Step into Iowa's past
Author
Published
7/1/2016
What do you do when your county has five smaller museums, each wanting more visitors? You combine them under one roof and offer a complete experience in rural living.
That’s what happened in Clarion about 20 years ago. Five groups — the Arts Council, the Historical Society, a local teddy bear artist, an antique tractor group and the caretakers for the 6,000-plus hats of Alvina Sellers, better known as “Iowa’s Hat Lady” — decided to merge.
“It was a pretty disparate group,” says Mary Tesdahl, co-president and volunteer for the Heartland Museum. “How were we going to get these five groups...
That’s what happened in Clarion about 20 years ago. Five groups — the Arts Council, the Historical Society, a local teddy bear artist, an antique tractor group and the caretakers for the 6,000-plus hats of Alvina Sellers, better known as “Iowa’s Hat Lady” — decided to merge.
“It was a pretty disparate group,” says Mary Tesdahl, co-president and volunteer for the Heartland Museum. “How were we going to get these five groups...
Members Only Content
Join Iowa Farm Bureau or login to view all members only content and receive other member benefits.