The Washington County Historical Society (WCHS) is excited to announce a program by Robyn Stoller on the story of freshwater mussels and the pearl button industry in St. Croix and Mississippi river …
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The Washington County Historical Society (WCHS) is excited to announce a program by Robyn Stoller on the story of freshwater mussels and the pearl button industry in St. Croix and Mississippi river valleys. The program is on Tuesday, August 2 at 7pm at the Washington County Heritage Center, located at 1862 South Greeley Street, Stillwater, MN 55082.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, more than a lumber boom was occurring in the St. Croix River valley. A pearl button boom was also underway, employing thousands of ‘clammers’ and button factory workers who labored in the business of making buttons and decorative elements for jewelry and watches. The pearl button industry was short-lived. Advances in plastics technology and mussel over-harvesting led to its early demise but its history is amazing and includes unique stories of locals ‘making it big’ during the pearl button boom.
Robyn Stoller, a long-time member of WCHS, completed research for this topic as a volunteer for the National Park Service. Her project provided park rangers with detailed content to share with visitors and to augment an exhibit at the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway Visitor Center in St. Croix Falls. Her research brought her to the National Pearl Button Museum in Muscatine, IA and several local museums plus many hours at a microfilm reader reading old newspaper stories on clammers and the pearl button business.
The program is free to the public and reservations are not required. Event attendees may attend either in person at the Washington County Heritage Center or virtually on Zoom. The Zoom link may be accessed at wchsmn.org/event/pearls
For questions, contact Washington County Heritage Center Site Manager Emily Krawczewski at emily.krawczewski@wchsmn.org or 651-439-2298. The Washington County Heritage Center is open for visitors Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm.
About the Washington County Historical Society
Founded in 1934, the Washington County Historical Society is a donor-supported, nonprofit organization with more than 750 individual, family, and business members. WCHS is supported by individual gifts, memberships and earned income, and foundation grants.
