History lessons lurk at Plymouth fair
By Judy Bowman Journal correspondent | Posted: Sunday, July 27, 2008
LE MARS, Iowa -- Although the Pioneer Village at the Plymouth County Fair in LeMars is known for everything from cream puffs to root beer floats and blooming onions, the village is also a big draw for history lovers.
From the massive Round Barn to the tiny Blair House which serves as 4-H headquarters, the village is one of the places to be at the fair.
Some of the historic buildings in the village are open in the morning as shopkeepers push their sweet fare. All, including the Blair House, are open by noon and remain open until 10 p.m.
The Blair House, located on the east side of the village next to the chapel, dates to the 1870s and carries the historic name of railroad tycoon John I. Blair. Just in time for the 2008 fair, the Blair House received a significant upgrade, including a new front porch and the return of some original spindles for the porch.
For the first time, the Blair House is handicapped accessible.
Karen Harrington, president of the 4-H promotion and recruitment subcommittee, said she is thrilled with the new porch, made possible by Boy Scout Matt Klein who adopted the Blair House porch for his Eagle Scout project. Also helping were fellow scouts and volunteer Gary Ellensohn.
Harrington grew up in the Plymouth Peppers and Merrill Blue Ribbon 4-H clubs showing sheep and hogs, along with other 4-H projects. For this year's fair, she lined up the featured exhibit in the dining room of the Blair House, a display provided by the Plymouth County Historical Museum in Le Mars.
The museum’s registrar, Tom Munson of Sioux City, chose various hands-on artifacts from the museum’s collection. Included are a Le Mars High School band hat from the 1960s, the building permit for Foster Park, a Hentges Clothing Co. brush, a two-foot hatchet that Harrington said may have been used to cut off the heads of chickens, an unidentified photo and other items.
Always the hub of information, Blair House offers the sale of 4-H T-shirts and cookbooks. This year's featured clubs with displays in the bedroom of Blair House are the Classy Clovers and the Fredonia Country Club.
Visitors to the Blair House step into the past in the kitchen which features an old-fashioned cook stove, cob box and homemade soap.
Blair House joined the historic lineup in Pioneer Village in 1976, a donation by the Wells' brothers and became the 4-H headquarters in 1988. It was originally located at 115 First Ave. SE in Le Mars and was the home of John I. Blair, owner of the Iowa Falls and Sioux City Railroad.
According to the late Le Mars historian Dr. Art Larson, Blair was considered "the railroad king of Iowa."
From the massive Round Barn to the tiny Blair House which serves as 4-H headquarters, the village is one of the places to be at the fair.
Some of the historic buildings in the village are open in the morning as shopkeepers push their sweet fare. All, including the Blair House, are open by noon and remain open until 10 p.m.
The Blair House, located on the east side of the village next to the chapel, dates to the 1870s and carries the historic name of railroad tycoon John I. Blair. Just in time for the 2008 fair, the Blair House received a significant upgrade, including a new front porch and the return of some original spindles for the porch.
For the first time, the Blair House is handicapped accessible.
Karen Harrington, president of the 4-H promotion and recruitment subcommittee, said she is thrilled with the new porch, made possible by Boy Scout Matt Klein who adopted the Blair House porch for his Eagle Scout project. Also helping were fellow scouts and volunteer Gary Ellensohn.
Harrington grew up in the Plymouth Peppers and Merrill Blue Ribbon 4-H clubs showing sheep and hogs, along with other 4-H projects. For this year's fair, she lined up the featured exhibit in the dining room of the Blair House, a display provided by the Plymouth County Historical Museum in Le Mars.
The museum’s registrar, Tom Munson of Sioux City, chose various hands-on artifacts from the museum’s collection. Included are a Le Mars High School band hat from the 1960s, the building permit for Foster Park, a Hentges Clothing Co. brush, a two-foot hatchet that Harrington said may have been used to cut off the heads of chickens, an unidentified photo and other items.
Always the hub of information, Blair House offers the sale of 4-H T-shirts and cookbooks. This year's featured clubs with displays in the bedroom of Blair House are the Classy Clovers and the Fredonia Country Club.
Visitors to the Blair House step into the past in the kitchen which features an old-fashioned cook stove, cob box and homemade soap.
Blair House joined the historic lineup in Pioneer Village in 1976, a donation by the Wells' brothers and became the 4-H headquarters in 1988. It was originally located at 115 First Ave. SE in Le Mars and was the home of John I. Blair, owner of the Iowa Falls and Sioux City Railroad.
According to the late Le Mars historian Dr. Art Larson, Blair was considered "the railroad king of Iowa."
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
