers looking for graduation or college send-off gifts to visit our store.”
NHS also invites students and their families to stop in and take a tour of the museum. A permanent exhibit chronicles in detail the famous Great Northfield, Minnesota Bank Raid, which marked the beginning of the end of the storied Jesse James and the James-Younger Gang. There are always rotating exhibits that provide perspective on Northfield as it evolved through the years.
The Museum and Museum Store are open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. on weekends.