Clay County Fairgrounds new home to authentic log cabin
By Cheryl Hessenius, Journal correspondent | Posted: Saturday, September 06, 2003
Karess Knudtson, Dan Heissel, Mike Skonhovd and Tim Small put the finishing touches on the Sundholm Environmental Education Center which premieres today on opening day at the Clay County Fair in Spencer. The 1950s-era cabin is a gift from the family of Ed and Agnes Sundholm of Albert City, Iowa. (Photo by Cheryl Hessenius)
SPENCER, Iowa -- Visitors to the Clay County Fair will see an authentic log cabin, moved 18 days ago from its original site on the Ed and Agnes Sundholm farm near Albert City, Iowa, to its permanent relocation on the west side of the Clay County Fairgrounds.
The newly named Sundholm Environmental Education Center welcomes guests to the 86th annual fall classic that opens today and runs through Sept. 14.
Given to the Clay County Fair Association by the Sundholm family in memory of their grandparents, the cabin left Albert City Aug. 19, moved by Berghorst and Son Movers Inc. of Hull, Iowa. The sturdy 36-foot by 30-foot structure with cut-rock fireplace survived the 35-mile trek intact and was set on a poured concrete basement the next day, commencing a flurry of activity.
Conservation District No. 3 workers (stretching from Lyon to Pocahontas counties), the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Clay County Fair employees and numerous volunteers labored non-stop. They ran new electrical wiring, installed glass block basement windows, restored luster to the cabin's wood parquet floors and painted a fresh coat of exterior stain, carefully protecting its vintage copper rain gutters.
Dan Heissel, Clay County Conservation Board executive director, and his 10-member crew including Karess Knudtson, naturalist; Kevin Maassen, chief ranger; and Mike Skonhovd, ranger, are credited with the effort.
"Without my staff, none of this would have happened," Heissel says of an initial connection sparked nearly three years ago by Jeff Kestel, coordinator of Iowa Lakes Resource Conservation and Development, a nonprofit agency that provides assistance to grassroots natural resources, economic and human development projects.
"My staff has worked day and night the last three weeks to get the cabin ready," Heissel says.
Perhaps a reflection of the cast-iron icon nailed to the front door, Ed Sundholm was a prospector of sorts. Upon returning from an African safari as part of an around-the-world tour in 1953 with his wife and daughter, Sundholm wanted a place to display wildlife mounts conquered during the adventure. He hired four Finlanders to build the future environmental classroom and documented their progress
The group chased all over northern Minnesota to find massive yellow pines to form walls, ceiling and open support beams. Unlike wooden dowels usually used in log construction, the building is held together with 12-inch galvanized spikes. The job was completed in four weeks.
Joni Harig of Spencer, one of five Sundholm grandchildren, says her grandfather was as eccentric as they come and an entrepreneur.
"I always say I'm the luckiest one of the grandchildren because I only lived 12 and a half miles away from my grandpa in Laurens," Harig says. "I spent three to eight weeks with him each summer as a child. He traveled to England and Scotland. One December he took me on the train from Newell to Chicago and we went to Marshall Fields. I saw the biggest Christmas tree ever. I'll never forget it.
"Did he have a few nickels? Yes," Harig added, chuckling.
Sundholm made his fortune when he had several inventions patented. He started a grease gun factory in Albert City before World War II which was later moved to Spencer. During the war, he contracted with the U.S. government to manufacture munitions on the site where the cabin was built the following decade.
Harig recalls reunions, movie nights and holiday parties in the cabin which dovetails the Clay County Fair's 2003 theme, "Building on a Family Tradition."
"I bet almost every first- through fourth-grade class from the late 1950s to late 1970s remembers going to the cabin," Harig says. "There were always groups from Albert City-Truesdale, Laurens and Newell going through."
Before Sundholm died in 1988, he wished to donate the cabin to the Albert City Historical Society. In return, he asked local recipients to move it, fill the hole left behind and reseed the plot. When the historical society was unable to facilitate the move, the family offered it to Buena Vista County a few years ago, another unsuccessful attempt.
"We didn't want the cabin to deteriorate into nothing," Harig says, "And Grandpa wanted it associated with nature and education."
Clay County came through. Iowa's Department of Natural Resources provided $20,000 from federal education sources and a civil penalty from livestock producer fish kill restitution funds. The Clay County Fair Association chipped in additional funds. District county conservation boards provided labor.
Knudtson says a whole slate of working environmental exhibits are on tap at the cabin site during the fair.
"Conservationists from Iowa's 16 District No. 3 counties will present programs each day at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in a gazebo (compliments of ACE Hardware) outside the cabin," she says. Topics include swans, dragonflies, American Indian artifacts, bats, monarch butterflies, bees, wild edibles and medicinals.
Fairgoers may visit IDNR representatives from Environmental Services, Law Enforcement and Fisheries and Wildlife who are on hand.
Knudtson says to be sure to look for the self-guided interpretive recycling center west of the cabin. The semitrailer teaches the three "Rs" of conservation -- reduce, reuse and recycle.
"We have several hands-on attractions," she adds. "There's the watershed display, a solar energy water fountain and a GIS (geographic information systems) map printing station."
Knudtson says a wetland, pond, waterfall and creek, complete with buffer strips, will eventually enhance the building's surroundings. A butterfly garden, flower bed, woodland and prairie reconstruction will complete the area she designed. Plans are to install heating and air conditioning to enable year-around use.
