EP003 Iowa - Montgomery County Historical Society - Dave McFarland

In this episode, Sean Thomas interviews the Director of the Montgomery County Historical Society, Dave McFarland.

You’ll learn how the town of Red Oak began and some of the influential business men who buildings and streets were named after including the designation of a part of the town as a Historic District, and the Red Oak Town Square which in addition to other community spirited monuments, has a monument to a Red Oak native son who lost his life when the US battleship Maine was sunk in the Spanish American War.

We learn about human remains that were included in a donation to the Society and how Dave and team worked to re-patriate and inter the remains properly.

One thing that comes shining through in the program is that Dave is really missing interactions with local people; as in visitors and especially volunteers! He mentioned that 60% of the visitors coming to the history center this year live further than 50 miles from the center!  I challenge the Montgomery County listeners to make a visit to their fabulous Historical Center. It is unique and a beautiful facility.

Dave loves to approach the education of history with the public by telling stories. A quote from Dave: “ History is not about the artifacts. Rather, it’s about the lives and characters these people had and how that is still applicable to us today. That is what makes history interesting.”

You’ll learn how Dave and team are tracking the impact of COVID and drawing comparisons between it and the Spanish Flu which occurred 100 years ago and took the lives of millions.

Dave discussed how he and his good wife published the book “A Tour Through the History of Montgomery County and the Montgomery County History Center” and how you can get your very own autographed copy!

We discussed the Thomas Murphy building and its future, how the Society does a LOT of genealogical work being requested by people across our nation, how the Society saved the oldest church building in the county, Junction Days annual celebration, the annual corn boil, the various historical buildings the Society maintains for the public, and lastly, you’ll hear some relevant quotes from Dave McFarland.

If you’re a listener in Montgomery County OR if you’re a listener researching family history in in Montgomery County Iowa and you’re not already a member, please consider joining and supporting the society! Right now, volunteers, donations, and visitors are needed. The Montgomery County Historical Society’s website URL is https://www.mocohistorycenter.org/

I congratulate the community on having the foresight to invest in the facility which is home to the Montgomery County Historical Society.  The Montgomery County Historical Society is truly a value-add to the community and definitely one of our nation’s Preservation Oaks!