Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!
 
Many of you, like me, probably remember when Perry used to have a railway instead of a bike trail. There used to be the whistle of a train near every-day and cars would have to wait for the trains to pass. The Milwaukee Road, as evidenced in the art in the Hotel Pattee, used to pass through here as well. In fact, I found some interesting pictures about the Milwaukee Road in our collection!
 
First, we have a picture of the last Milwaukee train to leave Perry on March 23, 1980 at 6 P.M. Although not that interesting of a photo, it shows the slow progress of the railroad leaving Perry. The next photo, however, creates some questions for me. The picture is also of the Milwaukee Road, but has a note that says it is the “Rip” Track Area. From the looks of the picture, it seems to be an empty road, with a bit of track near the bottom of the picture. This is where my questions start! I looked up what a “Rip” track is supposed to be and according to Wikipedia it is short for “repair inspect paint” track. Yet to me, it seems like there is no track here! In addition, the picture is dated to 1980, the same year when the last Milwaukee train left Perry! Perhaps this means that it is the ripping up of the train tracks in this area? It would definitely appear this way, since the area is covered in dirt and the track at the bottom is covered up. However, I do not know for sure, as our database does not provide much information. Since this happened in 1980, perhaps some of you readers may know? If you do, please let us know in the comments, and join us next week for another blog post!

Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog!
 
I am excited to tell you that this week is our last event! Tomorrow night, starting at 4:30 P.M. in the Hotel Pattee lobby in Perry, Iowa, is the last Art Tour Odd # Thursday. As this is the last Art Tour, this is also your last chance to see the art on display in the Hotel Pattee, Town Craft Building, and Security Savings Bank. Soon the art in these places will be returning to their original locations and owners. Although you will still be able to see the art that is from the Hotel Pattee, many pieces will be returning to California and Minneapolis. Come and see these works before they are gone! In addition, the pieces in Ames will all also be returning to their original locations as well. If you have not gone to see the landscapes of Gary Ernest Smith, make sure you do soon! Finally, this Art Tour Odd # Thursday will be special, as a Perry Area themed gift basket will be given out to one lucky winner.

Again, this event is tomorrow, Thursday December 29, at 4:30 P.M. in the Hotel Pattee in Perry, Iowa. We hope to see you there, and have a happy New Year readers!

Tomorrow is our next event, Art Tour Odd # Thursday with host Robert Spellman! Robert Spellman is an abstract painter from Des Moines, Iowa. He is represented by Modern Arts Midtown Omaha, Nebraska and by Moberg Chicago. Some of you may remember him as the host of one of our previous events, the Adult Painting Intensive. This time, he will be at the Hotel Pattee in Perry, Iowa on December 15 from 4:30 P.M. to 6:30 P.M, where he will be talking about his art and the art of Gary Ernest Smith. As with other Art Tour Odd # Thursdays, we will be near the fireplace in the Hotel Pattee. It is going to be cold out, so why not come and relax by said fireplace in the cozy Hotel Pattee on Thursday night and enjoy the art of Robert Spellman and Gary Ernest Smith? The event is free and open to the public, and you can come at any point during the evening. Betsy Peterson will also be there with her Art Cart. If you have not had used Betsy's Art Cart, this is your last chance! The cart holds various painting supplies, which allow you to try your hand at painting in a similar style to Gary Ernest Smith. We highly encourage you to come!

Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog!
 
Today I want to tell you about tomorrow’s event, Art Tour Odd # Thursday 8! Similar to other Art Tour Odd # Thursdays, this event will take place in the lobby of the Hotel Pattee starting at 4:30 P.M and ending at 6:30 P.M. This time, however, our host will be Jennifer Drinkwater! Jennifer Drinkwater is an Associate Professor at Iowa State University and a Community Arts Coordinator. Some of you may recognize her, as she has been active here in Perry. She is part of the Latino Americans: 500 Years Of History events, which started earlier this year.  Her role in those events is to help create a mural for Perry, based off several Oral History that we helped to collect. During tomorrow’s event, she will be talking about how she creates her art and the art of Gary Ernest Smith. The evening promises to bring a fresh perspective to the artwork on display. The event is free and open to the public, so we hope to see many of you there!

Hello and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!
 
This week I wanted to tell you all about the event we are having tomorrow night, November 17! This time it is Art Tour Odd # Thursday #7. Unlike previous Art Tour Odd # Thursdays, this one will be something a little different!
 
