What makes a man a legend? In the case of George Washington Carver, it wasn’t just peanuts. Born into slavery, Carver used his extraordinary gifts of persistence and compassion to become a trail-blazing scientist with a lifelong mission: to bring practical knowledge to those in need.
The exhibit will open to the public Friday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 2 at the State Historical Museum, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. There is no charge to view the exhibit or visit the museum. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sunday, 12-4:30 p.m.
Visitors can explore a life-size reproduction of the horse-drawn wagon – a moveable school – that Carver designed to bring his ideas to farmers in their fields and homemakers in their homes. It’s stocked with the kinds of plants and products – from seeds and soil samples to sewing supplies, and simple farm equipment – that Carver used in his demonstrations. Finally, visitors will meet some “modern-day Carvers” working to develop the potential of plants in modern medicine and space exploration.
This exhibition was created by The Field Museum, Chicago, in collaboration with Tuskegee University and the National Park Service. It is sponsored at the State Historical Museum by Iowa State University; Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont Business; Simpson College; The World Food Prize Foundation; John Deere Des Moines Operations; Monsanto Fund; Iowa Farm Bureau; Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship; Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc.; and the Iowa State University Agronomy Department.
Exhibition Preview Reception…Be among the first to experience the largest exhibition ever assembled on the life and legacy of George Washington Carver. An opening night reception will be Thursday, July 31 at 5:30 p.m. at the Historical Museum, 600 E. Locust. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased in the Museum Store or by calling (515) 281-7395. The evening’s program will include performance of selected arias from “A Dream Fulfilled: The Saga of George Washington Carver”; a Reader’s Theatre Presentation of “The Journey of George Washington Carver”; a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony by community leaders Ruth Ann Gaines and Nolden Gentry; a preview of the exhibit prior to opening; hors d’oeuvres and cash bar.
Family Programming…“George Washington Carver – A Celebration of Life”
The State Historical Museum will celebrate the life and times of George Washington Carver with a family event 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 20, 2008 at the State Historical Museum in Des Moines. Families will gather for self-guided tours of the George Washington Carver exhibit and stories of Carver’s life will be told and read. Participants can play a Carver Life Bingo game and create hand-made paper bookmarks, peanut marionettes, and paper hats from newspapers. Admission is free and open to the public.
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The Western Historic Trails Center will host its annual Lewis & Clark White Catfish Camp Living History Weekend this month to commemorate the Corps of Discovery explorers who made camp near Council Bluffs during their historic journey up the Missouri River in 1804 and the Mormon Battalion trek to fight in the Mexican-American War.
The combined event will be 9 a.m.-6 p.m. July 26-27 at Western Historic Trails Center, 3434 Richard Downing Avenue in Council Bluffs. Admission is free and open to the public.
The Mormon Battalion will kick off the commemoration at 9 a.m. on both days. In 1846 the Mormon Battalion mustered near what is now Iowa School for the Deaf and marched south about 2,000 miles to participate in the Mexican-American War. The group will re-enact the Battalion Trek and illustrate the connections between the Battalion Trek and Lewis and Clark explorations.
In addition, WHTC will feature the Lewis & Clark and Mormon Pioneer trails in activities throughout the two-day event.
White Catfish Camp has its roots in July 1804 when Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery made camp near present-day Council Bluffs, Iowa. The five-day stop was an opportunity to repair equipment and make astronomical observations. On July 24, 1804, one of the explorers, Silas Goodrich, caught an albino catfish, giving the camp its name.
Both re-enactor camps will open for public visitation at 9 a.m. each day. Presentations will occur in the Trail Center theatre. For a complete schedule call WHTC at (712) 366-4900 or visit www.iowahistory.org/sites.
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The State Historical Society of Iowa has emergency Historical Resource Development Program (HRDP) funding available for those affected by recent storms and floods in Iowa.
Grants up to $15,000 are available in the museum and documentary collections categories and are available to individuals, businesses, nonprofit corporations, government units, or American Indian tribes in counties with the State disaster declaration.
There is no deadline for submitting applications. Turnaround time from submission of application to any dissemination of funding is 2-3 weeks.
For more information and application procedure, visit www.iowahistory.org, or call Kristen Vander Molen at (515) 281-4228.
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The State Historical Museum will honor the 75th anniversary of the popular, nationally syndicated comic strip Alley Oop, which was created in 1932 by V.T. Hamlin of Perry, Iowa, Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. The event is free to attend.
The comic is about a prehistoric caveman, Alley Oop, who rides his pet dinosaur, Dinny, with girlfriend, Ooola, during all kinds of adventures and battles. The current Alley Oop strips are created by former Iowan Jack Bender and his wife, Carole Bender.
Director and Novelist Max Allan Collins (“Road to Perdition” starring Tom Hanks and Paul Newman) of Muscatine, Iowa, will present his film, “Caveman: V.T. Hamlin & Alley Oop,” in the Cowles-Kruidenier Auditorium at the State Historical Building. Following the film, Collins will lead a question and answer session with Jack and Carole Bender and Mark Lambert.
