The Montgomery County History Center: Dave McFarland
The Montgomery County History Center is starting to think and plan for the changing of the seasons, summer to fall.
The first step has been to end the summer with a bang. Sept. 24, we took part in the Iowa History Day held in Villisca. The event was organized by Ray Wetherell and Linda Weinstein of the Forgotten Iowa Historical Society. They put together a great list of presenters for the program. Ray lives in eastern Iowa and works for a grain company. What with the early harvest, Ray was not able to attend, but Linda stepped in and did a fantastic job of getting the show on the road. She had help from a great bunch of people: first, she drafted her mother, Elaine Artlip; Mary Hansen of the Villisca Historical Society; Martha Linn from the Ax Murder House; Martha Herzberg, from the Villisca Library; and others.
The presenters included Elaine Artlip, the History of Sciola; Dana Kunze from Cass County, who spoke on the Underground Railroad; Dr. Ed Epperly, leading expert on the Ax Murder; Jeremy McLaughlin from the Iowa Stoneware Collector’s Association, who talked on Red Oak Pottery; Adam Goodvin of Corning presented on the Icarians; and I, presented on the Packard House. over 90 people attended, and all the free-will donation went to help support local history.
It might have been a history event, but that did not prevent there being some surprises. Dr. Epperly, with the help of Four Wall Film, has a surprise coming next summer, and the History Center is hoping to be a part of that. The Iowa Stoneware Collector’s Association is now recognizing that Red Oak Pottery may have played a bigger part in the development of stoneware than previously given credit for.
There have been some great revelations in genealogy lately, even in my own family. Roxanne finally cracked a mystery on my family history that has been in question for years. She made the connection to my many times over great-grandmother, Anneka Jans Bogardus, who lived in New Amsterdam (New York) in the early 1600s. Genealogy has become a big item at the History Center. Last month, we played host to a gentleman from Canada, who spent a whole week doing family research.
It is almost time to put away Halloween and start putting up Christmas trees. We will be having our annual Christmas Tree Contest again this year. Any group, organization, or individuals can come and decorate a tree, and there will be prizes. We are also have another fundraising raffle. So come and visit.
Dave McFarland writes monthly for the Montgomery County History Center.