Blog Posts

The Mechanical Marvel

3/22/2017

Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!

This morning I was watching the television while eating my breakfast, as I always do, and a segment came on about a new prototype car that was recently finished. This car, called the Hum-X for those interested, was special in that it could employ hydraulics to raise itself into the air and pass over other cars in traffic. This got me thinking about that today cars are everywhere and, aside from new ones like this, are no longer that amazing to us. However, this was not always the case.

Look at the slide show below. As you can see, they are all pictures of people standing next to various cars. “What is so special about that” you might ask. That, my dear readers, is exactly my point. Today, we all take cars for granted and understand (generally) how they work. However, imagine just for a moment that you were living back in the late 1800s and early 1900s with these people. You are used to getting around via horseback or walking, and suddenly this metal mechanical marvel (or devil, depending on whom you ask) appears. It goes just as fast as any horse you have ever known and it never gets tired! Also buying one costs probably the same amount as a small house, yet somehow your father managed to bring one home. What else would you do but take a picture to mark this momentous occasion! Everyone will want to be able to remember the day your family first got its very own Model T. Yet, compared to today, no one seems to be as excited about his or her first car. Sure, teenagers get excited when their parents present them with the keys, but it is not the same kind of excitement as it was in the 1900s. Back then, it was something to parade about the whole town, showing all your friends and neighbors how lucky and wealthy your family is. Today it is something everyone simply expects to happen. Who knows, maybe in the future we will react to new invention as people in the 1900s did (fingers crossed for flying cars!).

Do you remember your first car? Did you and your family all take pictures around it to mark the occasion? Let us know in the comments, and come back next week for another Hometown Heritage blog!

Racing to the Fire?

3/15/2017

Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog!

Red fire trucks are a common sight nowadays. There is at least one in every town, or at least close enough to be at an emergency in minutes. They race to fire and accidents, speeding along to get to those in need as quickly as possible. However, did you know it was not always as easy for firefighters to get to emergency quickly?

Look at the picture included with this post. From the looks of it, it is just a bunch of men pulling a cart. However, this is not just any cart and these men are not just any men! You probably cannot tell from the picture alone, but this picture was taken at the Fireman’s Convention of 1912. All of the men that you can see with the cart are the firefighters at the time. “But why are they pulling that cart?” you might ask. Well, let me tell you! This cart was part of standard fire equipment of the time, and was a hand-drawn hose cart. Whenever there was a fire, the firefighters would drag this cart through the dirt streets of Perry to fight the fire. Imagine how long it would take for them to get anywhere with that cart! I do not know how heavy a firefighting hose is, but I can imagine that pulling them around on a cart would not be easy. Getting to a fire in time to save a building would be quite difficult, and getting to another town would be even worse! At the time of this picture, though, there were not any fires. Instead, as part of the Fireman’s Convention, teams were put together to race the carts as part of a tournament. It does not say in our records, but I hope that the Perry team were the winners!

Do any of you readers remember a time when fire trucks were not a common sight, or when fighting fires was harder than it is today? Let us know in the comments, and join us next week for another Hometown Heritage Blog!

Mascot Madness

3/8/2017

Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!

March Madness is coming up within the week, so I thought that we would have a basketball themed blog post today!

We have many basketball pictures in our collection, but many of them are simple pictures of team line-ups or stills of games in action. Most of them do not offer much interesting things to look at, aside from how uniforms have changed. However, a few pictures have unique aspects to them that cause one to pause. For instance, there is one picture titled “1979 Basketball Cheerleaders”. Similar to the other pictures, you can see in this picture how much the uniforms have changed. This is not, however, what I find most interesting about this picture. The most interesting part of this picture are the two people in the background! One of the two people is dressed as Santa. This is most likely because the photo was taken around Christmas time (at least I hope!), so he is of less interest than the man standing to his left. Looking carefully it would appear that this man is dressed as a giant bird! If I may be so bold, I would assume that this is supposed to be the Mascot, the Perry blue jay. However, to me he looks ridiculous! He barely resembles a bird (only the “beak” and eyes tipped me off) and I highly doubt that anything resembling feathers are anywhere on the costume. It is amazing how much different the costume is from today’s mascot who has feathers and is much more bird like. It makes me wonder if this one is still in storage somewhere! If you know anything more about this mascot costume, let us know in the comments, and join us next week for another blog post!

A Mysterious Track

3/1/2017

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!

