June Newsletter - Ankeny Area Historical Society

June 2008 Newsletter
301 SW Third, PO Box 1111
Ankeny, IA 50021
Phone: 515-965-5795
www.ankenyhistorical.org email: history@ankenyhistorical.org
Volume 14, Number 2
Ramp Is Completed!
A handsome and functional addition to the
house museum has been completed.
The new handicap ramp was a working project by the Ankeny High School Industrial Arts
class headed by instructor Brian Lehman. Despite snow, rain, wind and more rain . . . the project was done in time for the annual seventh
grade tours – which has many times had wheelchair-bound students that needed the added ability to enter the house.
Eric Sheldahl, Leechman Lumber, funded the
ramp and a Polk County Community Better
Grant from the Polk County Supervisors. Rod
and Dee Lein have made a commitment of an
on-going pledge of annual gift for upkeep of the
century-old house.
Instructor Brian Lehman checks the students work making sure
the railing is level.
Ankeny Summertimes Past . . . Inside!
Get Your Tickets – Get Your Appetites
– Ankeny’s Gala BBQ Luncheon IS
Near!
The time is nearing for the slaw to be slung, and
beans to be boiled and the BBQ to be bunned. On Saturday, July 12 starting at 11:30 a.m. the social event of
the season takes place in the Parkview Middle School
lunchroom. For the paltry amount of $7.00 your appetite for food, beverage and friends will all be satisfied.
Come early---just after the parade passes by---and stay
late---and enjoy the fellowship and food.
Stairwell Re-Surface Project Set To Begin
Just after the tornado of 1974, Abe and Lucille
McCleary put up wallpaper in their house that needed
to cover a few flaws in the then 75-year old home.
The plaster in the home has now survived 34 years, a
four-block move and hundreds of tourists and visitors
after it became the museum of the society. But all
good things must come to an end.
Tired of re-gluing and taping the thick paper back to
the crumbling plaster walls, the society will be removing the plaster and paper and putting up new
sheetrock in the stairwell and hallway of the upstairs.
Scheduled to begin in late July, the project will then
be painted by Eagle Scout Paul McCleary, grandson
of Abe and Lucille, his dad Norm and other scouts.
Rummage Sale Nets Profits, Praise
The first annual spring rummage sale by the Ankeny Area Historical Society turned over a profit of
over $400 and was such a success that another will be
planned making it the first annual fall rummage sale.
With such interesting and useful items such as golf
clubs, bikes, vases, books, end tables and dishes. The
day proved to be as entertaining as it did moneymaking. The fall sale has not been set so watch the paper
for details. . .but don’t throw that whatchamacallit
out. . .let us sell it!
Ice Cream Social Set For September 14
The third annual Ice Cream Social is set for apleasant sunny Sunday, September 14 from 2 p.m. to 4
p.m. in front yard of the museum campus. Besides
seeking your appetites and fellowship, the Historical
Society is hoping for your favorite pies, cookies, bars
and cakes to be donated for purchase and consumption. To help this effort, please call 965-5795. . .
sugar-filled and sugar-free items are all welcome!
Ice cream and beverages will be supplied.
2009 Calendars To Be Ready At SummerFest!
The 2009 Historic Picture calendars are scheduled
to be finished and should be available for sale during
the Alumni Banquet and SummerFest as well as at the
BBQ luncheon on Saturday. The very popular calen-
dars will feature such interesting photos as the Class
of 1949, Homecoming kings and queens from the
50’s, 60’s and 70’s among others. All proceeds from
the sale goes to the society.
“Summer Tea” Event Has High Level Of Interest
Our first tea had a tremendous response with two settings successfully produced in June. The
interest was so overwhelming that more of the elegant outings are already being scheduled.
Uptown Association’s La Vitsef
JOIN US on July 31 – 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.—UPTOWN!