Alley Oop memorabilia, early comic strips examples and similar items will be on display. Admission is free and open to the public.
Alley Oop program schedule
6 p.m. – Reception at State Historical Building
7 p.m. – Presentation of “Caveman: V.T. Hamlin & Alley Oop” in Cowles-Kruidenier Auditorium (Max Allan Collins introduces film)
8:30 p.m. – Question and Answer session with Max Allan Collins, Mark Lambert and Jack and Carole Bender, current artist and writer of Alley Oop.
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Summer in Iowa brings two words to mind: State Fair, held since 1854. Everyone remembers their favorite exhibit, the livestock, the Grandstand, eating food on a stick, Midway rides and the butter cow. Just like individuals, the official records of the State Fair have their own unique story to tell.
This exhibit in the Library/Archives Reading Room provides not only a brief glimpse at the Iowa State Fair, but also a sample of the variety of documentary and artifactual holdings preserved by the State Historical Society of Iowa. Iowa Agricultural Society and the Iowa State Fair Authority records preserved permanently by SHSI as state archives are included in the exhibit along with ephemera from Special Collections and Fairopoly from the State Historical Museum.
And who can resist the varied contests held at the fair each year? Holdings included in the exhibit illustrate contests such as healthiest baby, judging of hogs and harness racing.
See the exhibit in the Library/Archives Reading Room at the State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
--by Meaghan McCarthy, assistant state archivist
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The historic Princess Theatre at 101 W. Monroe Street in Mt. Ayr, Iowa will reopen Aug. 21 after spending years as a bar and storage space for plumbing supplies. The theatre is a historic landmark for the community and having it open again “preserves the whole town square atmosphere,” said Angie Hynek, community member and co-writer of the grand opening play that will be staged for the event.
Three years ago, the theatre underwent extensive renovation that touched just about everything from top to bottom. With help from the Dekko Foundation and community support, about $370,000 was raised for the project, which was headed by the Princess Theater Troupe.
“We got innovative and even added a movie viewing screen that can be moved out of the way for live productions,” said Pam Poore, Moonlighters Theatre Group president and board member for the Princess Theatre Troupe. The theatre is now able to host both movies and plays.
A grand opening Aug. 21 will include various old time events and the live production of Farmer’s Song-The Musical, written by Angie Hynek and her son Joe Hyneck. Set during the farm crisis of the 1980s, the musical revolves around a farm family living in small town Ellston, Iowa who come up with a creative way to make a living off their land.
The grand opening of the renovated Princess Theatre is Thursday, August 21 with the first show at 7:30 p.m. Shows will continue on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are now on sale at the Mt. Ayr US Bank and at www.farmersong.com. Adults are $10 and students are $5.
By Heidi Pierson, intern
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Plan now to attend “Reddy for Preservation!”, Iowa’s Statewide Historic Preservation Conference Sept. 19-20 in Sioux City.
Highlights include speakers Lance Foster, cultural landscape specialist (invited); Don E. Longwell, historic tax credit advisor; Tim Samuelson, cultural historian for the City of Chicago; Jennifer Sandy with the National Trust for Historic Preservation; and Bob Yapp, Preservation Resources, Inc.
Topics include “High Waters, High Winds: Disaster Recovery and Historic Preservation”; “Old Windows Aren’t a Pane, They’re a Goldmine!”; and “Hands-On Rehabilitation: Wood Restoration Workshop.” There will also be a tour of the Floyd County Cemetery in Sioux City; Sioux City’s Architectural Treasures and Prehistoric Farmers of Northwest Iowa: Tour of Cultural Landscapes.
Cost to attend is $35 before Sept. 2 or $50 Sept. 3 or later. The Friday evening dinner at the Woodbury County Courthouse is an additional $20. Due to space limitations, registration is required.
Contact Paul Barnes, City of Sioux City, at (712) 279-6364 or PBarnes@sioux-city.org to register.
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For its 100th birthday, the Randleman House in Carlisle is getting a makeover, thanks to approximately 30 volunteers and generous donors.
The house, located at 245 Pennsylvania St., was built by Eugene F. Keeney for John H. and Sarah E. Randleman in 1907.
In October 2007, the Carlisle Area Historical Society (CAHS) bought the house to remodel into a museum, thanks to help from community members Mary Adams and Ewing Lanning. So far the volunteers helping with the project have torn down several walls not original to the house and painted other walls on the first floor.
The house is supposedly the first private residence in Carlisle to be heated by a furnace and lit by acetylene gas, according to the CAHS Web site. The house also had a bath, indoor toilet and other such “modern” conveniences.
Though no completion has been estimated, CAHS Board Member Carol Murphy said when finished, the group will pursue listing the home on the National Register of Historic Places. In the meantime, it makes an appropriate backdrop for community events, such as the recent Civil War-themed event celebrating the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln.
The celebration, held July 4-5, was the biggest event the CAHS has held since the committee was formed in August 2007, said board member Carol Murphy. She added the Historical Society currently has almost 100 members.
