By Michael Schaffer - Managing editor
The Monroe County Historical Society Museum in Albia has approximately 20,000 items housed in nine rooms at the main building located at 114 A Ave. E. In addition to the main museum, the society owns and offers tours of the nearby Selection Schoolhouse, the Kendall Place, a diesel locomotive and caboose.
Friday afternoon the president of the Monroe County Historical Society Board, Doris O'Brien and museum volunteer and board member Jim King took some time to talk about the museum.
O'Brien said the board was established in the 1970s but they didn't have a museum.
"We had a geneology department in the lower level of the library," O'Brien said of the museum that officially opened in 1984. "Then one weekend some of our members went to a meeting someplace and found out we were the only county that didn't have a museum and decided we needed one. And so therefore we created it."
The museum has four period rooms, allowing visitors to step back in time to get a taste of the daily life of Monroe County during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The main exhibit hall houses numerous cases displaying Monroe County political, medical and biographical items from throughout the 20th century as well as news clippings that highlight important local events. Visitors will also find a room devoted to military memorabilia, a room devoted to mining, a room devoted to former alumnus of Albia High School and a room housing items from the Nathan Kendall library.
"Part of it's from Gov. Kendall's library," O'Brien said. "He was known for having a red tie and collecting horseshoes and having a big dictionary."
Albia native Nathan Kendall was the governor of Iowa from 1921 to 1925. The room contains not only the governor's personal book collection, but a number of historic volumes on local history. The Kendall Place is the home of the former governor and is located next to the Albia Public Library.
The Selection Schoolhouse is a replica of an actual one-room Monroe County school. It was completed in 2002 and is located northeast of the museum.
O'Brien said they are planning to open an annex across the alley from the main museum building very soon plus a theater room.
"We have a couple of ladies who used to live here that were in the Ziegfield Follies," O'Brien said. "We have some memorabilia of theirs. We have some things from the old King Theater."
King said the museum limits donations to items that are directly related to life in Monroe County.
The museum is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. from May 1 to Oct. 31. Special tours can be arranged by calling (641) 932-7346.