Come Party on 3rd St. Live Music, Food and Games
Page 2
549 Ankeny Seventh Graders Tour
Over 540 seventh graders toured the two museums
in May as 12 society volunteers guided them through
the 132 years of Ankeny history. The annual event is
now part of the school curriculum and is designed to
give the students a better grasp of Ankeny’s founding
fathers, the importance of agriculture and coal mining
and the significance of the Ordnance Plant during
World War II.
Top Left: Dick Rasmussen tells students what it was like to grow up on
a farm.
Bottom Left: Students listen to (l-r)
Tina Battani and Marge Swartfager
tell of their experience working at
the Ordnance Plant.
Top Right: Cyndy Lammert show
students what medical equipment
was like many years ago.
Bottom Right: Students learn about
school before electricity and in a
country school from JoAnn
Adamson.
Page 3
Ankeny Historical Headlines
1911
Eighty-seven years later, these gentlemen might have been pictured here waiting for
a pizza from the Leaning Tower. . . but in 1911 it was the annual horse show on main
street in the bustling uptown Ankeny. That was the same year that Dr. Patterson’s bill
for the year as the town health officer was $34. . .and the council reduced the rate of
pay for John Daymude for one day of mowing weeds from $5 to $4.50.
1964
In 1964, some 20 years before RAGBRAI, helmets, ten speeds or water bottles, these two dapper Jaycees
road this tandem from Webster City to Dallas, Texas in 9 days! Current Ankeny Area Historical Society board
member and retired realtor Roger Spahr sits behind Ankeny businessman Rod Lein just before they embark on
the trek.
Page 4
From Summers Past!
June 18, 1974 just as her station was signing off
the 10:00 p.m. news, channel 8 weather lady Connie McBurney came on and said . . ..”if you live
in Ankeny take cov…..” and that was it. Power
off, a thick blanket of green and gray swirled
much of Ankeny into a tangled mess, killing two
residents demolishing many stores, schools and
homes.
The photo above is of Parkview School. At the time of
the tornado it was the High
School. All Ankeny schools
sustained damage.
The photo on the left is of the Ankeny Plaza located
on Ankeny Blvd. This portion is of Cory’s Hardware.
It was completely demolished.
1974
1976
In 1976, in the midst of leisure suits, polyester wide collar shirts and sideburns . . .Ankeny went one better in the fashion wars. They stepped back 100
years to celebrate the centennial and wore that the founding fathers wore. . .
vastly improving the men’s wardrobes for summer.
Page 5
ANKENY AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
“NEW BARN” PROJECT MENU OF SUPPORT
LEGACY: $250,000 - $500,000
Dennis & Sue Albaugh & Family
DIAMOND: $100,000--$249,999
City of Ankeny
RUBY: $50,000--$99,000
Don & Charlene Lamberti & Family
SAPPHIRE: $10,000--$49,999
John Deere Des Moines Works
Rod & Dee Lein
Des Moines Register & Ankeny Press Citizen
Ankeny Building Association
Prairie Meadows Race Track & Casino
Ray Miller
PEARL: $5,000--$9,999
VGI Design
Snyder & Associates, Inc.
Polk County
Community State Bank
First American Bank
Gateway Savings Bank
Richard Logli & Dena Randolph
In Memory of the P.A. Logli Family
Ward Mally
Wells Fargo
Winnifred Spahr In Memory of Wayne R. Spahr
PLATINUM: $1,000--$4,999
Ankeny Hy-Vee
Norma Righi & Delores Manny
In Memory Frank & Mary Ghitalli, Paul & Isola
Fontana, Leno & Rose Carzoli
Dorothy Wyantt
L & L Insulation & Supply Company (In-Kind)
Bell Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.