Author O.J. Fargo, dressed as a Union Army soldier, presented and answered audience questions in character. He brought a roster of Iowa soldiers in the Civil War, encouraging audience members to look for ancestors who served.
Carol Shannon presented a fashion show of Civil War-era clothing and spoke about what it was like to be a woman left at home during the war.
On Saturday afternoon the Marengo Civil War Band played and told the history of their music. The 13-piece brass and percussion band is the only band in Iowa that plays exclusively Civil War music. The band also played at the opening of the 2002 Civil War exhibit for the State Historical Museum.
By Tori Watson, intern
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Between 1987 and 2001, Mary Barton of Ames donated more than 1,500 items to the State Historical Museum. Most of these items relate to her work as an amateur historian, documenting the life and times of 19th century/early 20th century quilting women.
“Patterns for Learning” is a new exhibit set to open Aug. 6 at the State Historical Museum, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. The exhibit will feature Mary Barton’s quilt sample notebooks, fashion print collection, catalogs and a large number of her quilt study panels, clothing collection and quilts, including the Mary Barton Heritage Quilt, which was voted one of the 20th century’s Best American Quilts and exhibited at the 1999 International Quilting Show.
While the focus of the Barton Collection is on quilts, it encompasses the entire “women’s sphere” of the late 19th/20th centuries. Not just interested in the finished textiles, Barton assembled a world-class collection of materials and documentation representing influences brought to bear on 19th/20th century women. These materials help us understand the quilting woman – what she read, what she wore, her choices in fabric and pattern, the demands on her time and how those demands changed with improvements in her lifestyle.
Patterns for Learning is a sanctioned event for the American Quilter’s Society’s Quilt Expo Oct. 8-11, 2008 in Des Moines.
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July 26-27: White Catfish Camp and Battalion Trek Event
Western Historic Trails Center, 3434 Richard Downing Ave., Council Bluffs
Join us in welcoming two period re-enactor camps: an 1804 Lewis and Clark camp and a 1846 Mormon Battalion Trek camp. There will also be two presentations morning and afternoon, both days and authentic Native American food will be available for lunch.
Camps open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday, July 27: Organ Recital
2:30 p.m., Union Sunday School, Clermont
Featuring Marvin Kerr of North Liberty. Call (563) 423-7173 for information.
Thursday, July 31: George Washington Carver Exhibit Opening
5:30 p.m., State Historical Museum, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines
Tickets are $20. Call the Museum Store at (515) 281-7395 with reservation.
Friday, Aug. 1: George Washington Carver Exhibit Opens
Open through Nov. 2 at the State Historical Museum, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. Hours are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon-Sat. and 12-4:30 p.m. Sunday. Free admission.
Friday, Aug. 1: Friday Fest: Reptiles & Amphibians
10 a.m.-3 p.m. State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines
Free stories, crafts and Legos in the Heritage Classrooms. Polk County Conservation presents a program on reptiles and amphibians at 10:30 a.m.
Friday, Aug. 1: Blues Before Sunset with Bo Ramsey
5:30-7:30 p.m., State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines
Free weekly outdoor blues concert. Beer, wine and other beverages available for sale. Food vendors on site.
Monday, Aug. 4: Certified Local Government grant draft applications due.
Wednesday, Aug. 6: Patterns for Learning Exhibit Opens
State Historical Museum, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. Hours are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon-Sat. and 12-4:30 p.m. Sunday. Free admission.
Thursday, Aug. 7: Alley Oop 75th Anniversary Celebration
6 p.m., State Historical Museum, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines
With special guest and well-known filmmaker Max Allan Collins. See related article or visit www.iowahistory.org. Free.
Aug. 11-13: Visit the Historical Society at the State Fair
The State Historical Society of Iowa is sharing a booth with Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area. The booth will be in the Varied Industries Building. Historical Society staff will be in the booth Aug. 11-13. Stop out and see us!
Sunday, Aug. 17: Old Fashioned Picnic and Awards Program
5 p.m. Montauk, Clermont
Call (563) 423-7173 for information.
Sunday, Aug. 31: Organ Recital
2:30 p.m., Union Sunday School, Clermont
Featuring Steve Story.
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The State Historical Society of Iowa awarded 32 REAP/HRDP grants totaling $626,275 to 30 organizations and individuals across the state for historic preservation, museum and documentary collections projects.
The Historical Resource Development Program (HRDP) is funded by the Resource Enhancement and Protection Act (REAP), passed by the Iowa General Assembly in 1989.
Through REAP, local government units, various organizations and private individuals can receive funding for eligible projects. REAP/HRDP provides grants to preserve, conserve, interpret and educate the public about historical resources. The grant awards announced today require organizations to supply matching funds.
SHSI also awarded five 2009 HRDP/Country School Grants totaling $22,125 for the preservation of one-room or two-room buildings once used as country schools in Iowa.
Visit www.iowahistory.org for a complete listing of funded projects.