Tomorrow, starting at 4:30 P.M., Dr. Randy McCaulley will be at the Hotel Pattee. His theme for the evening will be “An Evening of Art and Music”. As you may be able to glean from the title, tomorrow night will feature both art and music! Dr. Randy McCaulley will be playing his music at the Hotel, using the piano some of you may have seen in the lobby and singing. I do not know exactly what songs he will be playing, but it could be possible that he might take a request or two, so come with some songs in mind. Aside from playing, he will also be there to talk about music, art, and answer any other question you may have. The night will last until 6:30, and you can come any time you like and join in the fun. Similar to previous Art Tour Odd # Thursdays as well, we will have Betsy Peterson’s art cart available, so that you can try your hand at making a painting similar to those you see on display. So far, a few people have tried it and their paintings have come out great. I hope to see many of you there to enjoy the music and the art!

Hello and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!
 
Today I want to take the time to tell you about the two exciting events that we will be hosting this week! The first takes places tomorrow, and the other is on Saturday, October 29.
 
Tomorrow’s event is Art Tour Odd # Thursday #5. The host for this week’s Odd # Thursday is Perry’s own Betsy Peterson! For those who do not know, Betsy is a local Perry artist who has her studio, Betsy Peterson Designs, at 1121 Second Street, Perry, Iowa. The event starts at 4:30 P.M. at the Hotel Pattee tomorrow, behind the fireplace near the Canning painting. She will be giving a short talk about her art and how it relates to the Gary Ernest Smith paintings on display and then she will be giving tours to those who are interested. The tours will be different from other tours, as they will be given from Betsy’s perspective!
 
Saturday’s event is one of a kind that should provide a unique experience to everyone who attends. This Saturday is the Painting Intensive for Adults. Although this may sound intimidating, the class is for anyone from beginners to advanced! The instructor for this class will be Robert Spellman, a professional painter from Des Moines, Iowa. The class will take place from 9 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Saturday, October 29 at Betsy’s studio. Again, the address for Betsy’s studio is at 1121 Second Street, Perry, Iowa. The class will cost $35 per person. To attend, we ask that everyone call or email Betsy, using either [email protected] or 515-657-1837. You may be thinking, “Why should I attend this class?” Well, the class will help celebrate the artwork of Gary Ernest Smith through the observation of his work. You will be talking about his stories and techniques, and creating a painting of your own using your personality and imagination. This piece will be completely yours; not everyone will be painting the same thing! All supplies will be provided, so you need not worry about bringing your own. We also ask that everyone bring a sack lunch, a fridge and a microwave will be available. Finally, if you want to attend please wear casual clothing you will be comfortable painting in! It looks to be like a very entertaining class, so if you are interested in attending, please remember to pre-register!

Hello and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!
 
I wanted to take this time to tell you of the great event we are holding this Friday, October 21. This Friday Hometown Heritage is hosting a trivia night! The night will start at 6:30 P.M. in the Hotel Pattee Ballroom. The trivia will be done in four rounds, with the topics of Drinks, Sports, Perry History, and Art. Each table will be a team, and so far, there are eight teams! Even if you do not have a team already, you can simply join a team at any of the tables. At the start of the night, we will be selling four mulligans for $5, with the proceeds supporting Hometown Heritage. These mulligans can be used once per round to allow your team to skip a question but still get the point.
 
Trivia is not the only thing that will be happening on Friday night. The Hotel Pattee will be selling Craft Beer and light appetizers for everyone to enjoy during the trivia. A musician will also be there, to provide live entertainment. A short tour of the Gary Ernest Smith art will be given during the intermission as well! This tour even provide hints to some of the answers during the Art round of the trivia. Overall, the night promises to be full of food, friends, and fun. I hope to see you all there!

Hello and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage!
 
The date is August 6, 1902, and you are boarding the train on the Milwaukee line heading to Milwaukee. It is a sunny afternoon, and everything seems normal. As you board the train, you can see engineers and other workers rushing around preparing the train for departure. As the whistle blows signaling the train will be leaving the station soon, you hurry toward your seat and place your baggage above you on the rack. You then settle into your seat, ready for what you assume will be a standard trip on the train. Little do you know, this train will never make it to its final stop.
 
An hour or so passes on the train, and everything seems normal. People talk in hushed tones around you, keeping mostly to themselves. The conductor, having collected all the tickets, returns from the back of the train, heading toward the front. As you watch him walk past, you wonder what he does during the trip and admire his fancy hat, but soon return to the book you brought with you. More time passes, and you hear the train whistle blow loudly as the train pulls into the station. Seeing that this is the station at Collins, you return to your book, not paying much attention to those boarding and disembarking. Your eyes grow heavy, and soon you fall asleep as the train pulls out of the station.
 
