Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District
The Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District boasts a large six-stall railroad roundhouse with a working turntable, red brick shop buildings, arrangement of tracks and smaller shop buildings. The site reflects the role railroads played in the development of early Sioux City. Known as the Milwaukee Roundhouse, the site is home to the museum development of the Siouxland Historical Railroad Association which offers visitors a look at local railroad history.
Among the displays are old railroad lanterns, a conductor's uniform worn during the final run of a passenger train through Sioux City, several other conductor uniforms, antique Lionell trains, photos, a reproduction of a telegrapher's office and many other items. A large model railroad delights young visitors as well as old and a smaller model is currently under construction. A large library of back issues of Model Railroader magazine is available for reference.
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The Siouxland Historical Railroad Association was formed to restore Engine 1355, a Great Northern Railroad engine built in 1909 and donated to the city of Sioux City in 1955. The steam engine was on display near Sioux City Municipal Auditorium for 29 years before being turned over to the association for restoration.
The engine is currently at the museum site. Visitors can also view a former Marine Corps diesel locomotive as well as several cabooses and passenger cars.
During its heyday, the roundhouse complex employed over 500 people and on a daily average took care of 35 steam locomotives. The roundhouse played a pivotal role in the Milwaukee Railroad's expansion into the Dakotas and Pacific Northwest.
The roundhouse museum is located along Highway 12 near Military Road where the association is restoring the site.
The museum is open on Saturdays, weather permitting, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It is operated by volunteers. For information, call (712) 276-6432.
Sioux City Public Museum
Housed in the historic 1893 Peirce Mansion, the Sioux City Public Museum at 2901 Jackson St. features regional history exhibits including natural history, Native American life, pioneer life, and the early days of Sioux City. A new addition to the Museum is an exhibit focusing on the times of John Peirce who built the architectural treasure during the city's boom era. The exhibit highlights the economic, educational, recreational, and social life of people living in Sioux City from 1868 to 1893. This period represents the transition of Sioux City from a river town to a prosperous city before the national depression of 1893.
One of the largest collections of Native American artifacts in the area is housed in the Museum. Many of the articles of clothing and other selections feature early use of quillwork as decoration and later use of beadwork for ornamentation. The works of many of the Plains and Woodlands tribes of this area are represented.
A "hands-on" log cabin along with artifacts from early settlers tell the story of the region's pioneer past. Natural history exhibits feature fossils, minerals, and specimens of native birds and animals.
Youth and adult educational programming, walking tours, and rotating exhibitions provide a wide range of activities available throughout the year. The Museum Store offers a wide variety of books of regional interest as well as unique gift items.
The Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Closed holidays. Admission is free. For information, call (712) 279-6174. www.siouxcitymuseum.org
Historic Yankton
Yankton, South Dakota has a rich historical heritage beginning with 1804 when Lewis and Clark spent the winter near the confluence of the James and Missouri rivers a short distance east of town. Yankton was also the site of a large Yankton Sioux Indian encampment. In 1858 early pioneers chose the site as a location for a new settlement, largely because of the possibility of a steamboat landing on the Missouri River.
Today visitors can take architectural walking and auto tours of this historic city and get a glimpse of some of the city's past.
Historic downtown Yankton is listed in the National Registry of Historic Sites. The buildings represent many different decades but predominately the 1880s. There are also many historic homes.
The Yankton Daily Press and Dakotan is the oldest daily newpaper in South Dakota. It was the first in Dakota Territory and was founded as a weekly in 1861, becoming a daily in 1875.
Yankton College was founded, becoming the first institution of higher learning in Dakota Territory.
The infamous Jack McCall, the man who on Aug. 2, 1876 shot and killed "Wild Bill" Hickock in Deadwood, Dakota Territory (South Dakota) was placed on trial in Yankton, convicted and hung in 1877 two miles north of town. He was buried in an unmarked grave in a Yankton cemetery.
A brochure describing the tours and location all of the sites is available from the Yankton Chamber of Commerce.
O'Connor House Museum Complex
A 14-room mansion built by Capt. Cornelius O'Connor is the centerpiece of the O'Connor House Museum Complex located two miles east of Homer, Nebraska.
Construction was started in 1865 and completed in 1875. The home was one of the most luxurious in the area at the time. Built literally on a rock, stone slabs were shaved and fitted together to form the foundation. The home itself is constructed of brick which was brought here from Omaha and is double and sometimes triple in construction. All the wood for the woodwork was taken from walnut trees growing from behind the house. Capt. O'Connor was a carpenter and built all of the woodwork in the house, including a curving staircase and built-in walnut sideboard in the dining room.
The large marble fireplace in the parlor was imported from Italy and the mirror above the fireplace was brought from New York when the family came here in the 1850s. There are eight bedrooms upstairs. All eight have a chimney with a circular opening for air-tight heaters.
