“COME BACK ON SATURDAY,” Monte Topp advised. “There’ll be 25,000 people here.”
“No, thanks,” I said.
Heritage Park of North Iowa is hosting Tree Town Music Festival opening this Thursday.
And that is how I learned about the May 21 – 24 Tree Town Music Festival in Forest City, Iowa, with Saturday headliner Blake Shelton. Yes, the Blake Shelton, whom even I, not a fan of country western music, know as a judge from The Voice.
But Monte wasn’t talking much music when I met him at Heritage Park of North Iowa last Saturday morning. He was focused instead on the weekend Steam School which drew folks from around the country to learn the ins and outs of operating steam engines.
Gathered to learn about steam engines.
Steam engine tractors. It takes a full day to move all of the steam engine tractors out of a massive building on-site.
Checking out a steam engine tractor during Steam School.
A sampling of steam engine tractors lined up across the road from the historic Beaver Creek Church.
Yet, he found time to take my husband and me inside two expansive buildings to view massive steam engine and vintage tractors. This member of the Heritage Park board knows his stuff. Names and dates. A quarter of a million dollars to purchase that steam engine tractor and another $250,000 invested in its restoration. One-of-a-kind. Only one left. If you want to know anything about anything steam engine, ask Monte.
A Wallis tractor was among the many tractors stored in a massive building.
A tractor seat.
Monte Topp, who hails from Fertile to the east of Forest City, is a John Deere guy.
We threaded our way around hulks of machinery in spaces so dark I could only take a few photos. Heavy scent of oil overwhelmed as did thoughts of yesteryear at this 91-acre site dedicated to preserving America’s rural history.
Several log cabins are on site, including this trapper’s cabin.
I peered in a window to see that this building is appropriately dubbed the doll house. It’s filled with dolls.
There are even, to my automotive machinist husband’s amazement, two buildings devoted to flywheels.
One of my favorite buildings, a corn crib.
A rural heritage park would not be complete without a red barn and creaky windmill.
An overview of the grounds. I was about to open the door on the grey house when I realized someone lives here.
Buildings—ranging from a church to log cabins to barn, barbershop, jail, school, farmstead house and much more—create this impressive park. As luck would have it, we were not there when the park was open to the public and had to settle for an exterior walk-around.
“Come back this afternoon,” Monte advised as his phone rang.
We couldn’t. But that doesn’t mean we won’t return another time.
FYI: Click here to read my first post from Heritage Park. And check back for one more photo story, this one from downtown Forest City.
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Nothing like the rustic charm of a farm and the sense of belonging. Thanks!
Heritage Park of North Iowa, at least viewed from the exterior, has done a great job of presenting and preserving America’s Midwest rural heritage.
Pretty remarkable when you think about how far farming technology has come. What a great park to hold all this history to share.
You’re right. These folks have done an outstanding job of preserving our rural heritage. Just think how many hours I would have been there had those buildings been open.
Steam engines and threshing bees……items from a distant rural past that I’ve not experienced. Mabel’s(MN) “Steam Engine Days” (2nd weekend in September, annually) is an event with huge attendance and the steam engines still command the biggest attention!
We attend the Rice County Steam and Gas Engines Show each fall in nearby Dundas. And you’re right about the steam engines drawing the most attention.
Sounds like a road-trip!
Yes, not all that far from you.
I loved the pic of the old tractor seat’s alleged “velvet ride” .. Yeah, I’ll bet it felt like “velvet” rolling over the fields all day..
My husband noticed that “velvet” and suggested I photograph it.
Of course, I looked at this in a completely different way and was struck by the prevalence of the color red. Red seats, red barns, red script on the windmill, red spokes on wheels…..there is a whole other theme going on!
Oh, yes, I noticed the red, too, as I notched the red saturation up a bit in some of the images to balance all of that grey. Not a lot, though. I love that you noticed that detail, Kathleen. I’m not at all surprised. We are, after all, observers, collectors and writers of detail.
Wow, those are some awesome tractors! Love the church and the steeple, do they still hold services in it? I also pick the corn crib as my favorite building, It’s and interesting looking corn crib! What a fun little village to visit, reminds me a bit of “Forrestville”.
I wish I could answer your question about the church, Jackie. But it was locked and there was no one to ask. Monte was a little busy with the Steam School.
Thanks for telling me who Blake Shelton is! What an interesting day. I do love the beautiful old church and I’d love to see inside the doll’s house xx
You are welcome. If only I could have gotten inside the buildings, I could share more.
What a beautiful little village. It reminds me of Prairie Villiage in Madison South Dakota
Then Madison, S.D., has a very good thing going for it.
Another Great Story and pictures — My husband and I need to go down and visit one day when I’m not working at the museum. We have a couple steam engines here and they are quite an attraction! So many fun and interesting places to visit!
Oh, you would absolutely love Heritage Park of North Iowa, Laurie. Just check ahead to assure the park is open.