Lewis and Clark Trail Museum Welcomes New Director

On May 29th, Alexander's Lewis and Clark Trail Museum welcomed Carson Yates as the new operations director.

Yates is originally from Lexington, Kentucky, and is a recent graduate of the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky.

Yates will oversee the day-to-day museum functions, managing collections, making reports to the board, managing and pursuing grant funding and organizing events. "All of the work I've had to do in my grad program really helps me think about not just the day to day, but also the big picture. I'm working with the board to develop plans for the future of the museum," she said.

Yates is settling into life in Alexander well, and learning about the community in her off time. "I go home every day and read about this town and the Lewis and Clark Trail. I've read a lot of books since I got here about the area. My grad program was pretty intense so I'm used to researching things all the time," Yates explained. "I'm from the South and it's interesting to see the history of a different place, rather than my own history, which I'm so connected to, and to see how much the community cares about the museum and how deeply ingrained the history is in their life. With modern technology and the way that people are so mobile and disconnected, it can really show how deep rooted the community is in this area".

The Lewis and Clark Trail Museum is located at 102 Indiana Ave East, in Alexander, and has many exhibits featuring rare and unique homesteader items, such as a scale used by Otto Tank in the general store many decades ago. "We have a lot of really unique items and antiques. Some of them dating back to 1920s and 30s that people in our community actually used. It's here, it's not just thrown out or an antique to be sold," Yates said of the museum.

The Lewis and Clark Trail Museum is looking for volunteers from the community to help with projects planned for the season. To volunteer or to learn about current hours and exhibits, speak with Yates at 701-828-3595.