Iams House Museum

The Museum is located at 349 South Broadway, Trotwood, Ohio. It will be open on Sundays from 2 PM to 4 PM until the first of December. You may also visit by appointment. Please call Faith at 937-837-5387 or Ruth at 937-837-4095 to set up an appointment.

Galloway Hit-and-Miss Engine

We have another "new to the Historical Society" implement to add to our list of new items to display at the 2009 Annual Iams Homestead Pioneer Harvest Fest Saturday, October 10, 2009. This is a 9 horsepower Galloway engine. We also have a 2 3/4 horsepower engine, a two cylinder maytag gas engine and a pump jack. All items were donated by Jerry D. Nelson of Jonesboro, Arkansas. Jerry is Linda Keeling's brother-in-law. Linda and I recently went to Arkansas and brought them back to Ohio. All items will be available for display at the Harvest Fest, but, may not be working. We will need to do some repairs on each item before use.To view more pictures of this engine and the other items donated, view the slide show.

International Harvester Corn Binder

Each year I try to find a new farm implement to have for display at the annual Iams Homestead Pioneer Harvest Fest. Last year I found an International Harvester Corn Binder on Ebay. I asked Tony if he and Phillip would help with restoration and become joint owner if I bought the corn binder. The binder would be on permanent loan to the historical society to be used for harvesting our corn and display at the historical society when not in use.
Linda and I went to Wellville, Kansas--a rather long trip for a corn binder. We had a rather enjoyable trip. When we arrived in Wellville, the individual who owned the binder was a young man who said that he had bought it at an auction. If he had not bought the binder, the owner was going to sell it for scrap. He really was interested in keeping the binder from the scrap yard and was happy that we decided to buy it.
Unfortunately, the knotter on the binder had been stolen and I had to look for a new knotter. I was fortunate because I found another binder locally on Infirmary Road. It was in bad shape, but, did have a complete knotter that was intact. I bought the binder to get the knotter. Now we have many extra parts we can recover and keep for future use. The binder did not have the bundle carrier, but, had all the drives and connections for a bundle carrier. Phillip Kleinhenz found a bundle carrier near DeGraf that will fit the binder I got in Kansas. When we get through with restoration, we will have a binder and bundle carrier. Our goal is to have the binder renovated for the next Harvest Fest. I we have moved the binder into the Homestead Barn and have began renovation. It will be a slow process, but, the Keeling's and Kleinhenz's are anxiously waiting the renovation. We plan on going back to the original colors and markings. If anyone knows what these colors and markings are, please contact me at 937-837-5387 or email cekeeling@msn.com. If you have any pictures showing the original colors and markings, please send them to my email address. As we make progress, I will keep you posted. When finished, I will also post a new picture of the renovated corn binder.

TROTWOOD-MADISON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
2009 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

JANUARY

January 24 9AM to 5PM Shop Til You Drop at the Hara Arena 1001 Shiloh Springs Rd Dayton, OH 45415
January 25 9AM to 4PM Shop Til You Drop at the Hara Arena 1001 Shiloh Springs Rd Dayton, OH 45415
The Historical Society sets up a booth in the area and sells items donated to the Society throughout the year. Most items are gently used, but, some are new. We also have a few antiques and/or collectible items for sale. All proceeds from the sale are used to maintain facilities and support different programs offered at the Iams Homestead.

MARCH

March 7 9AM to 5PM Shop Til You Drop at the Hara Arena 1001 Shiloh Springs Rd Dayton, OH 45415
March 8 9AM to 4PM Shop Til You Drop at the Hara Arena 1001 Shiloh Springs Rd Dayton, OH 45415
The Historical Society sets up a booth in the area and sells items donated to the Society throughout the year. Most items are gently used, but, some are new. We also have a few antiques and/or collectible items for sale. All proceeds from the sale are used to maintain facilities and support different programs offered at the Iams Homestead

March 28 4PM to 7PM Spaghetti Dinner held at the Trotwood Church of the Brethren 208 E Main St, Dayton, OH 45426.

The spaghetti dinner is an annual event held at the Trotwood Church of the Brethren. There is a charge for the dinner. A separate posting will be done when the final arrangements have been made. The spaghetti sauce is cooked by members of the historical society from a recipe that has been developed over the years. You will not find a better tasting sauce or spaghetti at any other spaghetti dinner. The dinner includes all the spaghetti you can eat, plain and garlic buttered bread, salads and deserts. Come and join the fun. All proceeds from the sale are used to maintain facilities and support different programs offered at the Iams Homestead.

