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Sesquicentennial Events Planned for Gardner Cabin
The
State Historical Society of Iowa and local partners are planning a three-day
sesquicentennial event marking the anniversary of Gardner Cabin.
The event will be July 15–16 in Arnolds Park. Activities will include storytelling by members of Native American tribes, several presentations on the lives of pioneers, a barn raising, lodge encampment, tours and more.
“While we’re using this sesquicentennial event to highlight the history of Gardner Cabin, we’re also using it as an opportunity to look back more than 10,000 years of Lakes history,” said Jerome Thompson, state curator. “We’re including activities that explore the early biological and archaeological history of the Great Lakes and what the pioneers might have seen when they arrived 150 years ago.”
The documentary Iowa Great Lakes Remembers: A Look at the Past, A Dream for the Future will be shown at the Maritime Museum on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The documentary includes numerous interviews of longtime area residents recalling life in the area, and their hopes for the future. A DVD of the documentary will be for sale during the event.
Loren Horton, retired state historian, will present Through the Eyes of Pioneers: Iowa Described in 19th Century Diaries. The presentation explores the diaries and letter of the hundreds of thousands of people who crossed Iowa on their way farther west. These documents describe the land, the people, the towns and the experience of traveling across the prairie.
Local artist Bob Duncan has created a commemorative crock for the Sesquicentennial.
Only 100 crocks will be produced — each one hand-thrown, signed and
numbered. The number 100 crock will be reserved for the Gardner Cabin visitor
center collection, and the number one crock will be sold in a local Pheasants
Forever auction. The remaining crocks have been sold, with proceeds benefiting
Gardner Cabin programs and activities.
