Thursday, March 11th
6 p.m.
The Mississippi River's Pearly Past and Present
Dave Adcock will be providing an in-depth look at the rise and fall of the pearl button industry, and its impact on the development of towns along the Upper Mississippi River. As the pearl button industry declined due to the introduction of modern plastic buttons, a new use for the fresh water mussels of the Upper Mississippi was discovered in the cultured pearl market. He will explore the methods for harvesting fresh water mussels, both past and present, and discuss the impact that this harvest has on the overall health of the mussel population and this portion of the Upper Mississippi River. Adcock will walk through the process of harvesting freshwater mussels and the step by step process of getting the mussels shells to market, as well as some of the other secrets that lie beneath the murky surface of the mighty Mississippi. He will explore different types of freshwater mussels that live along the sandy bottom, and invasive species like the Zebra Mussel that have hitch-hiked their way to the Upper Mississippi.
Originally from Bisbee, Arizona, Adcock is a 16 year resident of Houston, MN and participated in the harvesting of freshwater mussels, or "Clamming," for 5 years beginning in 1998. His primary focus for harvest was the Minnieska area, just above Bass Camp, but he worked from Red Wing south to Brownsville. Adcock has been with the Hiawatha Broadband Communications Inc. for the past 10 years, and is also a member of the Winona County Dive Rescue Team.
This lecture is free thanks to the generous support of the Ernest and Sally Micek Family in memory of W.B. “Bill” Gautsch. The lecture will be held at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum located at 800 Riverview Drive in Winona. For more information contact us 507-474-6626, or www.minnesotamarineart.org.