The train lets out an ear-piercing whistle, jarring you awake. You look out the window, and are surprised to see that the train is not near a station at all. Another shrill whistle sounds, and it fills you with a sense of urgency. You try to lean as close to the window as you can to get a glimpse of what is ahead, but you cannot see anything. A third whistle sounds: now other people on the train are starting to talk. Everyone can feel something in the air, but no one knows what exactly it is. A fourth whistle, even more urgent sounding than the third, and suddenly you are thrown from your seat as the sound of metal crashing into metal fills the air. Chaos ensues as people are flung about the train. Your head pounds, and as you put your hand to your temple you feel a hot, sticky liquid and pull your hand back to see your fingers coated in red. The conductor, his clothes a mess and without his hat, comes back through the train, asking people to quickly and quietly leave the train. You do as he asks, and as you move down the train you seem some people following his advice, while others sit eerily still. Once off the train and a fair distance away, you look and it finally dawns upon you that you have just survived a horrible train wreck, one in which some people will not be leaving alive.
 
Although this may not have been exactly how it happened, a train wreck did occur on August 6, 1902 between Collins and Rhodes Iowa. As you can see in the picture, the locomotive is in a bad state, having just run into a work train. Nine people, including an engineer from Perry, died in the crash. Although our records do not state the exact details of the crash, it seems likely that the work train was not supposed to be on the tracks. In reality, only those on the train could have known what truly happened, but who knows, maybe my description is closer than I think!
 
As a reminder, the next Gary Ernest Smith event is on October 13th at the Hotel Pattee from 4:30 – 6:30! This time Adrienne Gennett, the Assistant Curator of Collections and Education at University Museums in ISU will be here! I hope to see you there!

Hello and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog readers!

I wanted to take this time to remind you that tomorrow Pam Jenkins and Gary Ernest Smith will be in Perry, Iowa at the Hotel Pattee! Pam Jenkins will be giving a presentation relating the work of Gary Ernest Smith to small town life at 6:30 P.M. This presentation will also include some pictures from our collection, so it is a good chance to catch a glimpse of what we have here at Hometown Heritage. Afterwards, at 7:30 P.M., Gary Ernest Smith will be leading an Art Walk of the art on display. This is the perfect chance to ask the artist himself any burning questions that you had!

The next night, Friday, September 23, Gary Ernest Smith will be in Ames at the Brunnier Art Museum, where a reception will be held at 7:00 P.M. For those interested in going, Hometown Heritage has chartered a bus to take people to Ames and back. The bus will leave Perry at 5:30 P.M. that day from the Hotel Pattee, and will leave Ames  at 8:30 P.M. for arrival in Perry around 9:30 P.M. There will be soft drink refreshment or water on-board, and local artist Betsy Peterson will be talking about the art of Gary Ernest Smith on the way up. In Ames, the event will feature the Landscapes of Gary Ernest Smith. Some of these paintings are as big as 100 inches across! This bus is FREE of charge! Limited seats are available on the bus however, so be at the Hotel Pattee early to make sure you get a seat!

We hope to see you at both events!

Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog!
 
I am happy to let you know that we have two great events happening next week in connection with the Gary Ernest Smith Exhibition! The first event is on September 22, here in Perry Iowa at the Hotel Pattee. Starting at 6:30 P.M., Pam Jenkins will be here giving a presentation. Pam Jenkins is a Research Professor of Sociology (Emerita) at the University of New Orleans, Permanent Trustee of Hometown Heritage, and Perry native. Her presentation, titled “Growing Up in a Small Town and the Art of Gary Ernest Smith” relates the art you see on display here in Perry to life in small town Iowa. It even uses images from our very own collection, so this is a good chance to get a small taste of what we have here at Hometown Heritage!
 
After Pam Jenkin’s lecture, there will be an Art Walk and Talk starting at 7:30 P.M. We are excited to tell you that none other than Gary Ernest Smith himself will lead this Art Walk! This is a great chance to come and hear the artist himself tell you about his paintings, experiences, and more. We hope to see you there!
 
The next day, September 23, Gary Ernest Smith will be going to Ames to the other half of the Exhibition. The Brunnier Art Museum will be hosting an Artist Reception at 7:00 P.M. that night. Here you can see the landscapes of Gary Ernest Smith. Some of the landscapes are bigger than 100 inches, so it is not something to miss! If you wish to attend, Hometown Heritage has chartered a bus to pick people up here in Perry and take them to Ames at 5:30 P.M. The bus will then return at 8:30 P.M. for arrival in Perry at 9:30 P.M. Light drink refreshments will be available on-board. If you wish to take the bus, please reserve a seat by emailing [email protected] your name and phone number while there are still seats available!
 
We hope to see many of you at these events next week!