Waukesha County Museum receives donated Moor Mud Baths Scale

100 year old Moor Mud Baths Scale artifact assumed

into Museum’s permanent collection today

Just in time for public opening of “Behind the Vaults:

Treasures from the County Museum Collection” exhibit

 Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas officially signed the Deed of Gift donating an original Moor Mud Baths Scale from the Moor Mud Baths Hotel to the Waukesha County Museum today.   Museum staff transported the 100 year old scale from a meeting room in the Waukesha County Health & Human Services building to the museum this morning.

The scale dates back to at least 1911 when John Weber opened the Moor Mud Baths Hotel which was patterned after popular European spas. Weber purchased the land in 1899 where the current Health & Human Services building sits because of its black “moor” earth and a natural spring. Spring water and warm mud baths were promoted as therapeutic during the robust “Springs Era” in Waukesha County. The scale is the only one in the museum’s collection and is believed to be one of the few surviving original scales from the hotel. The scale was called a “platform scale” and was used to weigh an individual after their mud bath.

The museum’s newest temporary exhibit, “Behind the Vaults: Treasures from the County Museum Collection”, will open to the public on Tuesday, February 28, 2012. “Behind the Vaults” is a visually and historically rich 2,000 square foot exhibit showcasing more than 130 rare and fascinating artifacts the museum assumed into its permanent collection and archives. In addition to the Moor Mud Baths scale, some of the other artifacts on display will include:

·         A feather from “Old Abe”, the popular bald eagle that served alongside Company C, 8^th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment during the Civil War (circa 1863),

·         A decorative wooden cane owned by Morris Cutler, the first white land owner in Waukesha (circa 1890),

·         The cowboy boots of Dr. David Roberts, the famous veterinarian who had an affair and whose lover (Grace Lusk) murdered his wife (circa 1930),

·         Handmade Native American Indian doll made by Dakota Sioux Indians (circa 1900),

·         The original bound and typed transcription of the cross examination from the Grace Lusk (Dr. Roberts) murder trial which is over 400 pages long (circa 1918). The infamous murder trial was held in the 1893 courthouse.

For more than 100 years the Waukesha County Museum has dedicated itself to preserving and sharing the county’s cultural heritage. Encompassed in this exhibit is a sampling of the over 18,000 objects, 250,000 images, millions of archival materials, and innumerable stories that make up Waukesha County and its museum. The exhibit will give viewers a behind the scenes look into how museums work and the value they hold in safeguarding a community’s collective memory over time.

Since the founding of the first museum in America in 1773, the museum field has carved its unique niche by collecting, preserving, and interpreting this world. Guided by their mission – whether it is the conservation of endangered species, the preservation of historical objects, or education about the solar system – museums are the custodians of our shared heritage. They are institutions that hold material in the public trust, devoting considerable time and resources to public service, working toward the goal of enriching the human spirit.

About the Waukesha County Museum: 

The 1893 castle-like structure at East Avenue and Main Street in Waukesha, Wisconsin

is home to the Waukesha County Museum. Originally constructed as the county’s second courthouse, the building is owned and operated by the Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum, Inc., a not-for-profit organization.

The Waukesha County Museum is located at 101 W. Main Street at East Avenue in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Exhibits and the Museum Store are open regularly from Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. General admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors aged 62 and above, $3 for children 6-17 and college students with ID and free for children 5 and under. Museum members receive free admission all year.

For additional information, call (262) 521-2859 or visit www.waukeshacountymuseum.org