The Massena Museum, Part 2

I was touring the Massena Museum and entered a room devoted entirely to aluminum. This puzzled me, but I kept looking around trying to figure it out. There were aluminum workers' union signs and fancy aluminum trays and dinnerware:

There were also aluminum motor castings. This really puzzled me and I walked back to the desk to ask about the connection between Massena and aluminum. It turns out that Massena has two Alcoa aluminum plants and one of them is the world's oldest continually operating aluminum facility. There is was also a General Motors aluminum engine casting plant which closed a few years ago. I was told that the GM plant's closing dealt a serious blow to Massena's economy:

And then I walked over to the old fashioned wringer washing machine. I remember these, but not washboards. I'm not THAT old:

And another doll, once loved by someone and now preserved for posterity:

A dining room scene:

The women at the desk suggested I go downstairs to their "hearse room." This sounded grisly, but off I went to take a look. Indeed, a long established undertaker had donated many funeral related items beginning with this horse drawn hearse:

There were also plenty of military uniforms which, I suppose, made sense. There were other items with more puzzling connections such as the sled:

Another military uniform and a wheelchair. I could see the connection:

And an old time funeral parlor display:

And a bit of fire fighting equipment:

I went back upstairs to see if I'd missed anything and found this family in their sitting room, apparently without central heating:

A Victorian era dollhouse was my last stop. I had six dogs waiting anxiously for me back at the farm and it was time for me to return. So I thanked the women at the desk and began my drive home: