Ag museum kicks off fund-raiser
By ANGIE JOHANNSEN, News-Tribune Editor; Posted online Feb. 06
Plans to build addition, increase space by a third
The Hancock County Agricultural Museum, a large draw for Britt since opening its doors in 2002, is kicking off a fund-raising effort.
Members of the museum board say they would like to expand the facility with an addition this year. The museum, located on the county fairgrounds, has more than 115 exhibits of antique farm machinery.
Volunteers from across the county have donated the equipment and their time restoring the pieces, but say more room is needed to bring more pieces of local history to the public.
The new addition will be located on the north side of the building, and will increase space on the ground floor by one-third. Board members are hoping to raise $15,000 for the project.
According to museum board president Darrell Schaper, more than 1,200 people visited the museum last year, twice the number of any previous year. The museum hosts tours for schools, which include hands-on activities, such as shelling and grinding corn.
Schaper says Britt is becoming the museum center of the county, a role he says brings pride, tourism and money to the area.
“We've been growing in our museum and we're ready to make the next step,” said Schaper. “Our motto has always been that there's always something old that's new to see at the ag museum...now we just need the space to keep the motto going.”
Since conception in 1999, the idea behind the museum was to preserve history and educate students and the community about the history of agriculture in Iowa. By the time the 60 x120 foot Morton building was erected at the site on the fairgrounds, a line of volunteers had formed to be part of the project.
From humble beginnings the museum has grown to include a lighted balcony filled with display items, a barn and silo facade to help illustrate the function of farm equipment and the outside area has been completed with prairie flowers and an all-weather approach.
Last summer board members and a hearty group of volunteers worked in conjunction with the fair board to host an oat threshing demonstration. Volunteers cut three acres of oats just south of the fair grounds, which were in turn shocked and then threshed on site during the fair.
All this work leads to a simple goal for Schaper and his fellow board members: bring history to life for those too young to remember it.
“We have a good program for students,” Schaper says. “We want to continue with the preservation and the education.
“If we have the space to preserve, we can do the education.”
Contributions for the museum fund-raiser may be sent to Roger Kjellberg, trreasureer, at 387 6th St. SW in Britt.
Story created Feb 06, 2007 - 13:25:29 CST.
|
