The folks at the Museum of Ashe County History in Jefferson, N.C., are back in the storage shed dusting off the old time machine. For this adventure the dateometer is going to be set for the 1940s as they prepare their special exhibit entitled “Over Here, Over There.” Anyone living then and all history buffs identify that time period with WWII and that’s just the subject of the exhibit. But in this exhibit the emphasis will be on the “Over Here” part. Visitors under 65 years of age will be transported to a time and place they didn’t experience personally, Ashe County in the 1940s. Through oral histories, pictures, and memorabilia of the period they will be able to identify with Ashe County people and their personal experiences of what it was like to be part of the Ashe County home front. To make this happen, the museum is counting on many of you who are willing to share your experiences of that period of history. You can come into the museum and tape a verbal account of your life experiences from the time or just come in and relate you experience to the curator. The museum is asking for you to donate your stories, pictures and memorabilia relating to civilian activities such as the Selective Service Boards, Civil Defense, rationing, interruptions in normal services, scrap drives, paper drives, victory gardens, V-Mail, etc. Get on the time machine and take this opportunity to be part of a very personal exhibit. This special exhibit will be ready for opening to the public the first of October and officially celebrated at the grand Museum Fall Celebration planned for Oct. 13. If you have questions or want to make donations, please come by or call the museum at 336-846-1904. “Over Here, Over There” is definitely occupying much of the mental and physical energies of museum staff, but other important projects will not be forgotten. The time capsule is still very much on the minds of church groups, civic organizations and individuals who are taking the opportunity to speak to Ashe Countians in 2042, letting them know what 2012 was like in a very personal way. The deadline for turning in the time capsule envelopes is Oct. 2. They will be formally buried in the vault in the museum during the Fall Celebration on Oct. 13. The museum owes so much gratitude to the three interns who have worked hard this summer in all areas of museum experience, including preparing exhibits and managing donations. They have truly made it possible to keep so many balls in the air. Thank you James Holden from UNC and Ryan Davis and Nur Saleh from Appalachian State University. (Story submitted by Carol Williams with the Museum of Ashe County History.)