MAY

May 7-9 9AM – 5PM Garage Sale at the Iams Homestead. This year should be the best sale ever. We have been collecting and storing items since the last sale. All items are donated by members of the community. Most items are gently used, but, there are a few new items that are donated. We also have many collectibles that will be offered for sale. All proceeds from the sale are used to maintain facilities and support different programs offered at the Iams Homestead.

JUNE

June 11-13 Garage Sale at the Iams Homestead. This sale is held the same dates as the Trotwood City Wide Garage Sale. Come browse items for sale and purchase those “I can’t do without” items you will find. All proceeds from the sale are used to maintain facilities and support different programs offered at the Iams Homestead.

JULY

July 18 Annual Membership Picnic and 5th Annual Texas Style Barbecue held in the Iams Homestead Barn. This is a member’s only event. It is held each year to encourage members to get together and have a good time. Linda (chef) and Claude (helper) usually smoke Boston Butt roasts and brisket and/or sausage as the main course. Potato salad, cole slaw, calico beans, relish trays (usually from Linda’s garden and specialty items prepared just for the BBQ), rolls, variety of drinks, and desserts are also available. There usually is a program of some type and there is always a session of “What is it” where members bring items and the audience try to guess what they are. If you have ever attended the BBQ, you know how good it is. If you have not attended and are a member of the Society, you are encouraged to join. We also have various displays on pegboards of old farm tools, kitchen tools, lanterns, etc. throughout the barn for member to view. For some of use, these items bring back some fond—and not so fond—memories of the past.

AUGUST
Book Sale August 27-29 9AM to 5PM in the Iams Homestead Barn. This is an annual event. The Society sells donated books. Many of these books are in like new condition. Some or collectible and most are just good reading material. There is a variety of books on just about any subject—gardening, cooking, history, religious, novels, romances, scientific, etc. The price is right and you can stock up on reading material for those long winter days. All proceeds from the sale are used to maintain facilities and support different programs offered at the Iams Homestead.

OCTOBER

October 10 11th Annual Iams Homestead Pioneer Harvest Fest at the Iams Homestead. This is a premier event. Please review the posting on this blogspot for pictures and activities held at past events. This is a definitely “must attend” event.

October 24 9AM to 5PM Shop Til You Drop at the Hara Arena 1001 Shiloh Springs Rd Dayton, OH 45415
October 25 9AM to 4PM Shop Til You Drop at the Hara Arena 1001 Shiloh Springs Rd Dayton, OH 45415
The Historical Society sets up a booth in the area and sells items donated to the Society throughout the year. Most items are gently used, but, some are new. We also have a few antiques and/or collectible items for sale. All proceeds from the sale are used to maintain facilities and support different programs offered at the Iams Homestead

DECEMBER

December 3 -5 and December 10 – 12 10AM to 5 PM Kris Kringle Shop in the Studio at the Iams Homestead. Sue Stiffler and he crew works all year sorting through the items donated to the Society for just the right items to sell in the Kris Kringle Shop. There are many gently used and new items (toys, Christmas clothes, dishes, collectibles, etc.) to buy. The merchandise is of good quality and the price is right. Please come and visit—you won’t be sorry you did. All proceeds from the sale are used to maintain facilities and support different programs offered at the Iams Homestead

December 5 Santa at the Depot. The depot is located at the intersection of Main and Broadway in Trotwood, Ohio. This event is held in conjunction with the City’s tree lighting ceremony. Hot chocolate and cookies are served. Children can have their picture taken with Santa for a small fee. All proceeds from the sale are used to maintain facilities and support different programs offered at the Iams Homestead

10th Annual Iams Homestead Pioneer Harvest Fest

Our Harvest Fest Committee set a goal of making the 10th Annual Iams Homestead Pioneer Harvest Fest the best fest ever. They succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Between 400 and 500 people joined us for our annual farm fest. The weather was great; the crowds participated in many of the events; and a good time was had by all.

Many tractors were on display thanks to the owners who came out to support us. the featured tractor this year was a 1929 Cases 25-45 from the Flora Family collection. Each year Bruce Flora brings a tractor for us to showcase and as usual the tractor was a hit with the crowd.




