The Hermosa Arts & History Association (HAHA) in Hermosa, South Dakota, is holding an online auction fundraiser through McPherson Auction March 19, 2022. McPherson is donating their services so that 100 percent of the money raised through the auction will go to support HAHA’s building renovations and programs. The lots up for sale include several dolls which may be of interest to collectors.

Lot 20 includes this Mary McDaniel crazy doll, along with a handmade quilted tote, tabletop ironing board, and $10 gift certificate to Hermosa Coffee House.
Lot 20 includes this Mary McDaniel crazy doll, along with a handmade quilted tote, tabletop ironing board, and $10 gift certificate to Hermosa Coffee House.

Other items included in the auction are original artwork and limited-edition prints, vintage Navajo rugs, rare local history books, antique and vintage furniture, Rendezvous and Buckskinning knives and lanterns, a Strider bike, Christmas decorations, clocks, quilts and comforters, glassware, and many other items. There are 198 lots in the auction, which can be viewed in person at 14245 Windbreak Road, Hermosa, South Dakota Friday, March 18, from 2 pm to 6 pm, and Saturday, March 19, from 10 am to 4 pm. Items can also be viewed at HAHA’s event page, the association’s Facebook page, and on the MacPherson website.

Lot 143 consists of these two dolls: a Pueblo or Mexican Doll given to one of our volunteer’s mother when she was an ESL teacher quite a few years ago; and a Nebraska State Fair doll from 1987.

All bidding will be done online on the McPherson Auction website. Bidding will have a soft close at 6 pm — as long as active bidding is still taking place, a lot will not close. As a lot nears its ending time, competing bidders will have one minute to make a counter bid. Once no bids have been made for one minute, the item will be closed for good.

Lot 144 is these two dolls: a 12-inch Irish Heritage doll tagged “Clodagh” and a bisque-head doll marked “MIP 3602” in knitted sailor dress with hat, displayed on stand.
Lot 144 is these two dolls: a 12-inch Irish Heritage doll tagged “Clodagh” and a bisque-head doll marked “MIP 3602” in knitted sailor dress with hat, displayed on stand.
bisque-head doll marked “MIP 3602”
Irish Heritage doll close-up
tag from Irish Heritage doll

“The Hermosa Arts & History Association, organized in 1999, seeks to preserve our local history; educate our youth; promote visual, written, and performing arts in Hermosa; and involve the community in all of these efforts,” said HAHA volunteer researcher Lilah Pengra. “We strive to bring together residents of the greater Hermosa area to create a cohesive community based on our appreciation for each other’s unique experiences, cultures, traditions, and histories — and our common humanity.

Lot 145 is two handcrafted French 10-inch dolls, one with braided garlic harvest and the second with a chicken in a basket.
Lot 145 is two handcrafted French 10-inch dolls, one with braided garlic harvest and the second with a chicken in a basket.

“We are an all-volunteer organization with many active members who live in, or have ties to, the Hermosa area. As you can tell from our acronym, we also have a lot of fun.

“Currently we are renovating the original Hermosa school house, built in 1889, to serve as our museum. We had opened the museum in 2015, but the front wall began to bow out. In order to stabilize that wall and strengthen the upstairs where much of our archive is located, we had two volunteer engineers design additional supports needed. One of those engineers has since died, so his wife is matching the funds raised by this auction. The estimate given by the contractor is $15,000 plus, depending on the final cost of materials, which are currently increasing at a rapid rate.