OPINION: Finding joy through the past

I’m a history nerd. I like to learn about the past and see how people lived long ago. For a while I wanted to be an archeologist, and if it hadn’t been for the extra language requirements, I might have gone in that direction in college.

I often dreamed of visiting ancient civilizations, spending hours in the dust and sand finding hidden treasures from long-gone people. Even if I didn’t get to do the work at digs, I loved the idea of being surrounded by old buildings filled with artifacts, helping curious minds learn about the past.

Sometimes I wonder if I should have continued down that path, considering I spend much of my money now going to see these historical sites or to visit museums. One of my favorite parts of studying abroad was passing the historic buildings on my way to class or the store.

Now I’m back in the U.S., where an old building is from the early 1900s. Much of the true history in the Midwest has been lost to time thanks to wars and building materials, since stone lasts much longer than wood.

While not quite what young history-minded me was hoping for, I still find history when I can. Earlier this year when a British family came through town walking the Mormon Trail, I had the chance to learn some fascinating information about both Liverpool and this part of the U.S. in the 1840s. While there aren’t many traces of these historic travelers left, there are plenty of stories.

Thanks to my interest in history, I’ve written a few stories focusing on Creston and Union County’s past. While some might consider them a bit boring, I had a blast researching the founders of Creston, following their descendents around the country to see where they ended up. I loved reading George Ide’s “History of Union County, Iowa” as he described not only the beginnings of the county, but what it was like during 1908 as he wrote.

The parts of history that intersect with life today can be fascinating, like the bear statue at McKinley Park which represents an actual pet bear that once resided at the park. The Iowana was once a glamorous hotel and included both a cafe and ballroom, boasting to be the tallest building between Des Moines and Omaha.

For those of you who find all this fascinating like me, I’ve got some good news. Our annual Progress Report section, which is printed in March, will go with the theme “Then and Now,” looking at various aspects of the community and how things have changed. I have a number of topics I’m already buzzing to get started on.

If you want to do your own research in the meantime, there are a number of great resources in town to utilize. The Creston Historic Preservation Commission is always helpful when doing research, and their new newspaper archive is fantastic. Various Union County newspapers published between 1880 and 1937 can be accessed at creston.historyarchives.online/home.

In addition, Gibson Memorial Library has a couple of great research options. All CNA newspapers from the early 1900s can be found on microfilm and viewed at the library. In addition, the Genealogy Room has local history books of all shapes and sizes. This is where I found George Ide’s book and other similar novels.

However, my favorite resource to access at the library is Ancestry.com. While many are aware of this website, less know it can be accessed for free through the library’s wifi. Whether you bring your own laptop or use one of the library’s computers, you can have free reign of this world-wide catalog to research all your heart desires.

Though I might not be as obviously surrounded by history as I always wanted to be, it’s not hard to find. I’m grateful for the historical research opportunities these Creston groups provide for history nerds like me.