Dear members and friends,
Just a quick note. Here’s the CALENDAR so far for this year. Our theme is the Civil War. The Depot Museum will be open, free, every Sunday, from 2 to 4 (new hours), through October 13. May 31 the Kindergarten visits the Strait Log Cabin. June 4 the 6th Grade visits the Museum. Sunday June 9 is Civil War “open mike” day at the Museum for people to tell their family Civil War stories. Saturday June 15 the Historical Society has a fundraising cookout at Center Point Foods from 10:30 to 1. Saturday July 20 is a fieldtrip to the Hoover Library Civil War exhibit–meet at the Museum at 9 a.m. Sunday Aug. 25 is the annual Center Point Cemetery Walk at 4 (rain site—Museum). Sunday Sept. 8 is the annual bake sale and band concert by Vinton Band at 6 p.m. (rain site—inside north end of Depot). Also probably after school starts will be a genealogy program by Bob King on finding Civil War relatives. Our annual harvest potluck is Tuesday October 29 at 6 p.m. at the dentist office.
MEETINGS are the last Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Depot Museum. Our last regular meeting will be Nov. 26 when we elect 2014 officers.
OFFICERS this year are: Philip Andersen – president; Bob King – vice president; Sharon Hannen – secretary; Teresa Scheeler – treasurer; Virginia Benson – historian. Board members are Jon Novak, Lois Rowe and Linda Schlicht.
MUSEUM HOSTS are still needed for Sundays June 16, July 14 and 28, Aug. 18, Sept 1, 8 and 15. Please call Sharon Hannen (849-1792) to sign up.
CIVIL WAR EXHIBITS include our permanent case, which has many items on loan from Jon Brendel, and special exhibits loaned by Dan Burke, CPU history teacher and football coach, and by Dean Gleason, of Denver Iowa, father of Center Point resident Christina Lahr. Dan and his father Ed Burke of Davenport have always loved the Civil War. Dan’s family went on Civil War vacations when he was a kid. He and his father have also loaned a shelf full of Civil War books. Other Civil War books are from Bob King and from Rick and Sharon Hannen. Christina Lahr’s 3 greats-grandfather was Sayles Brown Phillips of Denver Iowa who was a musician in the 14th Iowa and was at the battle of Vicksburg. His exhibit includes Confederate money and his fife. Jeanette Matheny Haars also added to our 2013 theme with lists of Civil War veterans buried at Alice and Davis cemeteries. Others helping with artifacts or information were: Arnold Lanning, Lois Rowe, Bert and Evelyn Roseberry and Sally Holman Hill and Kurt Holman.
THE COUNTY GRANT for security and fire protection for the Depot, written by Bob King, was recommended for full funding of $4000 by the County Historic Preservation Commission in May. If approved by the Board of Supervisors, the money will be available after July 1. The project is being done in partnership with the Linn County Conservation Department which owns the building. Bob has done lots of work getting bids, coordinating with Conservation and writing the grant and organizing the project. We owe him. Dennis Schlicht and Sharon Hannen also met with the Conservation staff with Bob early this spring.
THE PLAYER PIANO we had restored with last year’s grant of $4000 plus $3000 from our savings came home March 1. Arnold Lanning, Cedar Rapids, was on hand at the Museum to welcome it. His parents, Elva and Earl Lanning of Green’s Grove, bought the 1923 Warfield piano new. Arnold and his sister Evelyn Lanning Roseberry and other family members donated the piano to the Historical Society about a decade ago. It was restored by Jack Niewoehner of Elkader. On May 5 we opened the Museum season with a Player Piano Party. Lois Rowe, Sharon Hannen, Linda Schlicht and Bob King brought refreshments and Linda and Dennis made tea and coffee in their entertaining antique Cory coffeemakers. Fifty-eight people signed the guest book and donated $72. We have one new piano roll—a Civil War medley—and a piano bench full of 1920s rolls that came with the piano.
SPRING CLEANING at the Museum got done thanks to Teresa Scheeler, Linda Schlicht, Bob King, Sharon Hannen and Jason Jacquette’s Service Learning students: Dylan Sarchett, Gage Silker, Savanna Crandall, Ashlee Beck, Ryan Wilkin, Dylan Boevers and Tatum Bernd. Lois Rowe and Sharon Hannen cleaned the Strait Log Cabin.
CITY HALL is now a mini CP Historical Society museum thanks to City Clerk Melissa Atkinson’s inspiration. She came to our March meeting offering display space in the council room for a rotating exhibit of our photos and artifacts. We accepted gratefully and Sharon Hannen, between rain storms, got the historical stuff delivered. Carrie Wilkinson, from the Center Point economic development group also attended the March meeting to brainstorm mutually beneficial interactions between the Historical Society and the city.
RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY. The drought is over—yea—and now our Museum roof leaks. But the Conservation Department is doing a new roof, as well as moisture mitigation under the middle room, and installing new doors and windows this summer.
MEMBERSHIP numbers do not currently inspire. Please pay your yearly $10 per person dues to Teresa Scheeler, 321 Summit St. Center Point IA 52213, 319-849-1883, tscheeler@fmtcs.com. Include your email address. And recruit!
More later…..Sharon
