Christmas on 2nd Street, just north of Willis Ave, in Winter 1942 (left) and on December 15, 2017 (right). Welcome to the Christmas edition of the Hometown Heritage blog! Today, we’ll be taking a trip down memory lane, looking at some historic Christmas decorations as well as reminiscing about how Perry’s business district has changed over time. The photos above show the home of Perry’s Lighted Christmas Parade (2nd Street, just north of Willis) in 1942 and 2017. While we haven’t had any measurable snow yet this year, the 1942 photo shows Perry residents and businesses coping with a recent heavy snowfall. Festive garlands encircle 2nd Street’s light poles, while garlands and wreaths were suspended for several blocks over Perry’s commercial district. The 1942 photo also shows several businesses of the day. A Philco Hall Maytag Co. office is on the west side (left) of the street, where the Crisis Intervention & Advocacy Center is today, and a car dealership used to reside in today’s Josh Davis Memorial Plaza. Robinson’s Clothing can be seen on the east side (right) of the street, which had overcoats on sale for $14, $16, or $24. In the alley south of the store, part of a large painted advertisement for OshKosh B’Gosh can also be seen.
Christmas on 2nd Street, just north of Lucinda St, in late Fall c. 1951 (left) and December 15, 2017 (right). On a rather warm day in late fall, likely in 1951, Perry residents set to decorating 2nd Street for Christmas. Once again, suspended garlands hung over the street, this time, adorned with large stars and bells. The date for this photo can be narrowed down by the movie on the Perry theater marque, Francis Goes to the Races. This picture, a sequel, was a black-and-white filmed comedy from Universal released in May 1951, which told the story of a talking mule and his owner who becomes entangled with the mob. The Perry Theater likely didn’t get this film right away, so it was showing later that year. A number of 1950’s businesses can also be seen in this photo. On the west side (left) of the street, Rosie’s Café served food where today’s Eye Care Associates is located, the Perry Gas Co. did business in 2017’s H&R Block building, and the Perry Daily Chief newspaper was housed on the west side of the street. In addition, one of Perry’s furniture stores – Bennett-McDaniel Furniture – can be seen between Rosie’s Café and the Perry Gas Co. On the other side of the street, a sandwich shop is located near the end of the block and a Sinclair Gasoline H-C sign is visible just past this. In the center of the photo toward the back, a car can also be seen stopped at the railroad crossing, waiting for the train to go by.
Christmas at the Carnegie Library. Left: Librarian Marian Krohnke sits by the fire (c. 1953). Right: The Festival of Trees (December 15, 2017). The Carnegie Library also got into a festive spirit. The photo on the left, showing Librarian Marian Krohnke, dates to around 1953. While she isn’t sitting next to a roaring fire, the fireplace mantle displays a nativity scene. Today, the Carnegie Library Museum hosts the Festival of Trees. Carnegie volunteers Katie Schott and Laura Stebbins organize this annual event, in which local businesses, churches, and organizations set up festive displays, each vying for visitor votes in this fundraising and cheer-raising event. The photo on the right is just the tip of the iceberg that is the 39 (!) displays, which can be viewed through the end of this month (see the schedule below for holiday hours). Make sure to stop in and see this festive exhibit! We at Hometown Heritage would like to thank all of our wonderful volunteers, visitors, and supporters this year, and wish you and yours very happy holidays! 
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Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog! Summer Break is finally upon us and with it comes bored kids looking for something to do. There are many activities that kids like to do to pass the time, including sports, video games, and playing with other toys. However, there is one summer activity that appears to be a long standing tradition for children everywhere: a summer reading program! It seems that the summer reading program has had a long history in Perry. The earliest photos in our collection that pertain to the summer reading program date back to 1966: 51 years ago! The photo showing two kids, Kay and Bobby Kidney, getting prizes from the librarian at the time, Louise Fullhart, for reading 30 books that summer. Another photo, this time from 1968, shows Louise Fullhart once again. This time she is with her husband, Frank Fullhart, who was there to tell the children stories about his railroad days. The interesting thing about this photo is that it is taken somewhere in the Carnegie Library which is, of course, our current home. However, although now the Children’s Room, or Room of Wonder, is upstairs, back in the 1960s it was moved downstairs to where the Courtroom is now. It looks quite different from this picture! Gone are the bookcases and curtains to be replaced with the current Courtroom furniture. It would have been interesting for me to see what the whole room looked like compared to now. It seems like the children of Perry have been enjoying a reading program for a long time, and they will continue to enjoy it in the years to come. In fact, the reading program for this summer starts soon with Kids Fest this weekend! Although it is hosted by the Perry Public Library, we will also be taking part in Kids Fest. Here at the Carnegie Library Museum kids will partake in a scavenger hunt to find some historic photos. Perhaps I’ll see you there readers, and come back next week for another Hometown Heritage blog!
Hello and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!
This week I have an exciting event to tell you all about! Coming up on May 20th, Hometown Heritage will be presenting All About Bacon: A Historic Look at an Iconic Iowa Food. This event features presentations about the enlightening history of bacon in Iowa throughout the years given by Leo Landis. Leo is the Museum Curator at the State Historical Museum of Iowa and the Bacon Professor! As a group of presentations about the history of bacon, bacon breakfast burritos and bacon samples are also included. The samples are provided by Kitt's Locker in Dedham, and the Des Moines Bacon Company. The event starts at 8:30 A.M. and ends at 12:00 P.M. here at the Carnegie Library Museum in Perry, Iowa. Tickets are $25.00 each and are sold at the Carnegie Library Museum and at the Perry Chamber of Commerce. We hope to see all of you there!  Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog!