Family & Friends In Memory of Verna Howard
Family & Friends In Memory of Jack Dennler
John Deere Community Credit Union
Don & Barbara Penquite
Barbara White, Family & Friends
In Memory Dale A. White
Family and Friends In Memory of Larry Donaghy
Valley Bank
Gene & Bev Samuelson
Family & Friends In Memory of Evelyn Dann
Zane Smith In Memory V.W. and Ann Smith
Rich and Patrick Taylor (In-Kind)
In Memory of Cor Hutton
Family & Friends In Memory of Jean Jones
Family & Friends In Memory of Blasco Fontanini
Terry & JoAnn Adamson
Albaugh-McGovern Legion Post #42
Gerald & Marie Ballard
Orville & Bonnie Ballard
Bruce & Jeanette Beckwith
Page 6
Casey's General Stores
Lynn & Nancy DeLapp In Memory Delma DeLapp
Larry & Dorothy Donaghy
Jeanne Ersland, Eleanor Tilton & Gale Gibson
In Memory of the Max & Ella Gibson
Handley, Block, Lamberti, Zinno & Gocke, P.C.
Huber Grading, Inc.
Harris & Deloris Manny
Ralph Mathis
Abel McCleary Family
MidAmerican Energy Foundation
Carl Moyer
Donald & Norma Righi
Everett Sather
Roger & Sandra Spahr
Evelyn Sexauer
Myrtle Sexauer
Ollie J. Weigel
Don & Carolyn Zuck
GOLD: $500--$999
Richard Logli In Memory of Rico Logli
Bill & Barb Agan
Phillip M. Thompson (In-Kind)
Fred & Fran Smith
In Memory of Manilla Coppock
In Memory of Ralph Mathis
Ankeny High Class of 1956
Bob Brown Chevrolet, Inc.
W.H. & Marjorie Chase
Commercial Federal Bank
Craig R. Hawkins In Memorial of Nina & Harold Weston
Joyce Lundstrom
Amanda Kuhns-American Bank of Iowa
Scholes Family
Eric Sheldahl
Struthers Bros. - Lee Lundstrom
Silver: $100-499
Family & Friends Memory of George Hart
Family & Friends In Memory of LeRoy Bachman
Vince Sanders
Alpha Rho of Beta Sigma Phi
Glen Cornwell Family In Memory Clifford Cornwell
Evelyn Dann In Memory Ralph C. Dann
Gerald & Marilyn Dennler
Evelyn Rigby
Cecil & Carole Ballard
Denman & Company LLP In Memory of Larry Donaghy
Marilyn Shay In Memory Bill Shay
Ankeny High School Class of 1967
Herbert J. Brown In Memory Mary N. Brown
Beryl Coulson - Coulson Signs
Don & Carole Lea Kraber
Maurices Inc. - Match to Carol Lea Kraber
Loren Sampson Family
Doug & Ellen Smith
Silver: $100-499 (Cont.)
David & Anne Gardner In Memory of John Price, Edith & Bee
Morris, J. Arthur, Evelyn, Judy Ault, & Hazel Ault
The Mutcher Family
Ben & Jean Norman
Clarence & Betty Altenburger
Ethel Harmon, Jill, Robert, & Jan
In Memory of Mary Gilbrech French
Lee Ahlberg
James W. Anderlik
Duane Anderson
Ober & Iolene Anderson
Ankeny Genealogy Chapter
Ankeny Lions Club
Ankeny Visual Image Committee
LeRoy & Evelyn Bachman
Victoria Bachman
Gary & Toni Baugher
Geri Begg In Memory of Wayne Begg
Joe, Charles, & Maribeth Begg In Memory of Wayne Begg
James Blair
Ruth Bond
Dennis & Pat Brazelton
Barb & Patrick Breen
Rob & Jennifer Davies
Gail Dippold
Robert & Nancy Frisk
Joshua J. Frisk
Justin R. Frisk & Family
Anna Hick
Evalynne Higgins
Harold & Charlene Hildreth
Raymond Hildreth
Jerry Homes, Inc.
Victor Johnson
Kimberly Development Corp.
Robert & Virginia Koch
Cyndy Lammert
Jose & Shelley Laracuente
Marlyn & Zelda Larson
In Memory of Angela Larson Pilkington
Betty Leonard
Earl & Janet Leonard
Grant & Sherri Lewis
Luke Brothers, Inc.