Also on the grounds is the Combs School which was erected in 1857 at Omadi. The school was moved to another property when the river began to erode the town and was later moved to its present location in May of 1976. This is the oldest school building in Dakota County. Each May some 300 pupils and their teachers hold a day of school so students can see what school was like in pioneer times.
A short distance west of Combs School is the Museum-Machinery Building which houses a large collection of machinery and yester-year tools. There are also several displays of office equipment including a reproduction of an early dentist's office.
Among the machinery exhibits are an 1880 Wheat, Oats and Barley Reaper, an 1882 Milwaukee small grain binder, and an 1880 Corn Planter.
The complex, managed by the Dakota County Historical Society, is open from 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays during the months of June, July and August. For appointment, call (402) 698-2288.
Sanford Museum and Planetarium
Northwestern Iowa and the Great Plains are the focus of archaeological, geological, historical, zoological and art exhibits at the Sanford Museum and Planetarium. The museum is located one half block east of U.S. 59 at 117 E. Willow St., in Cherokee, Iowa.
Planetarium demonstrations are given at 2 p.m. the last Sunday of the month or by appointment 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. It is closed on major holidays. Admission is free. For more information, call (712) 225-3922.
RockNRoll Music Museum
The Iowa RockNRoll Music Museum, is owned and operated by the Iowa RockNRoll Music Association (IRRMA). It is located in Arnolds Park on Lake St. next door to the amusement park.
The over 360 artifacts on display include a 1966 Wurlitzer jukebox, a 1940's wire recorder, the gold record of "Peter Rabbit" by Dee Jay & the Runaways, Paul Revere & the Raiders' VOX keyboard, a napkin signed by all the original Crickets including Buddy Holly, costumes worn by the hottest Iowa bands in the 50's, 60's and 70's and much, much more.
One of the favorite exhibits is the old IGL Recording Studio with its turntables, other recording equipment and extensive record collection.
Large records hang from the ceiling. They are 4-foot replicas of hit recordings by Iowa bands. Each band donated its replica to the museum and they are stunning re-creations on a much larger scale from their original 45's size. Albums, 45s, posters, pictures and framed memorabilia including band contracts abound throughout the display area.
A section of the museum is devoted to the ballrooms and the big bands that built them. One goal of the museum's board of directors is to have at least one poster and picture of each of the over 200 Iowa ballrooms on display by the end of the decade.
The Iowa RockNRoll Music Museum is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Sunday from mid-May through mid September.
For more information, see www.iowarocknroll.com or phone (712) 332-6540.
Iowa Great Lakes Museum
The history of boating on the Iowa Great Lakes is the focus of the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum now in a new location in the Okoboji Spirit Center adjacent to the Arnolds Park Amusement Park. Visitors can see restored boats, early photographs and many other displays illustrating local lake history.
The museum is open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. May 21-Sept. 12. For more information and winter hours and special events, call (712) 332-5264.
Historic Fourth Street, Sioux City
The finest examples of late 19th century commercial buildings in Sioux City stand along Historic Fourth Street. Noted for their distinctive Richardsonian Romanesque style, the buildings are found along a two block stretch from Virginia to Iowa streets. There are 15 buildings dating from 1889 to approximately 1915. The National Register of Historic Places lists two of the buildings, the Evans Block and the Boston Block.
A fun way to view this historic area is to take a walking tour. The City of Sioux City offers a brochure which takes visitors through the area. Many of the buildings are retail establishments and welcome visitors. Others are private and not open to the public.
Many of these eary buildings were financed by New England investors. Eight structures were built before 1890 and seven others went up between 1900 and 1920.
The brochure is available at the Sioux City Convention Center's visitor's center or by calling (712) 279-6159.
W.H. Over State Museum
The William H. Over State Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota, memorializes the work of William H. Over, a naturalist of the northern plains from 1913 to 1925.
Going to the museum is a great way to learn more about South Dakota's natural history and heritage because of its exhibits, especially the David and Elizabeth Clark Memorial Collection.
W.H. Over State Museum has a matchless display of pre-reservation and early Lakota reservation art and artifacts.
In addition, they display pioneer artifacts, firearms, and historical costumes and photographs.
A gift shop sells some of these regional arts and crafts.
The museum is located one block east of the Dakota Dome. For more information, call (605) 677-5228.
Union County Museum
Get a taste of yesteryear in Union County, South Dakota at the Union County Museum in Elk Point. Elk Point is of historical interest because the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition made its first Dakota Territory stop in what is now Elk Point. This event is remembered by the memorialized tree located in the Texas Cemetery. The musuem features many items representing Union County's rural past. There are antique wagons and farm implements as well as tools and equipment. Many pioneer items give visitors a glance at how things were when homesteaders first moved on the land.
