Category:Be Here: Main Street

Part of the MuseWeb Foundation’s larger "Be Here" initiative, "Be Here: Main Street" is a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution and its Museum on Main Street program, which brings Smithsonian traveling exhibitions to small towns across the United States and its territories. The goals of "Be Here: Main Street" are not only to collect rich stories about America’s towns and waterways but also to connect people, businesses, communities, and cultural institutions through storytelling.

MuseWeb and its partners at the Museum on Main Street program believe that everyone has a story that’s worth sharing—whether that story is about a cherished waterway, a local landmark or business, a popular park, an engaging museum, a little-known cultural site, or a beloved natural resource. These rarely heard stories are likely to capture a “history” of small-town America based on experience, knowledge, and memory rather than simple dates and facts. In this way, the published stories offer people a rare and authentic glimpse into the history, traditions, and culture of a community.

One story-collecting effort focuses on water–America’s lakes, rivers, streams, etc. The theme coincides with the current Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition Water/Ways, which is now on view in several states. The pilot program will be working with communities specifically in Minnesota and Alabama. Other previously collected stories include those about food traditions, local sports, work history, immigration and journeys, and stories about life in America’s small towns. Find stories from this project on SoundCloud, using the hashtag #bHereMainSt.