Northeast Iowa–Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) has awarded
$58,500 in grants to help sites, communities and organizations tell the story of American
agriculture in northeastern Iowa. With $125,057 in requests, SSNHA will make grants to
the following recipients for the 2010 SSNHA General Grant Program:
Grout Museum District, Waterloo, $8,500
Collect the oral history of Iowa farmers through videotaped interviews.
Heartland Acres Agribition Center, Independence, $987
Create a new website that will feature up to-date technology for use as an
interpretive and marketing tool.
James & Meryl Hearst Center for the Arts, Cedar Falls, $7,228
Help visitors to engage with James Hearst’s agriculturally inspired poetry by
developing audio tours, poetry plinths and a multimedia computer kiosk.
Johnson County Historical Society, Coralville, $7,190
Construct an exhibit exploring the changes in agriculture in the mid-twentieth
century from the perspective of the farm families during that time.
Kansas Public Telecommunications Services, Wichita, KS, $8,886
Film two historical documentary films titled “Lost Nation: The Ioway 2 & 3,” that
depict the story of the Ioway tribe from the hardships of reservation life to
successful land claims in the 1970s.
Linn County Historical Society/History Center, Cedar Rapids, $5,325
Develop an exhibit titled “Corn County” that discusses corn growing and
processing in Linn County.
Living History Farms, Urbandale, $2,500
Replace and add interpretive signage to effectively tell their agricultural story.
Mitchell County Historic Preservation Commission, Osage, $808
Place interpretive sign in front of the Community Church of David about the
town’s history.
National 19th Amendment Society, Charles City, $5,870
Purchase a multi-touch table to supplement and build upon the original content of
their center.
National Farm Toy Museum, Dyersville, $4,000
Develop an exhibit that displays the extensive history of the AGCO Corporation
through farm toys.
Ushers Ferry Historic Village, Cedar Rapids, $1,946
Replace the roof of the 1895 Schulze Cottage as part of restorations for
interpretation and year-round use.
Waterloo Convention & Visitors Bureau, Waterloo, $7,000
Develop a walking tour of John Deere tractors with signs interpreting the history
of Waterloo as it relates to the era of each tractor.
“We’re really pleased with the number and quality of applications this year. Twelve
projects telling the stories of our agricultural heritage were awarded funding, and all had
important stories to tell,” reported Don Short, SSNHA President.
Projects funded through the SSNHA General Grant Program must provide a 1-1 nonfederal
match to the grant award. Since the program began in 2001, Silos &
Smokestacks has funded over $1.4 million to non-profit organizations, local
governments and communities in Northeast Iowa to preserve America’s agricultural
heritage.
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area is one of 49 federally designated heritage
areas in the nation and is an Affiliated Area of the National Park Service. The Heritage
Area covers 37 counties in the northeast quadrant of Iowa. Interstate 80 borders it on
the south and Interstate 35 borders it on the west. Through a network of sites, programs
and events, SSNHA interprets farm life, agribusiness and rural communities – past and
present. To learn more about Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, please visit
www.silosandsmokestacks.org.
Topics: Press Releases
Related Attractions:
Ushers Ferry Historic Village
5925 Seminole Valley Trl NE
Cedar Rapids, IA
319-286-5763
Johnson County Historical Society Museum
860 Quarry Rd.
Coralville, IA
(319) 351-5738
Heartland Acres Agribition Center
2600 Swan Lake Blvd.
Independence, IA
319-332-0123
