| Contact:
Jeff Morgan, Jeff.Morgan@iowa.gov,
(515) 281-3858
(DES
MOINES) – Preserving
Iowa
’s historic properties and other assets will be the
focus of a statewide conference this month in
Sioux City
.
“Reddy for Preservation” will be Sept. 19-20, 2008, at
the
Masonic
Temple
and
Scottish
Rite
Temple
in
Sioux City
. Registration
information is available by contacting Paul Barnes at the City of
Sioux City
at
712-279-6364, Pbarnes@sioux-city.org or visit www.iowahistory.org.
Author and former PBS television host Bob Yapp (“About
Your House with Bob Yapp”) will deliver the opening keynote address, focusing on
“Preservation Doesn’t Cost – It Pays!” with tips and information about the
economic benefits of historic preservation.
The conference will bring together Iowa’s
leading historic preservationists to cover a wide range of topics and issues,
including historic preservation tax credits, rehabilitation, cemetery
preservation, archaeology, preservation advocacy, cultural landscapes and
more.
Participants will have several opportunities to explore
and discuss a number of
Sioux
City
’s historic preservation projects as part of
conference breakout sessions.
Since prehistoric times, the area now known as Siouxland
has had a strong agricultural base as farming communities grew along the
Missouri River
and its tributaries.
In the 19th century,
Sioux
City
became the economic center of the region, rising to national
prominence with its stockyards and meatpacking plants rivaling those in
Chicago
.
Home to the first elevated railway in the world and a
hub of railroad activity, the city served as a gathering point for agricultural
products shipped from the west. The resulting economic prosperity led to a large
building boom and the city proudly boasts the best collection of terra cotta
buildings in the state.
Today,
Sioux City
is
northwest
Iowa
’s largest city and has one of the state’s
strongest historic preservation programs with designations as a Preserve America
Community, an
Iowa Great
Place
, a Certified Local Government and three Iowa
Cultural Districts.
Conference tours and discussion will focus
on several areas, including:
· The historic
Fourth Street
area that has been preserved
through the use of historic preservation tax
credits.
·
Sioux
City
’s Architectural Treasures Tour featuring City Hall,
Woodbury County Courthouse, the Warrior Hotel and the Orpheum
Theatre.
·
Northwest Iowa
’s cultural landscapes, featuring the
archaeological footprints of the Great Oasis and Mill Creek sites in an around
the valleys of the Big Sioux and nearby streams such as Broken Kettle and Perry
creeks.
The conference will also feature a
presentation by Tim Samuelson, cultural historian for the City of
Chicago
, who will deliver
an entertaining keynote on the story of Alfonso Iannelli’s artwork at the
Woodbury County Courthouse. The conference is sponsored in part by the State
Historical Society of Iowa.
###
The State Historical Society of
Iowa
is a division of the Iowa Department of
Cultural Affairs, and is a trustee of
Iowa
's
historical legacy and an advocate for understanding
Iowa
's past. It
identifies, records, collects, preserves, manages and provides access to
Iowa
's
historical resources. Its dual mission of preservation and education serves
Iowans of all ages, conducts and stimulates research, disseminates information,
and encourages and supports historical preservation and education efforts of
others throughout the state. Visit www.iowahistory.org or call 515-281-5111
for more information.
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