Episode 003: History Is a Mystery: Inside the Morgan Log House With Molly Jobson

A 1774 home, a curious executive director, and the untold stories she's determined to unravel. What does it take to turn a 250-year-old log house into a living, breathing piece of its community? In this episode, Renee sits down with Molly Jobson, executive director of the Morgan Log House, to find out — from her winding path into museum leadership to the food drives and descendant volunteers that keep the house alive today. In this episode: Why Molly's Wisconsin childhood — and a museum called Old World Wisconsin — sparked a lifelong love of history The unconventional 15-year career path that took her from a $75-a-week internship to running her own museum How a Mennonite family's pacifist history shaped Morgan Log House's approach to its own 250th-anniversary programming Why “history is a mystery” is more than a motto — it's how Molly gets kids (and skeptical adults) hooked The food drives, Toys for Tots donations, and descendant volunteers that turn a museum into a true community hub The rope bed story behind “sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite” — and other moments that make history click for visitors Timestamps: [0:00] Introduction [2:30] Molly's Love of History [11:00] Career Journey to Morgan Log House [20:30] Morgan Log House & Community [28:30] Favorite A-Ha Moments [32:30] Visit & Connect About the guest: Molly Jobson is the executive director of the Morgan Log House in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, a historic home museum interpreting life from 1774 to 1964. She holds a B.A. in history and anthropology from Ripon College and an M.A. in public and applied history from Southern New Hampshire University. Before joining Morgan Log House in 2023, she held roles at Grey Towers National Historic Site, the Harbor District in Milwaukee, and Historic Bethlehem. Website: www.morganloghouse.org Email: director@morganloghouse.org Social: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn — search “Morgan Log House” Resources & links mentioned: Old World Wisconsin (open-air museum) — https://oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org/ Grey Towers National Historic Site — https://www.fs.usda.gov/greytowers Historic Bethlehem — https://www.historicbethlehem.org/ Call to action: If this episode resonated, subscribe to Learning Experience Design for Change Makers and leave a review — it helps more change-makers like Molly find the show.