Cart Curiosity

2/22/2017

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!

Old School Valentine's

2/15/2017

Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog!

Yesterday was Valentine’s day, so happy late Valentine’s and Discounted Chocolate Day! Speaking of Valentine’s Day, I am sure many of you remember making Valentine’s cards for people in your school while growing up. It was a big day depending on how much candy you got in return. However, did you know that even way back in the 90s? Take a look at the picture here, it is titled “Grant School Denison Club Making Valentines”. Can you guess when this picture was taken? The clothes might be a hint, both of the boys are wearing overalls, and the girls have old-fashioned dresses. Another hint is the board in the background; it is a chalk-board, not a whiteboard! Have you guessed yet? The answer is 1938! It seems amazing that even almost 80 years ago people and kids were already making Valentine’s Day cards. It makes one wonder about when Valentine’s became a monetized holiday! The original reason for Valentine’s Day was in remembrance of Saint Valentine. If you do not know why there is a day for remembrance of him, I suggest you look it up, as it gives quite a different meaning to the holiday.

Anyway, I hope that you readers had a good Valentine’s Day! Did you do anything special to mark the occasion? Let us know in the comments, have a happy Discount Chocolate Day today, and come back next time for more interesting stories and pictures of History from our collection!

The Old School

2/8/2017

Hello and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!

Today I found something interesting about Perry that many of you might not know. If you grew up in Perry, or raised kids here, you know that Perry has many different buildings used as schools. There is the Elementary School near the Recreation Center, St. Pat’s School, and the connected Middle School and High School. However, did you know that there used to be another school building? Before you say something like “of course I did, they only demolished it recently silly”, the old High School that they recently demolished and are turning the grounds into a nursing home is not the school I am referencing. There is actually a second school in Perry that no longer exists!

This second school was demolished in February 1967, so it makes sense that many of you probably do not even know that it existed. Called the “Willard School”, it was built in 1900 at the Northeast corner of Seventh and Lucinda. It was primarily a school for young children, as it did not go past sixth grade. The Willard School was used for school purposes until 1940, when it was then converted to a youth recreation center due to disrepair until its demolishing 27 years later. Unfortunately, this is as far as the story goes in our catalogue. Why was an active school allowed to fall into disrepair? Why did Perry need so many school buildings? Who was Willard and why did he have his own school? These are just some of the questions that plague the mind concerning this school. We do not even know why it was eventually demolished, although it can be assumed that it was due to a continuing state of disrepair. If any of you readers have any more information on the Willard School, we would love to hear it! Adding new information to our records is always welcome and ensures future generations will be able to learn about the town they live in, so do not be afraid to leave a comment with your thoughts or extra facts!

A Wool's Worth of Fire

2/1/2017

Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog!

                Today I have a story for you about one of many fires that have happened in Perry’s history. The 72nd anniversary of this fire is actually coming up on February 12, so I thought it would be an interesting time to revisit the event!

                This fire is called the “Woolworth Store Fire”, and it left a big mark on the Perry landscape. As you may have guessed from the name, the fire happened at the Woolworth Store. Although we have a decent number of pictures of this store, none of them mentioned what the store sold. My best guess, based on the pictures, was that it was some kind of general department store, similar to the old store Sears. In any case, a fire mysteriously broke out on February 12, 1945. The entire building, named the Carter Block, was burned. The Woolworth Store, along with all its contents, were destroyed and the loss is estimated at between $150,000 - $200,000! Our catalog has no mention of what caused this devastating fire. Perhaps someone in the store dropped a lit cigarette, and it sparked a blaze, or perhaps an angry costumer snuck in at the dead of night to get revenge? We may never know, unless one of you, readers, has more details for us.

                As I said, however, this fire left a big mark on the Perry landscape. Perhaps you can tell where the building used to be from the before and after pictures belong! Let me give you a hint, currently the El Rey market stands where this building once stood. Although it is unclear if the entire building was burnt to the ground in the fire, it is clear that the new (or rebuilt) building never had a second floor. Imagine this: if this fire had not happened, there would be a much bigger building on the corner of Second and Willis. The new Woolworth store, which it appears the El Rey now occupies, opened in 1948, just a few years after the fire. Clearly, despite the change in the landscape and loss of inventory, the citizens of Perry and owner of Woolworth continued forward and rebuilt.

Before

The Fire

After

Volunteer Opportunity

1/25/2017

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!

Carnegie Secrets

1/18/2017

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!