Southeast Iowa Today with John Bain podcast

“This is absolutely amazing, way beyond our expectations,” Claudia Bishop told the crowd gathered under the white tent on Sunday afternoon to witness the unveiling of the new Streetscape exhibit at the Wahl Museum inside the Kalona Historical Village.

Bishop, who serves as treasurer of the Historical Society’s Board of Directors, opened the ribbon cutting event to which those responsible for the ideation, research, design, construction, and funding of the exhibit were invited to attend. 

The concept and extensive research for the exhibit were undertaken by the Kalona Historical Board’s Streetscape Committee, headed by Janet Ferry and Marilyn Yoder.  The exhibit was constructed by Miller Builders, Kalona, and fabricated by Edwards Creative, Quad Cities. 

“There are six interconnected exhibits,” board president Martha Ann Crawford informed the group in her address.  “The Native American and first pioneer communities, the history of the railroad, remember Kalona the bull, Kalona High School, changes in transportation and communication, and the history of the business community from 1880 to the 1940’s.  Also, we have the civic organizations shown.”

“We can’t wait for you to all see the fruits of your generosity,” Kalona’s city administrator, Ryan Schlabaugh, told the group.  “The journey to establish the Streetscape exhibit in the Wahl Museum has been a labor of love, fueled by the passion and dedication of countless individuals, individuals who hold memories of Kalona close to their hearts and share in the common goal of preserving and showcasing our rich heritage for generations to come.”

“The Streetscape exhibit, which you’re about to explore, stands as a tribute to the pioneers who built this town from the ground up, the generations who worked tirelessly to carve out a business to benefit the community and support their families, along with the visionaries who shaped our community into what it is today,” he continued.

“None of this Village, Wahl Museum, Depot, and specifically today, the Streetscape exhibit, would have been possible without the support and generosity of our community and specifically those in attendance today, through generous donations, grants, sweat equity, [and] volunteerism,” Schlabaugh said. “All of those things came in to make this great and thank you for your piece in that puzzle.”

The Streetscape exhibit highlights four families who donated land to establish Kalona: Samuel Mannett, John Meyers, Mose P. Miller, and Capt. Philip E. Shaver.  Other families are acknowledged in the exhibit, including that of EJ Hesselschwerdt, who ran a general store.  The descendants of these founding families traveled from states including Texas, Missouri, Oregon, and Wisconsin to attend the ribbon cutting.

The mayor of Kalona, Mark Robe, cut the ribbon on the new exhibit, and attendees went inside to view it for the first time.  The streets of Kalona circa over a century ago came to life with people, who entered the shops, peered into businesses, and caught site of a mouse in the lumberyard. 

A whole new world – the old world – opened to them.