The museum is located on the business loop of downtown. It is open weekends from 1 to 4 p.m. or by appointment.
Shrine to Music Museum
Vermillion, South Dakota's Shrine to Music Museum is one of the great institutions of its kind in the world because of its rare, antique musical instruments.
The museum has renowned collections that include hand-painted Persian drums, a trumpet mask from the South Pacific, ivory lutes from Elizabethan times, Civil War band instruments and famous Italian stringed instruments.
Other musical fascinations include an 18th-century Swisshouse organ painted in the traditional folk style and one of the only two guitars by Antonio Stradivari known yet to exist. Some of the earliest, best preserved and historically most important instruments known to survive are on display.
The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums and recognized as "A Landmark of American Music" by the National Music Council,
It is located on the campus of the University of South Dakota. For more information, call (605) 677-5306.
Bertrand Museum
The Missouri River took its toll of the early stern- and side-wheeler steamboats. An estimated 275 steamships were sunk or stranded between St. Louis and Fort Benton, Mont. One of them was the steamboat Bertrand. Many of her salvaged artifacts are on display at the Bertrand Museum in the Visitors Center of the DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge near Missouri Valley, Iowa.
The year was 1865 and the mighty steamboat, the Bertrand, powered her way upstream laden with supplies destined for gold miners in what is now the state of Montana. Suddenly she struck a log jam and sank in shallow water on what today is the grounds of the DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge.
The river shifted course many times over the years, burying the hapless boat beneath tons of sand. There, 25 to 30 feet under the protective cover of silt, sand and clay, the Bertrand lay, her stores and provisions preserved intact.
The Bertrand was lost until the late 1960s when Sam Corbino and Jesse Purcell, both of Omaha, located the boat and salvaged her. By the fall of 1969, thousands of artifacts were removed from the hull of the steamer. The boat had been rumored to be carrying large amounts of valuable mercury, but, very little was found.
The artifacts are housed in a climate-controlled atmosphere behind glass partitions. Handicap accessible.
The Visitors Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. all year except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. For more information, call the refuge at (712) 642-4121.
Higgins Museum
Visitors to the Higgins Museum get a look at early banking and the history of bank notes, particularly those issued by Iowa communities during the years of 1863 through 1935.
The notes are displayed alphabetically by county and town. Other displays highlight notes and artifacts of national banks. A 12-minute slide presentation demonstrates the history of bank notes.
The museum is on Sanborn Avenue in Okoboji and is open from 11 a.m. through 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday from mid-May through September.
Admission is free. For more information, call (712) 332-5859.
Gardner Cabin Historic Site
The Gardner Cabin Historic Site is one quarter mile west of U.S. 71 on Monument Drive in Arnolds Park at the Iowa Great Lakes. The cabin was built by Rowland Gardner in 1856. In 1857 a band of Wahpekute Dakota Sioux under the leadership of Inkpadutah killed 34 settlers and abducted several others including 13-year-old Abigail Gardner. Most of the Gardner family was killed in what came to be known as the Spirit Lake Massacre. The carnage was likely reprisal for a series of atrocities committed against Inkpadutah's clan near Sioux City. The restored cabin contains furnishings from the frontier life of the period.
Also on the grounds are a gravesite as well as a monument to the settlers killed during the uprising. A visitor center displays many local artifacts from the frontier life of mid-19th century Iowa, including Abby's collection of Native American artifacts.The cabin is a symbol of one of Iowa's most widely known historical events. The State Historical Society of Iowa owns the Gardner Cabin and Museum. The cabin is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The site is open from noon to 4 p.m. daily and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends from Memorial Day weekend through September. Admission is free. Handicap accessible. For more information or to schedule a group tour, call (712) 332-7248.
War Eagle Park
At War Eagle Park, a steel monument sculpture representing an Indian chief offering a pipe of peace marks the grave of Chief War Eagle, an early friend of the white man in this area. Chief War Eagle died in 1851 and was buried on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. The site contains his grave and the graves of at least nine friends and relatives.
War Eagle was probably born in Wisconsin about 1785 and after moving to the Missouri River territory, he befriended the early European traders including Theophile Bruguier, his future son-in-law, and Sioux City's first white resident. He remained a friend of the white man until his death. One of the great experiences of his life was a trip to Washington D.C. in 1837.
The site overlooks the juncture of the Big Sioux and Missouri rivers.The monument and park are at the end of War Eagle Drive in Sioux City.
Neligh Mill
On the south edge of Neligh, along the waters of the Elkhorn River, stands an example of Nebraska's early settlement years. The mill was constructed in 1873-74. As the mill prospered, flour was shipped throughout the United States and Europe.
The Neligh Mill elevators and warehouse, located adjacent to the Neligh Mill, provided the storage capacity needed for a ready grain market.