John E. Lundstrom
Madrid Historical Society
Bill & Sarah Magnani
Jim & Barb McNamee
Memory Lane Questers
John & Mary Moffitt
Jim & Helen Nelson
Janet & Marvin Nichols
Don & Doris Ott
Timothy & Teresa Powers In Memory of Larry Donaghy
Tom & Joan Quinlin
P & R Inc. - Brandt & Janet Crocker
Dick & Suzan Rasmussen
Greg Rasmussen
Louise Vander Linden
Bill & Eva Wallace
Larry & Linda Wellendorf
Silver: $100-499 (Cont.)
Jack & Ruby Wheatly In Memory of Jean Jones
Louise Woods
BRONZE: $50-$99
Craig Hawkins In Memory of Erma M. Hawkins
MidAmerican Matching Jan & Merlin Christians
In Memory of Mary Gilbrech French
Community Bank Plymouth In Memory of George Hart
72 Degree Heating & Cooling, Inc.
Ankeny—Class of 1967 In Memory of Ed Medici
Bless This House, Inc.
Nancy Carr
Merlin & Jan Christians
LeNora Coe
Gilded Angel Photography
Dale & JoAnn Goins
Ethel Harmon
Craig Hawkins
Heartland floors
Laks Jagnandan D.D.S.
Franny & JoAn Johnson
Ken & Donna Kelling
Chris Lamberti
Margaret McBride
Bill Michael Family
Lynn Pitts
Delores & Fred Reynolds
Dennis & Susan Roupe
Dennis Shaltanis
Roger & Fran Stefani
Greg Suddeth
Steve & Darlene VanOort
Mike & Rose White
Larry & Marcia Zach
FRIENDS: $1-$49
Friends Investing Together
Ethel Harmon In Memory of Mary Gilbrech French
Rich and Rosemary Taylor In Memory of Betty Hutton
Craig and Karen Hawkins In Memory of Janet Nichols
Arlene Bates In Honor of Sue Rasmussen
Tim Garner
Gene & Kathryn Hill
Ideal Rebekah Lodge
Bob & Jean Jones
Joe & Edie Morr
Clare Ann Stubbs
Virginia Wheeler
Margaret Grant
Terry McAnally
Marvin Rankin
Ms. Schima 3rd Grade -Terrace '04-'05
Raymond Thornton
Lois Hughes
Ward Mally
Hazel Moeckly
Kelly Morrow
Richard & Gina Sokol
Roy Stoll
Warren W. Thornton
Page 7
DATES TO REMEMBER
June 24 – Monthly Meeting 7:00 p.m.
July 6 – Open House 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
July 12 – 19th Annual SummerFest Barbecue
11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at
Parkview Middle School lunchroom
Open House – Noon to 3:00 p.m.
July 13 – Open House 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
July 22 – Board Meeting – 6:00 p.m. &
Monthly Meeting 7:00 p.m.
July 31 – Uptown Association’s La Vitsef
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
August 3 - Open House 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
August 26 - Open House 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Ankeny Area Historical Society is established to collect and secure artifacts and historical
records representing Ankeny, Alleman, Bondurant,
Carney, Elkhart, Enterprise, Polk City, and
Sheldahl for the purpose of preserving American
Heritage
301 S.W Third Street, P.O. Box 1111
Ankeny, IA 50021-3059
515-965-5795
www.ankenyhistorical.org
2008 Officers
Ron Sampson – President
Rachel Jones - Vice President
Norma Righi – Secretary
Joyce Lundstrom – Treasurer
Board of Directors
Ober Anderson, Lynn Pitts
Dorothy Thornton
Don Penquite, Marilyn Shay,
Bryan Lundstrom
Barbara Agan, Terry Adamson,
Roger Spahr
Ex--Officio
Ex
Dr. Matthew Wendt - Superintendent of Schools
Joe Morr – Past President
JoAnn Adamson – Past President
Myrtle L. Sexauer - Past President
Bonnie S. Ballard - Past President
Barbara J. White – Past President
Past Presidents
*Wayne A. Begg
James W. Anderlik
*Richard D. Hermann
*Willard L. Nagle
*Deceased