Looking at the 1940s-era refrigerator on display, Naomi Jones said she didn't remember food-cooling devices looking that pretty when she was growing up.

Jones, 68, grew up in Camden County, and her family was still using a wooden icebox to chill food in the early 1940s. An iceman would deliver huge blocks of ice to the family's door and the wooden box was used to keep it — and the food placed on top of it — refrigerated.

Justin Falls/The Daily Advance (ENLARGE)

A vintage Farmall tractor is shown as museum patrons mingle during the reception Friday. See the photo gallery online.

Justin Falls/The Daily Advance (ENLARGE)

Museum volunteer Anne Weil, (left), enters the restored Jackson House, which is part of the 'Our Story' exhibit, Saturday.

Even so, the "Our Story" exhibit that opened at Museum of the Albemarle Saturday did bring back a lot of fond memories for her.

Jones was quickly able to identify a Frederics Permanent Wave Machine used in the 1930s to help women perm their hair. The device had metal clips that dangled from strings.

"I had one of these and it burnt my skin to pieces," Jones recalled.

The lunch counter from Comstock's Confectionary also sparked memories. Jones recalled the orangeades the eatery's longtime proprietor, Walter Comstock, served for more than 50 years, from the 1950s until 2003 when he retired.

"He had the best orangeades," Jones said, recalling that Comstock only offered his special drink in only one size. "Back then you got a big cup," she said.

Jones was one of about 100 area residents and tourists who attended the "Our Story" exhibit opening Saturday. A much larger crowd, estimated at about 300, attended a gala opening of the museum's marquee exhibit Friday night, MOA officials said.

Museum Administrator Ed Merrell said he expected attendance to increase as more residents find out about the exhibit, which traces the Albemarle's history from its origins to today.

"Hopefully as word gets out, more people will come," he said.

Located on the museum's second floor, the exhibit includes more than 750 artifacts and spans from the time the first Native Americans settled in the Albemarle to modern day. In between, the exhibit highlights the arrival of the first Europeans; the days Blackbeard and other pirates roamed area waterways; the Albemarle's participation in both the American Revolution and Civil War; the growth of both the maritime industry and railroads in the region; and finally, the coming of the automobile age.

Artifacts on display as part of "Our Story" include a six pounder cannon believed to be from Blackbeard's ship, a small-scale model of the James Adams Floating Theatre on a visit to downtown Elizabeth City and a chunk of area sidewalk poured and stamped by Works Progress Administration workers in 1936. Clothing, bullets, books and cookware are also spread throughout the gallery.

The exhibit also includes a fully reconstructed house. Originally built in 1755, the Jackson house offers visitors an interpretation of how a family of eight might have lived during the early part of the 18th century.

Jan Lauten, an Elizabeth City resident for the past 10 years, said the exhibit makes the museum more impressive than when it first opened two years ago. Back then, she says she sometimes wondered if what was on display would be all there ever was of the region's history to celebrate. After viewing "Our Story," she no longer thinks that.

"It makes me want to know more and more about the history of the Albemarle," Lauten said.

Thom Spagnol, information and communication specialist with the museum, said he'd heard one visitor comment Saturday about how she has an artifact similar to one in the exhibit, but that it is not in as good condition.

"We're going to get more of people saying ...'Hey, I have something like that,'" he said.

And when they do hear that from visitors and the objects are in good condition, he said the museum may be able to display those pieces.

To keep the exhibit fresh, museum officials plan to switch out artifacts every six to seven months. The swaps will preserve cloth and paper artifacts as well as give MOA an opportunity to showcase new acquisitions.

Spagnol also said MOA intends to open a Coast Guard exhibit in 2009 and a Civil War exhibit in 2011 for the commemoration of the war's 150th anniversary.

Longtime residents like Jones were impressed with "Our Story's" representation of the region's history.

"This is nice for people to be able to come and see what the past was like," she said.

Jones said the artifacts sometimes looked better than she remembered things looking when they were in use.

"All of this is interesting," she said. "When you get old, old stuff looks pretty good."

Residents weren't the only ones impressed with the exhibit.

Jerry Skinner, 45, and Karen Pakkala, 44, boaters from upstate New York, toured "Our Story" on Saturday.

Skinner, who said he'd been to a lot of museums, was especially impressed with the exhibit's portrayal of the region's nautical history.

Pakkala said she would have liked the exhibit better if the photographs in the exhibit all listed dates, butshe did like how the overall exhibit was organized.

Both Skinner and Pakkala said they appreciated how the museum showcased local history. They especially liked a quilt exhibit downstairs.

"Everything's made in China now," Skinner said.

According to its Web site, MOA is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The museum is closed on major state holidays.