(Left to right) Josh Caroon controls the drone, Steve Ingersoll points at the screen, Mark Hilde and Chris Vistad both take photos of the drone flying around the Hjemkomst.

Clay County histories

Markus Krueger | Program Director HCSCC

Every few years, the City of Moorhead calls in their engineers and surveyors to make sure the mast of the Hjemkomst Viking Ship stands as close to 90 degrees as possible. If the mast started leaning a bit to starboard, it would put a lot of pressure on the port side, the boat could keel over, and the mast would rip a gash in our fabric roof. Bad stuff. So we got the old surveying crew back together and climbed aboard the Hjemkomst.
This time we made a conscious effort to include younger coworkers because we are experiencing a generational change. The city called Steve Ingersoll out of retirement because, as Survey Crew Lead, he was the guy who always lugged the surveying equipment into the Viking Ship to take the measurements. I called in Hjemkomst First Mate Mark Hilde in case we need to move a rope or retie a knot. Mark is always happy to help. He hops around his old ship with the same ease as when he sailed it across the ocean 42 years ago, and since he’s retired, his schedule was open. Hjemkomst building staff Michelle Griffen and I have both done this plenty of times before, but we pay extra close attention knowing that coming retirements will make us the oldest hands on deck for our organizations next time. Steve Ingersoll showed Survey Crew Lead Eric Norstad, Engineer Technician Chris Vistad, and CAD Manager Josh Caroon how to survey a Viking Ship. Only in Moorhead…
Perhaps most importantly, we all listened to what Steve Ingersoll and Mark Hilde are most concerned about. See how the mast starts to bend there? It’s just the same as last time, but keep an eye on it. This rope here carries the entire weight of the main sail and yard, and it is close to 45 years old. How long will it last? We inherit these concerns.
Handing down the job to a younger generation, though, means they get to do it their way. Steve’s younger colleagues brought a drone to take photos of the mast from different angles and heights. It was a lot of fun watching a robot helicopter hover carefully around a Viking Ship. After looking at the images, though, the crew decided that they still need to do it the old-fashioned way. So up the ladder they went, squeezing the surveyor’s equipment as far back into the boat as possible so Steve could show them how to look at what they need to see.
Are you feeling this generational change, too? Baby Boomers are my parents, my mentors, and my friends. They taught me how to ride a bike in the ‘80s and gave me keys to the car in the ‘90s. They taught me how to do my job and how to fix my sink. As they increasingly leave the workforce after jobs well done, we thank them for passing down their knowledge to us so we can make sure all this stuff keeps running. Responsibility is scary, but they taught us well, so we can trust ourselves. I just hope we don’t crash the Viking Ship.
Mark your calendars for Clay County Archivist Mark Peihl’s retirement party at the Hjemkomst Center, February 24, 1-3pm.