Micro Stream Radio - Preservation Oaks

EP004 Iowa Dyersville Area Historical Society Christy Deutmeyer

In this episode, Sean Thomas meets Christy Deutmeyer of the Dyersville Area Historical Society.

You’ll learn how the town of Dyersville began and some of the influential business men of the area. We discussed the Field of Dreams movie set; which is now a park in Dyersville.

We learn about the Dyer-Botsford Museum and plans for further maintenance in spring 2022. Donations are needed for this.

We discussed how Covid has affected both the Society and the Community.

Christy discussed a curriculum developed in 2019 to allow school aged children to interact with the Society and learn about how life has changed from the last century to this one. She is planning to implement this as soon as Covid dissipates.

The Society is contemplating publication of a new book to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the Dyersville area.

An objective Christy has established to be accomplished this winter season is to redesign and implement a new Society Web Site.

One thing that comes shining through in the program is just how passionate Christy and her organization are to help members and visitors.

If you’re a listener in the Dyersville Area OR if you’re a listener researching family history in the Dyersville Iowa area and you’re not already a member, please consider joining and supporting the society!

Right now, volunteers, donations to maintain the Dyers-Botsford Museum, and visitors are needed. The Dyersville Area Historical Society’s website URL is dyersvillehistory.com

I can’t wait for the changes to the website.!

The Dyersville Area Historical Society is truly a value-add to the community and definitely one of our nation’s Preservation Oaks!

 

 

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!

 

EP002 Hawaii Kailua Historical Society Dr. Paul Brennan

In this episode, Sean Thomas interviews the President of the Kailua Hawaii Historical Society, Dr. Paul Brennan.

Dr. Brennan is so knowledgeable and an expert in the history of Kailua. Dr. Brennan indicated he would like to complete more archeology in the area before it’s damaged or gone forever and lost to the people of Kailua. He discusses what he refers to as the "Queen’s Retreat", an archeological site which includes a Hawaiian Temple, the Queen’s Carriage way, and a place where the Royal Family of Hawaii bathed.

You'll learn about modern day Kailua, how Kailua was originally settled, how Kailua got it's name, the commercial and cultural development of Kailua prior to and after World War 2. and statehood in 1959.

Since 1981 when he and his wife arrived in Hawaii from Papua New Guinea, Dr. Brennan has focused his life’s work on preserving the oral histories of Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese immigrants, as well as Native Hawaiians in Kailua. He now has over 150 of these stored in the Society’s archive.

We discuss Japanese "Picture Brides", and how Dr. Brennan has conducted tours of Kailua free of charge for years. 

Dr. Brennan shared touching and beautiful stories about Kailua and its residents and how the Society is helping address the homeless problem on Kailua.

We also discuss the future of the Kailua Historical Society which includes obtaining a permanent facility for the Society and several other key strategic objectives. 

This is an exciting time for the Kailua Historical Society! I would love to be there as the Society develops these plans! There’s a lot of opportunity to help our Preservation Oak Dr. Paul Brennan and the Kailua Historical Society!

If you’re a listener in Kailua OR if you’re a listener researching family history in Kailua and you’re not already a member, please consider joining and supporting the society!  The Kailua Historical Society’s website URL is Kailua Historical Society.org

I hope this program helps the audience understand how valuable the Kailua Historical Society is to the community and what kinds of excellent work they continue to do for their members and the public.  The Kailua Historical Society is truly a value-add to the community and definitely one of our Preservation Oaks!  

 

How did the program get the name Preservation Oaks?

Your host Sean Thomas Radcliff reviews how the program got it's name, the objectives of the program and Micro Stream Radio, then finally encouraging listeners to support both the program and the institutions highlighted in each episode.

Learning about the role and challenges of these vital organizations is going to be eye opening and fun for me and the listeners!  

Anyone across the world interested in finding and documenting their family history in the United States needs to know the benefits of working with and becoming a member of historical and genealogical societies in the locations where their ancestors lived and died. 

This program will help people understand the role of these organizations, how to successfully interface with each, and not only gather the information they need, but also how to support this important work.