Traill County Historical Society

05/03/2026

This post is super photo-heavy, but what can you do when we all had such a wonderful time at our Tea with Lillie Plummer.

Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets and joined us yesterday. Your contribution to the Traill County Historical Society is greatly appreciated. It's such a pleasure to see the museum filled with fun and laughter with so many of our faithful friends attending and so many new friends who traveled for their first visit to the Plummer House. It was such a special day.

So many thank you's need to be said, and I'm sure to miss someone, so please forgive me if I leave you out.

To our sponsors: The Hillsboro Cafe for catering the wonderful, tasty food; Heavenly Blooms for the beautiful flowers that added so much to the decor; and The Pasture for the honey served at the luncheon and the jar for our guests to take home.

To Christina, Colette, and Kimberly for the wonderful idea to hold this event and the hours of time they took making it so special with all the decorating details; and to the rest of the Tea with Lillie Committee and volunteers for taking the time to help plan, prepare, and clean up from the day.

Also to the museum volunteer clean up committee for all the work cleaning the Plummer House beforehand. You really shined up the place, and it looked beautiful because of all your hard work.

And we can't forget to thank the piano entertainers who set such a wonderful mood for the event and our butlers for serving the meal. We are so grateful for your time and talents.

If I've forgotten anyone, I truly apologize and know that your contribution is appreciated.

05/01/2026

If you were lucky enough to get your reservation in early for our Tea this Saturday, good for you because we are sold out.

Preparations have been underway for weeks including spring cleaning of the Plummer House by a wonderful group of volunteers. So grateful to these volunteers for all the time and attention to detail that goes into this project. It looks great.

And with the cleaning completed, the dream team of Christina, Kimberly, and Colette came in and decorated the museum beautifully for the event. Here are a few sneak peeks.

04/24/2026

It’s getting close to pumpkin planting time.

Be sure to contact Traill County Historical Society President, John Wright to get your pumpkin seeds for this contest.

03/21/2026

03/12/2026

The Traill County Historical Society invites you to join us for “Tea with Lillie Plummer” on Saturday, May 2 at 11 am and again at 3 pm.

Come dressed in your Sunday best and enjoy a traditional tea menu, along with entertainment, and door prizes for the best hat.

If any of you have been to our Christmas Extravaganzas, you already know how special these events are when curated by Christina Willison and her group of creative helpers.

And this will be your chance to visit with Lillie Plummer as she entertains guests in her beautiful home built in 1897.

Tickets will be selling fast, so be sure to pre-register before the April 15 deadline. Do so by calling or texting Christina Willison at 701-430-0526.

We hope to see you there.

03/12/2026

Forgive me with all the posting and deleted of our Tea With Lillie Event. Every time I try to boost the post (which I’ve done many times before) it keeps deleting the poster and putting up a map.

So sorry to those of you who have been kind enough to share.

I’m going to put it up one more time and I promise not boost. Hopefully that will solve the problem.

Believe me, I’m even more irritated than you are. 🤷‍♀️

01/26/2026

UPDATE:
Thank you all so much for the great information. All of these family searches tug at my heart. Much appreciated.

I had an inquiry this week regarding the Peter and Caroline (Karoline) Lawrence farmstead.

We know it was approximately 14-15 miles from Hillsboro and east of Cummings, ND.

Can anyone place this farmstead? And if it still is a farmstead, who lives there now? This photo was taken in 1904.

I feel like I should able to place where this is/was as I grew up somewhere near the area this should be.

I’ll bet someone will know the answer to this right away. Thank you!

LeAnn (Doeden) Beck
TCHS Curator

01/06/2026

Memories and words of gratitude for Norma Schultz
by John Wright, Traill County Historical Society President

As 2025 fades away, we are saddened to say goodbye to former board member and staunch supporter of the Traill County Historical Society, Norma Schultz. Norma passed away December 30, 2025.

I had known of Norma my entire life. She was a highly respected, widely traveled, well-educated, and very accomplished English teacher who taught at Oak Park, Illinois.

I have said light-heartedly many times that good things start in Caledonia. Norma was one of those good things. She was a highly respected alumni of Caledonia High School.

I personally got to know Norma in 1995 when I joined the board of the TCHS. I held her in high esteem then, and to this day continue to hold her in highest of esteem. She was our board secretary. Let me assure you that her secretary’s minutes were written in flawless English.

Norma undertook the immense project of placing the Plummer House on the National Historic Register. Her research into its architecture and history made the house a shoe in to receive this recognition.

She worked tirelessly on whatever project the museum took on, be it stripping wallpaper, painting, or cleaning up the yard.

She championed and helped establish the Christmas Extravaganza dinners we still hold each December by helping to sell the idea to a skeptical board. I can still hear her exclaiming, “This will be an experience in fine gourmet dining.” Us younger board members chuckled; however, Norma brought it to reality along with other dedicated women of the society and the women’s club.

Each generation and each board member contribute another brick to the structure of the Traill County Historical Society. Norma laid a whole wall.

I imagine her asking St. Peter about the possibility of placing heaven on the Universe's Register of Historic Places. If it isn’t already, Norma will get the job done.

Thank you, Norma. We are a better organization because of your contributions.

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Norma Jean Schultz was born on March 27, 1929, to parents, William F. and Helen (Olson) Schultz. The event took place at home on the family farm in Caledonia Township, where siblings, Blaine and Shirl

12/21/2025

I am way behind in getting out thank you’s so before I forget this one, thank you to the following sponsors including Rahr Malting who missed on our programs, of our recently held Christmas Extravaganza Dinners.

The Traill County Historical Society and the Hillsboro Women’s Club greatly appreciate your support of this and all events held throughout the year.

12/13/2025

The temperatures outside are frightful but the museum is Christmas delightful.

Come visit us Saturday, December 13 from 1 to 2:30 PM for some hot cocoa or cider and a sweet treat.

The Plummer House Museum is beautifully decorated for Christmas. We hope you have a chance to stop in.