Visitors can see the original 1880s milling equipment. The mill office, where the miller supervised the daily grind, has been restored with its original furnishings. The reconstructed flume, penstock and mill dam remains as a visible reminder of waterpower days before electricity.
In celebration of the mill, Neligh celebrates Neligh Old Mill Days every Fourth of July weekend, usually the 2nd through the 4th. Events in the past have included an ice cream social, golf shoot, fishing contest, pedal tractor pull, basketball shooting contest, a parade and much more.
Hours of the mill are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Mondays. Memorial Day through Labor Day. September through May, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed state holidays.
Children with adults go in free as do State Historical Society members and their imediate families. Group rates are available. For information: (402) 887-4303.
Museum of Religious Arts
The Museum of Religious Arts contains the midwest's largest collection of religious artifacts. The museum is nestled on 11.5 acres in Iowa's scenic Loess Hills northeast of Missouri Valley, Iowa.
Among the items the Museum of Religious Arts offers are: The "King of Kings" display which includes incredible life-size wax figures, depicting the life of Christ and his contemporaries, thousands of religious artifacts and examples of almost any imaginable religious article.?
The museum also contains a library of religious books, a theatre showing films and videos about the Holy Land, gospel music groups, spiritual plays, a gift shop containing?thousands of religious books and gifts.
There are also scores of restored statues, a Chapel and restored stained glass windows.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day.
The museum is located 7 Miles Northeast of Missouri Valley, Iowa on Highway 30, Turn Left on 270th St. to 2697 Niagra Trail, Logan, Iowa. For information, phone (712) 644-3888 or visit www.mrarts.org.
Hornick Depot Museum & Caboose
A small group of volunteers has put together the non-profit organization which sponsors the Hornick Depot Museum & Caboose. This is a Milwaukee Road Depot and is on the registry of historical places. The museum is open on Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day. The first Sunday in December is the Christmas Open House from 1 to 4 p.m. If someone is passing through and the depot is not open, they can stop by the Hornick Mart and they will call someone to arrange a tour.
To reach the museum, take the Sloan exit off I-29 and go east 7 miles to Hornick. The museum is visible from the highway.
Calliope Village
Calliope Village is a collection of 14 early homes and stores. The village provides an interesting walking tour of a re-creation of Sioux County's first seat of government. Calliope Village was established in 1860 and existed through 1911.
Among the many things to see are the Law Office and Bank which houses early records, books and artifacts in business in the late 1800s, a replica of the first Sioux County Courthouse containing the original safe, Scott School, the old Hawarden Post Office, the Walton House which displays farm tools and pioneer memorabilia are among the buildings to view.
Other events at Calliope Village include an Old Time Music Jamboree, special displays, Pioneer Acres' Days and weddings at the replica Village Church,
Calliope Village is located in Hawarden, Iowa. It is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. For information or to arrange tours, call (712) 551-2233.
Grand Meadow Heritage Museum
The Grand Meadow Heritage Museum near Washta, Iowa, consists of a nine-acre site where museum items are displayed in a former consolidated school building, a one-room school house, a log cabin, a restored Co-op service station and a barn.
The 27th Annual Grand Meadow Heritage Festival is held here the weekend after Labor Day. Admission is free. Among the activities are horses, oats thrashing, a mule powered sorghum mill, saw mill operation, antique tractor pulling, a Civil War display, vintage car show, petting farm, old time children's games, a one room school in session along with great country food and musical entertainment.
The museum was established 23 years ago by interested people in the community. It has expanded significantly and includes family collections that have been loaned or gifted to the museum.
Museum items are organized in groupings including vintage farm equipment, farm tools, household furnishings, Native American artifacts, natural history, railroad memorabilia, a chapel, musical instruments, toys, school classroom and a general store.
An old-fashioned sleigh ride has become a tradition for families during the Christmas holidays and a theatre production draws a full house during the first two weekends in May.
The museum is open to the public by appointment from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays from June through Oct. 1. Tours are provided to senior citizen groups, grade school classes and other groups by reservation. It is located on Highway L36 between Pierson and Washta, Iowa. For information on Heritage Center activities, call (712) 447-6164.
Plymouth County Historical Museum
Visitors to the Plymouth County Historical Museum in LeMars, Iowa, will see a large variety of displays ranging from old-time farm equipment to a collection of Plymouth County literature and historical objects.
The museum also contains a large musical instrument collection donated by Carol Parkinson who led the founding of the Plymouth County Historical Museum Association in 1965.
Genealogy researchers are encouraged to use the library of early books and make special arrangements to use the Genealogy Room with its many files and volumes.
The newest room is "Miller's Lunch" a reconstructed reproduction of a restaurant in LeMars 50 years ago.
The museum is located at 335 First Ave., SW. and has twenty rooms in addition to a front office.
The museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. daily except Mondays and some holidays. Admission is free. For information, call (712) 546-7002.
