Des Moines County Historical Society

Paul French will be giving a presentation on historic maps of Burlington. See how the town has changed over the last 190 years! Paul is a local historian who specializes in historic maps and finding obscure information. Please use the Columbia Street Door (with the blue awning). Doors open at 12:45

Terry Peterson and John Ramsey will be giving a program on local decoy carvers! Burlington has been the home to some remarkable local carvers over the years, including Hal Sorenson and William O. Ewinger. Come on down and learn about this fascinating craft! Please use the Columbia Street door (with the blue awning). Doors open […]

Ever wonder how people got around in early Burlington? Ever wonder about street cars? Rodney Botts will be discussing early Burlington street cars. Please use the Columbia Street door (with the blue awning). Doors open at 12:45.

Railroad historian and Burlington native, David Lotz, will present a Town Hall on the Railroads of Burlington. He will provide historical photos and information on the Burlington Route’s railroads from its inception in 1849, to its merger in 1970 becoming the Burlington Northern and beyond. His presentation will include information about the Burlington shops and […]

Many people think of bats as mysterious, and maybe even a little scary, but bats provide important pollination, pest control, and seed dispersal benefits to agriculture and natural environments, and they are important players in food webs. In recent years bat populations have been in dramatic decline due to climate change, habitat loss, wind turbines, […]

The first Masonic meeting in the Iowa Territory was held on the evening of November 6, 1840, in the Burlington carpenter shop of Brother Evan Evans. That meeting led to the chartering of the Des Moines Lodge No 41 by the Grand Lodge of Missouri. In 1844 the Des Moines Lodge was rechartered as the […]

Bob and Janet Hesler will be discussing the history of Danville and its evolution from a stagecoach stop to a thriving small town in SE Iowa. They will also discuss the Anne Frank pen pal connection and museum. To find out more about these interesting topics, you will want to attend this Town Hall Meeting. […]

Biographers, conservationists, and philosophers are interested in identifying the sources of Leopold’s Land Ethic. Through family history research and interviews with the Leopolds, new information has surfaced, explaining how Aldo started on the path to the Land Ethic at a very early age, even before starting school. This program covers some of the high points […]

The presentation will share from the recorded history of one of the most unique hunting and social clubs located along the Mississippi River. The New Crystal Lake Club has a rich tradition of conservation, preservation and documentation of the natural resources that were originally created even before the levee system and the drainage ditch era […]