Filling it up

Visitors to Everly's first-ever community museum will be treated to a blast from the past once doors open this summer.

The archive is filled to the brim with Everly-centric relics dating back to the town's start. Though Cattlefeeder keepsakes comprise the most notable displays, other items from businesses both past and present, as well as military memorabilia, line the walls.

"It's been really fun when people bring things in to donate," said Connie Goeken, one of the museum's steering committee members. "You get to hear their stories, and people are happy we're preserving the town's history this way. This is stuff that shouldn't be thrown out in the trash."

The museum got its legs in 2019 when the Clay Central/Everly 7-12 grade building closed its doors. The fate of prominent items like the girls' state basketball trophies became a concern, as there was nowhere in town to display or store them. Volunteers eventually stepped forward to establish a museum and the rest is history.

Evertek allowed the use of one of its buildings on Main Street to house the museum. Located directly south of the library, it's already looking better than when the steering committee found it. They've repainted the interior and upgraded other aesthetics, and they're planning to install a sign on the exterior prior to opening day.

"Once that sign goes up, people will really know we're gaining on it," said VerDon Schmidt, another steering committee member. "We have people asking when we'll be ready and I think they're really looking forward to it."

The museum's grand opening is slated for August and will coincide with the fire department's centennial celebration. There's still work to be done though, and Goeken said the steering committee is looking for more business-related items from the community's past.

Specifically, the museum is hoping to highlight Everly's rich telecommunications history. A permanent telephone display is planned with pieces from the past 120 years, and Goeken said the committee is in search of an old candlestick phone as well as other unique items.

"Anyone with any old phones lying around that they think are interesting should give us a call," she said.

More than 750 items are already archived at the museum. Bev Rinehart and Cindy Fliss worked several hours cleaning, numbering and cataloguing each relic, which was a big task.

"We're really happy with our system," said Goeken. "Some of these items are on permanent loan, some are on loan for a specified amount of time, and some have simply been donated. We've had a really good response from volunteers and from the community."

Everly's rich basketball history will be a main focal point. Several Cattlefeeder teams earned trips to the girls' state basketball tournament in the 1960s and 1970s, and their trophies, uniforms and other memorabilia will have a huge presence.

"It's been really interesting doing research and seeing that small towns were the seed of the basketball powers in Iowa back then," said Goeken, who played on one of the state-contending Cattlefeeder teams. "Going down memory lane has been really fun for me. A lot of people who bring items in have such vivid, fond memories of playing basketball. I've enjoyed sharing those memories with them again."

The steering committee plans to have rotating displays highlighting key Cattlefeeders like Jeannette Olson, Peg Petersen and Connie Kunzmann. The museum will also do the same for local military veterans.

"We want to draw people in for specific reasons, and to do that we'll need to do new things every once in a while," Goeken explained.

Steering committee members are looking forward to the grand opening in August and will continue prepping the museum's displays. If you have an item that might be of interest, you can contact Goeken or another committee member via the Everly Heritage Museum's Facebook page.

"Our mission is preservation," said Goeken. "We hope to become the repository for the historical items that have made our community special."