"Next year, we will move a second cabin in," Knudtson says of a less elaborate, log 10-foot by 20-foot former bird sanctuary on the Sundholm farm.
Harig is excited to see the indoor photo library Knudtson has coordinated, documenting the cabin project from start to finish.
"I really like what they've done so far and it will be awesome when they get the wetland," Harig says. "I can't wait to walk inside. That's where the memories are."
The newly named Sundholm Environmental Education Center welcomes guests to the 86th annual fall classic that opens today and runs through Sept. 14.
Given to the Clay County Fair Association by the Sundholm family in memory of their grandparents, the cabin left Albert City Aug. 19, moved by Berghorst and Son Movers Inc. of Hull, Iowa. The sturdy 36-foot by 30-foot structure with cut-rock fireplace survived the 35-mile trek intact and was set on a poured concrete basement the next day, commencing a flurry of activity.
Conservation District No. 3 workers (stretching from Lyon to Pocahontas counties), the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Clay County Fair employees and numerous volunteers labored non-stop. They ran new electrical wiring, installed glass block basement windows, restored luster to the cabin's wood parquet floors and painted a fresh coat of exterior stain, carefully protecting its vintage copper rain gutters.
Dan Heissel, Clay County Conservation Board executive director, and his 10-member crew including Karess Knudtson, naturalist; Kevin Maassen, chief ranger; and Mike Skonhovd, ranger, are credited with the effort.
"Without my staff, none of this would have happened," Heissel says of an initial connection sparked nearly three years ago by Jeff Kestel, coordinator of Iowa Lakes Resource Conservation and Development, a nonprofit agency that provides assistance to grassroots natural resources, economic and human development projects.
"My staff has worked day and night the last three weeks to get the cabin ready," Heissel says.
Perhaps a reflection of the cast-iron icon nailed to the front door, Ed Sundholm was a prospector of sorts. Upon returning from an African safari as part of an around-the-world tour in 1953 with his wife and daughter, Sundholm wanted a place to display wildlife mounts conquered during the adventure. He hired four Finlanders to build the future environmental classroom and documented their progress
The group chased all over northern Minnesota to find massive yellow pines to form walls, ceiling and open support beams. Unlike wooden dowels usually used in log construction, the building is held together with 12-inch galvanized spikes. The job was completed in four weeks.
Joni Harig of Spencer, one of five Sundholm grandchildren, says her grandfather was as eccentric as they come and an entrepreneur.
"I always say I'm the luckiest one of the grandchildren because I only lived 12 and a half miles away from my grandpa in Laurens," Harig says. "I spent three to eight weeks with him each summer as a child. He traveled to England and Scotland. One December he took me on the train from Newell to Chicago and we went to Marshall Fields. I saw the biggest Christmas tree ever. I'll never forget it.
"Did he have a few nickels? Yes," Harig added, chuckling.
Sundholm made his fortune when he had several inventions patented. He started a grease gun factory in Albert City before World War II which was later moved to Spencer. During the war, he contracted with the U.S. government to manufacture munitions on the site where the cabin was built the following decade.
Harig recalls reunions, movie nights and holiday parties in the cabin which dovetails the Clay County Fair's 2003 theme, "Building on a Family Tradition."
"I bet almost every first- through fourth-grade class from the late 1950s to late 1970s remembers going to the cabin," Harig says. "There were always groups from Albert City-Truesdale, Laurens and Newell going through."
Before Sundholm died in 1988, he wished to donate the cabin to the Albert City Historical Society. In return, he asked local recipients to move it, fill the hole left behind and reseed the plot. When the historical society was unable to facilitate the move, the family offered it to Buena Vista County a few years ago, another unsuccessful attempt.
"We didn't want the cabin to deteriorate into nothing," Harig says, "And Grandpa wanted it associated with nature and education."
Clay County came through. Iowa's Department of Natural Resources provided $20,000 from federal education sources and a civil penalty from livestock producer fish kill restitution funds. The Clay County Fair Association chipped in additional funds. District county conservation boards provided labor.
Knudtson says a whole slate of working environmental exhibits are on tap at the cabin site during the fair.
"Conservationists from Iowa's 16 District No. 3 counties will present programs each day at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in a gazebo (compliments of ACE Hardware) outside the cabin," she says. Topics include swans, dragonflies, American Indian artifacts, bats, monarch butterflies, bees, wild edibles and medicinals.
Fairgoers may visit IDNR representatives from Environmental Services, Law Enforcement and Fisheries and Wildlife who are on hand.
Knudtson says to be sure to look for the self-guided interpretive recycling center west of the cabin. The semitrailer teaches the three "Rs" of conservation -- reduce, reuse and recycle.
"We have several hands-on attractions," she adds. "There's the watershed display, a solar energy water fountain and a GIS (geographic information systems) map printing station."
Knudtson says a wetland, pond, waterfall and creek, complete with buffer strips, will eventually enhance the building's surroundings. A butterfly garden, flower bed, woodland and prairie reconstruction will complete the area she designed. Plans are to install heating and air conditioning to enable year-around use.
"Next year, we will move a second cabin in," Knudtson says of a less elaborate, log 10-foot by 20-foot former bird sanctuary on the Sundholm farm.
Harig is excited to see the indoor photo library Knudtson has coordinated, documenting the cabin project from start to finish.
"I really like what they've done so far and it will be awesome when they get the wetland," Harig says. "I can't wait to walk inside. That's where the memories are."
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
