DES MOINES, Iowa - Five history projects from across Iowa have earned recognition from the State Historical Society of Iowa for increasing awareness and participation in Iowa history at the local level.

A special awards ceremony at the State Historical Building was held Monday for the recipients of the State Historical Society’s 2003 Loren Horton Community History Awards. These awards, as well as many others, are presented annually in conjunction with National Historic Preservation Week. Groups were presented certificates of recognition by Anita Walker, State Historical Society administrator, and Robert Neymeyer, State Historical Society Board chair.

Loren Horton Community History Award certificates of recognition are given in five categories: Outstanding Program, Outstanding Museum Project, Outstanding Research, Outstanding Use of Volunteers, and Outstanding Youth Project. Loren Horton was a longtime field historian with the State Historical Society of Iowa.

The recipients of the certificates of recognition and their projects are:

Outstanding Program
Living History Farms, Urbandale, “Get Your Grip on History at Living History Farms”
This program enables preschoolers, youth, adults and seniors to come closer to experiencing what life was like on a Midwestern farm or in a frontier town during the past 150 years. Visitors participate in history by joining in the chores and leisure-time activities common to farm and small town families of that era. Each visitor receives a free pair of work gloves and a schedule of the hands-on chores and activities that change each day. As visitors tour the historic sites, they are encouraged to put on the gloves and join in the real work and play of the farms and the town.

Outstanding Museum Project
National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids, “Walking Tour of Czech Village”
In 2002, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library (NCSML) hired a professional historian to organize and research archival materials related to Czech Village, a historic, traditional, ethnic community. Using this research, NCSML staff wrote the “Walking Tour of Czech Village” brochure, which allows people the
opportunity to learn about Czech Village on their own. In addition, the NCSML collaborated with The History Center and Brucemore to create guided walking tours of both the east and west sides of Czech Village and put together two public slide presentations about the history of the community as it relates to current city developments.

Outstanding Research
Muscatine Art Center, Muscatine, “The Third Reich in Iowa—German POW Art and Artifacts”
From 1943 until 1946, about 10,000 German POWs were captured in Europe and Africa and brought to the United States. Many were transported to the Midwest to camps in Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas. The main camp in Iowa was Camp Algona. Some 34 other branch camps existed, including one near Muscatine. The staff of the Muscatine Art Center has curated an exhibition of art and artifacts made and used by these German POWs, entitled, “The Third Reich in Iowa—German POW Art and Artifacts.” This exhibition examines the German POW experience in the Midwest through official documents, personal letters and belongings, journals, photographs and original works of art from their initial capture through their internment and return to Europe. “The Third Reich in Iowa” also serves to put a human face on the men who were our enemies. The exhibition was held at the Muscatine Art Center from Oct. 6, 2002 through Jan. 5, 2003, and is currently traveling to other venues in the Midwest.

Outstanding Use of Volunteers
Wayne County Historical Society, Prairie Trails Museum, Corydon
In 2001, a large red barn was built at the Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon to house its extensive farm collection in an authentic setting. The museum is almost completely run by volunteers from all areas of the county. These volunteers are a real cross-section of the population with retired schoolteachers, farmers, bankers, factory workers, homemakers and Main Street merchants all helping to maintain the museum. Many of these volunteers helped to move the farm artifacts from the main building to the barn. The Lions Club of Corydon volunteer twice a year at the museum and they helped move items to the barn as well. Such a large project required many people over a long period of time. Once all the items were in the barn, a core group of volunteers helped to place everything in interpretive exhibits. Several retired farmers served as 2002 volunteer “hosts” in the barn, sharing information and stories.

Outstanding Youth Project
Danville Community High School, Danville, “Danville Centennial Celebration Pageant”
In 1995, the Danville fine arts students began an annual cemetery walk. The ultimate goal was to raise awareness of the town’s history and to build enthusiasm and interest in the official town centennial, which occurred in 2002. Although people settled in the area as early as 1834, the town did not file papers of incorporation until 1902. The culmination of this idea was set for the fall of 2002 when the students would present a look at the town’s history. Events were held over three weekends, including a parade, community variety show, community dinner and more. It was a great learning experience for the students—not only in the respect of gaining historical knowledge—but also in leadership. If not for the students at Danville High School, the town’s centennial would have gone unnoticed and uncelebrated.

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