Humboldt County Historical Association

Norm Caldwell, President                                  Connie Overby, Director

332-5285                                                            890-9652

www.humboldtiowahistory.org

 

September, 2009

The next meeting of the Humboldt County Historical Association
will be held on Monday, September 14^th at 7:30 at Springvale Senior Living. 

Mark the date on your calendar.  The program “Memories of the Lawrence Welk Show”

will be presented by Dick Dale.  John and Jeanne Raine will host the meeting. 

A board meeting will precede the general meeting and program at 6:30 p.m.

 

Norm’s Notes:

 

We started or new Fall schedule by having our meeting at LeRoy and Susann Witzel’s

“barn.”  It was enjoyable, entertaining, and very educational.  Thanks to both of them f

or showing us the tools of previous generations.

Repairing various buildings is in full swing on the museum grounds.  Terry Hart and I
replaced the sheathing boards on the Centennial Building (that log cabin that used to
be located near the old swimming pool).  Then we worked for two days nailing on cedar
shingles.  In order to keep the project moving forward, we called in “a much younger” replacement.  It is almost done and it is beautiful.  Our blacksmith shop will be moved
into that building next spring.  The chicken house (east of the Erickson Barn) will be
shingled with cedar shingles later this week.

The very wet ditch on the north side of the Clancy Building has been re-tiled and
cleaned up.  Thanks to Clifford Erickson and K. C. Nielsen and Hoag’s Plumbing,
and Jensen Tiling for the machinery, the knowledge, and the desire to improve
our grounds.

The board also discussed: (1) air conditioning the second floor of the house,
(2) insurance coverage by increasing the deductible and increasing the coverage
(our premium is over $3000), (3) obtaining pest and rodent control from a professional,
(4) more security protection in the Military and Indian rooms, and (5) the 2-5 year
forward plan.

Remember the Fall Fling is September 27^th and I hope to see you there.

August donations, admissions, interest income and fundraising equaled $6,696.43. 
Our expenses were $2,052.70.  It has been a good month!

 

                                                                                                  --Norm       

News from Your Museum Director: 

The teacups have been placed to the right of each plate, handles tilted at a 4 o’clock
angle.  Sun beams shine through the lace curtains hanging from the windows of the
ballroom and the glass plates and goblets sparkle in this light.  Your eyes are drawn to
bright spots of color from the dahlias placed in the center of each table.  The silver platters
reflect the light from the candles placed on the serving table.  After weeks of preparation
things are perfect, we are finally ready for the ladies of Humboldt.

Thank you to Jan Funk for starting this wonderful tradition several years ago, our
Victorian Tea was a great success again this year.  We served 80 people and made
close to $700 for the museum.  Thank you to Sharon Reedy, Virginia Hart, Blythe Edge,
Marilyn Barnes, Carolyn Christensen, Judy Jensen and Carolyn Rohlf for all their fine help. 
Also, thank you to Sydney and Chelsea for their help in showing our collections, and thank
you to all our members who made the food served at the tea.

We don’t get to rest for long; next we will start working on our Fall Fling which takes place
on Sunday, September 27^th.  As usual we will be showing our antique quilt collection and
will also have Marilyn Hinners and Jan Jaqua quilting in our Hardy Church.  All buildings will
be open to allow leisurely viewing.  Pat Baker will be in her Research Room to answer any
of your questions and Carolyn Logan will be weaving on our new loom.  Steve Sande will
be working with our antique carpentry tools, Roger Lindeman will be making baskets, Rich Lindaman will be singing, we will also have knitters and bee keepers .  The Girl Scouts will
be making butter and playing games, the Boy Scouts will be helping Frances make apple
cider.  Big Horn will be here, as well as Mr. Lenning and his engines.  We will have tiny
horses, sheep, puppies, llamas and so much more.  Finally, let’s not forget the pie and
coffee!!   So, come visit us on Sunday, September 27^th for our Fall Fling, we will be open
from 1PM to 5PM, cost $5 per person, children under 18 free. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO AS A MEMBER TO HELP WITH THE FLING:  Offer to monitor a
building, offer to bake a pie, offer to display a talent, offer just to help during the day of
the Fling.  Call Connie at 890-9652

The word is getting out that our Hardy Church is a beautiful place to hold a wedding; we
have the dates reserved for quite a few weddings later this year and in 2010.  Donna Day’s
garden is a beautiful spot for wedding photos or to have the ceremony; our beautifully
manicured grounds with fine old buildings make a wonderful setting for senior photos. 
I can’t tell you how many times I have seen people visiting the museum and taking
advantage of the beauty here.  Thank you goes out to all the people who volunteer to
maintain the lawn and gardens on a daily/weekly/monthly/ yearly basis.

Even though our museum closes to tours on a daily basis at the end of September,
we look forward to visits in October and November from the Red Hats, St. Mary’s second
graders, the Democratic Women, Girl Scouts of Iowa and the U.C.C. Women’s Fellowship.
If you have a group interested in visiting our museum, or using one of our buildings to hold
a meeting, or have someone do a program for your group, please give me a call
at 890-9652.                                                                         --Connie Overby

 Historically Speaking

Can you imagine the citizens of Humboldt enjoying an afternoon watching "the important
people" of the business district engage in the following activity?

    T.G. (Ted) White was in the clothing business; he and brother Charles were in the same
spot as Gary's Menswear. D.W. (Dan) Krouskup was also in the clothing business; his store
 is now Floral Creations. [Pete Saul, photographer, was in the retail business in Boone for a
short time and evidently came home for some fun. C. Logan]  I don't know where Fred Taft's law office was located. The M. & St. L. depot was south of the Co-op across Sumner Avenue.
Joe Sheldon was the town marshal for many years.

The Republican, Friday, August 21, 1903

Tuesday afternoon was a sultry day and there was little doing on our business street up to
about two o’clock, but after that time it was a continuous afternoon of sport and fun, including
fat man’s races, tug of war, football antics and a host of other specialties. The cause of all this excitement was a number of Humboldt’s up-to-date business and professional men, the principal actors being: Frank Gotch, Ted White, Pete Saul (the man for Boone), and Dan Krouskup. Procuring a common sprinkler they filled it with water and the main part of the fun began. Their crusade after the sinners was very thorough and hardly a business man on the street appeared that was not in moral danger from the band of baptizers. They mad the rounds of the business streets after their victims and many was the hot chase they had through stores, back allies and down turnpikes, one man wit is said was chased after down to the M. & St L depot but we are requested to withhold his name. Others hid behind counters in their stores or other safe places to escape the ordeal of the baptizers. The fun came when the band made after Joe Sheldon. Joe had a bucket of water prepared for the besiegers and backed up to the door leading to Attorney Taft’s law office. The boys closed closer in on him and in some way Krouskup got in front of Joe, Pete came up behind him and the rear was brought up by Ted who gave a might shove; Krouskup ducked his head in true football fashion and made a touchdown through the window glass in the door, while Joe sidestepped and began throwing water in every direction, which resulted in some very wet gentlemen. But Joe could not escape as he was marched off the sprinkler where his hat was kindly lifted and he received some of the contents of the pail upon his head. Nest in line was Pete Mason, but he made good his escape. And thus the afternoon passed down into history as a day of sport and great amusement to the sightseers on main street, but a day of great terror and nerve racking to a number of Humboldt’s business men. Some say the affair should be repeated during fair week as a special attraction, but others are greatly opposed.

--Martha Schmidt