Today I have another interesting photo from our collection for you all! Look at the picture that accompanies this post. What do you think it is? The picture itself is from 1885, and as you can see, it depicts a man on a cart drawn by a horse. The cart itself is rather fancy; it has what looks like curtains on the inside. Why does a cart need curtains? This, readers, is part of the answer! Curtains are usually meant to keep people on the outside from seeing the inside of a building or in this case, cart. Perhaps you are thinking that his wagon was used to transport money to and from banks? Unfortunately, if you are you will have to guess again! I imagine that someone transferring money would have a guard or two with him, and this man is clearly alone, so I doubt that he would be moving money. If you need another hint, I can tell you that the purpose of this cart was rather morbid. Let us put these two clues together: the cart wants to stop people from seeing inside it, and its purpose is rather morbid. Do you have another guess? If you guessed that this cart was a hearse, then you would be correct! This picture is of the first hearse in Perry in 1885, driven by Dave Willis. The hearse itself was by Carpenter and Son. The curtains on the inside are clearly used to hide the coffin from citizens the hearse might pass on the way to the cemetery. It makes me wonder if Dave Willis was also the undertaker or if he was simply the driver of the hearse. Unfortunately, our collection does not have any more information about this hearse or about how long it was in use. It is interesting, however, to see one of Perry’s firsts! Are you interested in seeing more of Perry’s firsts? Then swing by the Carnegie Library, the first library in Perry, and come back next week for another blog post! Hello and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog readers!
This week I wanted to talk to you all about a great chance to volunteer! I most likely sound like a broken record by now, but Hometown Heritage has moved our office to the Carnegie Library Museum. As part of this move, we are trying to ensure that the Carnegie is open every day, aside from holidays, for people to tour and enjoy! In order to accomplish this goal, we need volunteers for Saturday and Sunday (I am staffing the building during the week) to keep the building open, give tours, and answer any questions people may have. Each volunteer only has one two-hour shift per month. On Saturday, there is a shift from 12 to 2 and from 2 to 4. On Sunday, there is only one shift from 1 to 3. Generally, the volunteers are asked to staff the same shift each month. For example, one volunteer has volunteered to staff the Carnegie from 12 to 2 every third Saturday of each month (excluding holidays). While this may seem like a big commitment, there are back-up volunteers and other people you can call if you sign up for a shift and when the day comes you find that you cannot make it that day. As of this blog post, we need volunteers for both the 12 to 2 and 2 to 4 shifts on the first and second Saturday of each month, and the 1 to 3 shift on the first Sunday of each month. If you are concerned about giving tours or answering questions, we have a binder full of materials here at the Carnegie to prepare you, and two folders of tour guides that are easy to follow. We hope that some of you are interested in helping us keep the Carnegie Library Museum open so more people can enjoy the great collections and respectful restoration. If you are interested in volunteering, please call 515-465-7713 during business hours (9-5 Monday to Friday) or send an email to info@fcctrust.org!  Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!
As part of our move to the Carnegie Library Museum, I thought I would make today’s blog post about the Carnegie Library itself! As many of you may know, the Carnegie Library was the only library in Perry until the mid-1990s, when the current Public Library was constructed (due to the need to comply with fire safety laws). However, how many of you remember what the Carnegie looked like before it was restored? For instance, the picture you see here is the old front door of the library! Unlike the restored door, the original door was only one door, and featured glass on either side. The only thing that remained for the restored door is the glass work above the door itself. Aside from the door, many of the other restorations are faithful to the original Carnegie. Objects such as the tables, chairs, and fireplace all were respectfully restored to preserve the look and feel of the original library. In fact, the tables even have the original etchings in them, as they were only refinished! There are also a few pictures around that show the original layout of the library. Perhaps some of the most interesting objects in the Carnegie are a few things that were original to the Carnegie library, but to find out what they are, you’ll have to come get a tour of the Carnegie yourself! Another interesting part about the restoration of the Carnegie involves the floors. There are three different kinds of floors that can be found in the Carnegie: wood, tile, and cork. All of these floors were modeled after the floors in the original building, and they all hold an interesting little tidbit. For example, there are both square and hexagon tiles in the building, but what is the significance behind that? Come tour the Carnegie Library Museum to find out! As with our previous office, we are open from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday, so come by any time you are free to have a tour and learn for yourself about the Carnegie Library Museum! Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!
I am happy to tell you all that the paintings from the Gary Ernest Smith Exhibition of ours that were in display in Ames have returned to Perry! If you didn't have a chance to see these paintings while they were in Ames, you can see the ones that we here in Perry! Unfortunately not all the paintings that were on display in Ames are here in Perry, as the ones we do not own have gone back to Minneapolis and California, but you can see the ones we own such as Stubble, Earth, and Snow, Midwest Farm, and Iowa Fields. Don't forget, you can also see all the people pieces that we own back here in Perry. Also, for those who do not know, we have moved! We are now in the Carnegie Library Museum across the street from our old office, next to the Public Library. This means that the Carnegie will be open every Monday through Friday. If you haven't had a chance to see the inside of the restored building, I highly encourage you to do so! We are open the same hours as before, 9 to 5. Stop by some time and have a look at our new office! Hello Readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog!
Today is a short post, as we have been busy all day moving our office across the street! That's right, Hometown Heritage is now located in the Carnegie Library. We will have the same hours as we did in our old office, but now if you visit us you can also enjoy the beautiful Carnegie Library. In addition to all the services we already provide, we will also be overseeing a new Genealogy station that has been installed in the Carnegie. If you wish to contact us to get more information, you can swing by the Carnegie or call us at our new number, 515-465-7713. We hope to see you at the Library! |
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This website is possible with the support of the
Dallas County Foundation