Have you ever found yourself sifting through an old box of memories? Maybe it came from the attic at your grandparents house, your childhood bedroom, or your own basements. Oftentimes, those boxes include papers of little to no value, maybe even making you consider why it was kept in the first place. Once in a blue moon, however, you stumble across a treasure. That is precisely what happened when the Kenmare Pioneer Village was piecing together the Military History Museum.

While combing through a collection from an optometrist that practiced in Kenmare in the early 1900s, three rather interesting letters were found from some pretty recognizable names: Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. The letters are not originals, but vintage copies of the messages composed by the former political powerhouses. The oldest two, written by Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln, are hand-written, showcasing their penmanship, while the third letter, sent by Theodore Roosevelt, was composed on a typewriter, though also contains his signature. The subject of these letters is as different as the men who penned them.

Dated July 5, 1775. Ben Franklin’s letter highlights some fairly strong grievances between him and a member of parliament. Lincoln’s letter, from November 21, 1864, carries condolences to a mother of five men lost in the Civil War. Teddy Roosevelt's letter was to inform William Howard Taft that the United States wouldn’t be annexing Cuba and was typed on January 22, 1907. All three letters are hanging in the Military Museum at the Kenmare Pioneer Village.

Along with these special letters, the museum houses a collection of donated artifacts from people and organizations in the surrounding communities. The Military Museum is rich with history and is an exceptional way to visit the past from the Pioneer Village.