Humboldt County Historical Association
August 2009
Norm Caldwell, President Connie Overby, Director
332-5285 890-9652
www.humboldtiowahistory.org
The first meeting of the Humboldt County Historical Association will be held on Monday, September 14th at the barn owned by LeRoy and Susan Witzel. Mark the date on your calendar. This is just the first of several exciting programs planned for the year ahead. A list of programs and hosts for the new season are listed in this newsletter. A special “Thank You” to those people who volunteered to host a meeting.
Also, you will note that there are no meetings scheduled for January and February. Due to the possibility of inclement weather, we will not be meeting during those winter months. However, we’re going to try to meet during the summer months. These months have favorable weather, and our museum is open, so there will be a lot of activity.
The September board meeting will be held on Monday, September 14 at 6:30 at the Witzel Barn.
Norm’s Notes:
At our August board meeting,
Carolyn Logan proposed a 1-5 year plan for the repair and upkeep as well as
thoughts about new construction projects. The board members all considered
it to be a very good wish list. I sit here writing this news letter on the
banks of the Des Moines River with my granddaughter, Josie, who is fishing
here beside me (and Grandma thinks we are home playing checkers). Anyway
her wish for fish and the board's wish for the various projects can be
better pursued and/or caught
To be more explicit, one project that needs our immediate attention is the care and upkeep of the house. The roof apparently has a leak over the parlor room, the soffit on the east side of the house has a problem from a branch hitting it, and a corner foundation might need some repair. It is nice to have a list to use as a guide for us and future board members.
Our museum is a great museum, and so is fishing. See you at our September
meeting.
Norm
News From Your Museum Director:
We are into our third month of summer and our museum is staying very busy
Our new Museum Gift Shop continues to be a wonderful addition to our museum, earning over $200 in July, we had one wedding at the Hardy Church during July, proceeds from the fair were $642 and proceeds from museum tours was a whopping $476!
Our fair quilt was won this year by Ruthann Johnson of Humboldt. I would like to thank each and every one of you who volunteered to sit at our Fair Booth; your help was greatly appreciated.
In July I spent a lot of time storing old coats and furs. Now I am working on storing baby clothes and what fun it is to see the beautiful little dresses and shoes.
Additional time in August will be taken up with organizing our Victorian Tea and Fall Fling and open house for the Over Fifty High School Reunion.
I will need people to monitor buildings for the Over Fifty Reunion and also I will need baked goods donated. This Reunion is on Saturday, September 12.
Of course I am looking for people to help serve at the Victorian Tea as well as people who will bake, so call if you can help me with this. Tickets for the tea will be on sale at Sharee’s Hallmark and Balloon Buddies. The Victorian Tea is Sunday, September 3 with the first seating at one and the second seating at four. We will be displaying our hat, purse and shoe collection this year.
For the Fall Fling I will need people to monitor buildings and also people to bake pies or help at the food stand. I am also looking for people who would share old timey crafts and talents with us, so please call me if you have any ideas or know of someone who I could contact. The Fall Fling will be held Sunday, September 27th.
We welcome Mary Nemzek to our museum as a new volunteer who will be working with Dr. Mike Perry on organizing the Campbell Collection.
The displays in the Red Barn are taking shape, thanks to LeRoy Witzel and Don Clarken for all their help. The Blacksmith Shop looks great, but we could use a few more tools. The area with the horse is taking shape, and we will be setting up a Wainwright Shop in the room to the east of that in the near future.
So, we continue to embrace our future as we acknowledge our past!
--Connie Overby
The 2009 Quilt Class will be held September 20, October 10, 17 and 24. We will be making “The Evening Star”. The cost is $25.00 plus a pattern, which can be paid at the museum or at the fair. Then on the assigned days, bring your fabric and sewing equipment. We’ll have a ball!
2009-2010 Programs
September 14, 2009
Program: “What’zit” at the LeRoy & Susan Witzel Barn
105 Knight’s Blvd.
Hosts: LeRoy and Susan Witzel
October 5, 2009
Program: “Memories of the Lawrence Welk Show”-- Dick Dale
Hosts: John and Jeanne Raine
November 2, 2009:
Program: “History of Blue Grass Music”--Rich Lindaman
Hostess: Martha Schmidt
December 7, 2009:
Program: “Christmas at the Mill House” (Members Only)--Connie Overby
Hosts: Phil and Connie Overby
January and February: No Meetings
March 1, 2010
Program: “35 Years in the Auction Business”--Dave and Tom Hundertmark
Hosts: Norm Caldwell and Terry Hart
April 5, 2010
Program: “A Museum Display”--Connie Overby
Hostess: Carolyn Logan
May 3, 2010
Program: “Railroads of Humboldt County”--Dennis Holmes
Hostess: Carolyn Rohlf
June 7, 2010
Program: “Stealing Lincoln’s Body”--Lincoln Mason
Hostesses: Tom and Virginia Nelson
July 5, 2010
Program: “Quilting Across the Ages”--Marilyn Hinners
Hostesses: Mavis Bygness and Bev Kennedy
August 2, 2010
Program: “Historic Glass in Buildings”--Steve Walters
**Meeting at Hardy Church
Hostesses: Marian Olson and Clara Mae Spellmeyer
Historically Speaking
One hundred forty years ago on August 7, 1869, Iowans were treated to a total eclipse of the sun. It passed over Sioux City, Des Moines and Keokuk about 5 P.M.
T.E. Collins of Lotts Creek wrote a description of this event which was published in the Springvale True Democrat on August 13, 1869. Great, Grand, Glorious. We too at the Creek had a sight at the great event, which occurs only once in a generation.
The writer was harvesting for G.W. Briggs, in whose field a full set of hands were at work Saturday, and with smoked glass, observed the eclipse, while gathering the wheat. At about 4 o’clock we first saw a slice cut off from the lower side of the sun. Watching from time to time we saw its gradual increase on the face of the sun and when about half covered, a gloom began to grow in the heavens. The darkness gradually increased, the muskeetoes and night hawks came round. Loren Martin’s drove of cattle started home and increased in fright until they ran in great hurry to the cow lot. We were turned first to see them by hearing the bells, and then saw them far out in the prairie running toward home. Suddenly the moon swept over the last remains of our great light of day, and all at once we were in the sublime darkness of the total eclipse. A shout from harvesters beyond the creek and woods, announced the phenomena, to which we replied, shouting at the top of our voices. The moon was distinctly visible as a dark round body hiding the sun. But a beam of light shot out from one side of the moon, probably issuing through one of the rugged valleys, in what to us, was the edge of that body. We had up to this moment continued cutting and binding, occasionally stopping to watch the progress of the eclipse, but at this interesting part of the scene, we all stopped to wonder, see and admire. Indeed the darkness was such that we could not have worked if we had tried, and any one that would must have been dull indeed. But alas the eclipse must end, and in a few minutes the moon passed on and let a streak of light issue from the sun, suddenly dispersing the thick darkness and surprising the thought at the reappearance of light, another shout of joy from across the creek was answered by us, and then the great sight was over. The eclipse gradually went off as it had come on but the interest was gone, and we were left to our reflections, wishing it had been longer in duration, and sorry to think that we would most likely never see its like again.”
Another article about the eclipse ended with this description. “One little four year old boy remarked to his mother that he wanted the windows raised, as it was so dark that he could hardly breathe.”
--Martha Schmidt