People’s Choice Voting

In the late 1960s a group of citizens partnered with the Kinney Lindstrom Foundation to build a museum to display and build on a community collection of North Iowa artifacts. That collection and one building has grown to two additions to the building, four historical buildings and two additional buildings for display of agricultural implements.

Opening our doors and connecting even farther into the community the museum is taking outreach out to civic groups, assisted living and LifeLong Learning. We have received a generous donation of picnic tables and benches to continue to make the museum experience welcoming for school groups, adult day care field trips, assisted living outings and civic groups.

Local professionals demonstrate the antique printing presses, agriculture implements, blacksmithing, apple cider pressing and the roller rink calliope. Professionals and collecting enthusiasts assist with our tractor ride, tractor and car show, apple cider day and “Meet our History.”

And did you know that John Kopecky started the North Iowa Band Festival? We can connect you to that too!

Matthew Edel was an extraordinary small-town blacksmith. He was inventive in creating machines and tools; he was ingenious in setting up his shop to operate efficiently; he was a businessman who made a living adequate to support his large family, and he was also an artist who designed beautiful iron cemetery crosses. The shop shows the family’s talents as farriers, wheelwrights, farm-implement maintainers, and automobile mechanics. Today it’s rare to find such a complete and original shop open to visitors, kept just as Matthew Edel left it before he died. See his tools, inventions, and hear stories about blacksmithing in the age before tractors and automobiles. In addition to the shop, visitors can also see the automobile garage, the Edel family house, and a summer kitchen.

A new series of interpretive panels take a deeper dive into Matthew Edel and his work, immigration to Iowa, and Iowa life in the 1920’s and 1930’s.

Originally from Connecticut, in 1853 Larrabee came west to follow opportunity and settled in Clermont. Showing an aptitude for business, he eventually became one of Iowa’s largest landowners. A career in politics followed, and he served as a state senator for 18 years. He was elected twice as governor, serving from 1886 to 1890 and was the first governor to occupy the newly-built State House in Des Moines.

Built in 1874, Montauk reflects the wealth and lofty status of its occupants. The Larrabee family traveled widely and decorated their home with souvenirs from around the world. Visitors will see Tiffany lamps, Wedgewood china, Italian statues, Swiss music boxes, a large collection of paintings, and thousands of books. The property was also a working farm with barns, farm animals, an orchard, and grain fields.

Music was important to the Larrabee family, and this is reflected in the site’s programming. The “Music at Montauk” series and Winter concerts in the parlor showcase local and regional artists and bring the house alive. Likewise, the historic Kimball pipe organ at Montauk’s Union Sunday School building is the focus of an organ concert series. In later parts of the year, Montauk plays host to a Fall Festival and a Holiday open house.