ALEXANDER �” What happens when a community native and an import join forces? Two young men are trying to help better preserve the many unique items that have been collected over the years here in the Lewis and Clark Trail Museum.

Alexander native Ben Novak and resident Donnie Fieseler, originally of Salt Lake City, are trying to rekindle enthusiasm for and improve the museum that is housed in the former Alexander School and adjacent buildings. The duo is beginning its effort by remodeling an exhibit room located immediately on the west side of the basement as you enter the old school.

Novak’s grandfather graduated from the school in 1947 and he said “a lot of people in the community have a long, emotional attachment,” to the structure and now the museum. The last class graduated from the school in 1968, he said.

“Redoing this room is kind of a kick start to get community support to redo the entire museum,” Novak said.

He and Fieseler are hoping if community and area people see the quality of the room when it is finished, they will support the additional work that is needed. “The lack of care it’s had in the past couple of decades, it’s lost a lot,” Novak said of the overall museum complex. “There is no real flow or organization to the exhibits any more.”

Novak is between finishing his undergraduate degree and applying for graduate school and is a self-proclaimed “busy body” who was looking for something to do. He said the room they are remodeling had displays emphasizing Lewis and Clark.

The points of view behind the displays, however, were mostly European and reflected little Native American influence. The displays also didn’t capture the importance of Lewis and Clark to the region, Novak said.

The pair started redesigning the room in June and began working in the room the first week of July. Like any remodeling effort, once you get started, you run into things that you didn’t expect, Novak said.

“We’re putting a lot of information into one room,” he said of the revised exhibit that is to be called “Lewis and Clark �” A Social and Natural History.”

The duo consulted Williston State College’s Richard Stenberg, the State Historical Society and Heritage Center in Bismarck and the Three Affiliated Tribes in New Town while planning the redesign. Much time also was spent researching on the Internet.

The end result is to be the addition of a new island display, along with covering the old block-glass windows on the room’s west side. New paint and lighting is also part of the work to help create the appropriate atmosphere for the room.

Exhibits to be included in the new island involve Thomas Jefferson and Lewis and Clark, the return of Lewis and Clark, European influences and modern Lewis and Clark named items.

The only original exhibit in the room to remain concerns Fort Mandan. The new west wall is to display animal taxidermy, some pullout drawers with historic items and a fossil cabinet.

The south wall includes displays about the passenger pigeon, fur trade/trapping, buffalo, introduced species to North Dakota and current environmental management practices.

“To really complete the exhibits, I’m hoping to get a lot of taxidermy items,” Novak said.

He’s hoping area residents are interested in donating taxidermy items for the wall.

“The lighting is controlled. They’ll last a very long time in here,” he said. “They will be out of reach. They’ll all be recognized for their contribution with an information bar by their taxidermy item. This wall really needs to come together from the community.”

Museum board President Marsha Abelman is very pleased with how the room is coming together and that Novak and Fieseler are working real hard on the project.

“It was time to do some updating,” she said.

She too hopes the remodeled room “stimulates a little more interest in the community, or even outside the community.”

“We’re trying to do new and fresh things and leave it still quaint,” Abelman said. “Just keeping it going would be the nicest thing. We have an older community. A lot of people, it’s hard to be on boards. We’re just trying to keep (the museum) going.”

The museum’s original curator, Evelyn Leback, retired after helping to originally develop the museum and then “worked years and years seven days a week,” Abelman said. “It’s kind of been lost without her.”

Maintaining the facility is a major challenge in itself, not to mention trying to keep exhibits organized and interesting, she said.

Novak said they want to visit with people about the possibility of getting the school on the National Register of Historic Places.

Meanwhile, he said the remodeled room should have much of its work finished in time for Alexander’s Old Settlers’ Day.