Jackson McCabe, a junior at Nucla High School, will do a small “pinternship” in Washington, D.C. this summer. The Pinhead Institute of Telluride, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is sponsoring the experience, which is all steeped in history and involves the Smithsonian.
Last week, May 4, representatives of the Smithsonian were on site in Nucla to meet with McCabe, as well as Sarah Holbrooke, executive director of the Pinhead Institute, and also Jane Thompson, of the Rimrocker Historical Society.
McCabe told the Forum he is definitely interested in history and that his father and grandfather have been history teachers.
“It’s in my roots,” he said, adding that his family frequently stops at state and national parks anytime they’re traveling, simply to learn. When Holbrooke visited Nucla High School to share about the history opportunity in Washington, D.C., McCabe said he immediately wanted to apply.
He knows the experience involves working with large museums in the D.C. area, but also sharing local history. McCabe said as many as 18 interns are meeting for the project, and they’ll be recording the histories of their own local areas.
“We will talk about history, be filmed, and we will help film each other,” he said.
He said the stories help shape a bigger historical project that will be showcased. He said he plans to share information about the West End’s ranching and mining heritage, especially uranium, vanadium and WW2. He’ll be gone July 10-17 for the work.
“It’s a pretty amazing opportunity,” he said.
The Forum spoke with Rimrocker Historical Society’s Jane Thompson last week. She said the Smithsonian representatives, Holbrooke and McCabe all visited the museum to discuss the pinternship. That was after they’d made a trip to Uravan to walk around and get a feel for what existed there in the old days, back when Union Carbide ran the uranium mill and an entire town lived there from the 1940s to the 1980s.
Thompson said McCabe would be sharing the local history, but could also complete service learning hours, required for his high school graduation, with the historical society. In fact, she’s given him a task to complete.
The Rimrockers donated the original school bell that came from the old one-room schoolhouse in Naturita. That bell is at Nucla’s new school somewhere, and Thompson knows school officials are busy. She’d like to see McCabe make a proper place for it. She’s got old photos of the bell and other information about it.
Thompson said she’s grateful for Holbrooke, who’s been a champion of the Rimrocker Historical Society Museum. She added the Smithsonian ladies were very courteous, loved the local museum on Nucla’s main street, and especially enjoyed meeting Hattie, the museum cat.
As Thompson always wants more involvement and visitors at the museum, she’s happy about McCabe’s project.
At the end of the day, the group enjoyed a dinner at the Flying Bear Pizzeria in Naturita to further discuss the pinternship. Holbrooke is happy for McCabe to get the Smithsonian experience this summer. She also enjoyed the day in the West End, connecting those involved in his upcoming work.
“I loved hosting the Smithsonian educators and showing them why I love the West End and our families and students,” she said. “And, they took a terrific deep dive into the remarkable history of this region.”