The Chili chefs, Tony and Regina Kleinhenz and Claude Keeling outdid themselves this year and the chili was a major hit with the crowd. The smell of chili cooking over an open fire combined with the smell of roasted hot dogs drew a larger crowd than usual and we ran out of chili very early--the first time ever. Over 20 gallons of chili was prepared and consumed by the crowd. I guess we will have to get a larger kettle for next year.

Each year Tony Kleinhenz and his work crew tills the ground; plants the tobacco; harvest the tobacco; and hang it in the barn to dry. This year we were able to add a demonstration of preparing tobacco for tying into hands and placing into a tobacco press thanks to the efforts of Joe Sowder. Unfortunately, our tobacco crop was almost totally blown down by Hurricane Ike so Joe could only demonstrate placing the tobacco on one stick . He did manage to use some of the tobacco from previous years harvest to demonstrate tying of hands and placing into the tobacco press. All the tools used to include the tobacco press came from Joe's family's farm in Kentucky. We hope to expand this exhibit and demonstration for next year. Joe has agreed to work with us again so there will be many improvements on the exhibit for next year.



We also added a blacksmith demonstration to the harvest fest this year. A good blacksmith was critical in most early farming communities and we thought that our younger generation should acquire an appreciation for the work being done. We did not think we would have a demonstration because the individual who was scheduled for the demonstration cancelled. Thanks to Larry P. Gindlesperger, owner of Eagle & Anvil Forge who volunteered on such a short notice, we were able to have a great demonstration. This was the first time I saw a blacksmith work and it truly was an exciting event. We do play on having a blacksmith at our next event, so come to our function the second Saturday of October next year to get a first hand look at a blacksmith at work.


Another popular event at the harvest fest is making apple butter. Ruth Lange who makes the best apple butter anywhere was on vacation and we had to get replacement cooks. Thanks to Ken Ullery and Bill Greenaway, the show did go on. They did a fantastic job and the delicious smell of fresh cooked apple butter was almost more than a hungry person could take. Fortunately, Ruth Lange left samples from last year's apple butter for us to sample. More than one visitor said this was the best apple butter they had ever tasted and I would have to agree. Come next year for a taste of this year's apple butter. You will not be disappointed.


The Balloon Man and his helper were back again blowing up balloons for the children. I think Harley and Alma Human enjoyed blowing up the balloons for the children more than the children enjoyed the balloons. We had more children this year than usual and the balloons went fast. Harley also conducted another raffle this year for one of his brass cow bells. This was the second year for his bell raffle and the second year I bought many tickets. As usual, I did not win. As long as Harley has the raffle, I will try to win the bell.

Thanks to Walt Fidder and his grandson, we also had a model train display. Trains were an important part of Trotwood's history and the Historical Society operates a Depot Museum during the summer months. Model trains are also a hit with most children and this may be one of the reasons we had more children at the harvest fest this year than ever. Walt has said that they will be back next year. I certainly hope so. I think I probably enjoyed the display more than the children.

One of the most popular events at the harvest fest is the hayrides. Each year Bruce Kettelle brings his wagon and tractor and provides hayrides throughout the day. Thanks to Bruce's "gift of gab" and knowledge of local history, the hayrides are not only fun, but very educational. Bruce, along with Ken Ullery and Phillip Kleinhenz also provided hayrides at Trotwood's annual Halloween Family Fun Walk. Over 700 people took hayrides during a two hour period.

This year Boyd and Geri Hastings set up displays and demonstrations of wool spinning and felt making. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of the displays. I will check with others who attended the harvest fest to see if they took any pictures. If they did, I will add to the blogspot.


The premier event of the harvest fest is the corn harvest. Each year Tony Kleinhenz and his work crew uses an old corn binder to harvest the corn. The bundles are then placed in shocks until the day of the harvest fest. The shocks are then loaded on a wagon and taken to the husker shredder. The stalks are run through the husker shredder where the corn is removed from the stalk and the husk is removed from the corn. The corn is placed in a corn crib and the stalks and husks are chopped up for disposal or saved to use as feed for farm animals.

The corn is stored in the corn crib and the Society sells ear corn throughout the year. The corn is $7.00 for a large bag (approximately 1 bushel). Anyone interested in buying corn can contact me at 937-837-5387 or email cekeeling@msn.com. You may also contact Ralph Kuester at 937-837-5387 or email rkuester@woh.rr.com.


In the early days of our country, there were no supermarkets to go to in the winter to buy you food. Families had to preserve their food for the winter. One way of doing this was to dry the food. In the Iams House Museum each farm fest a demonstration of corn drying is held. You can also get a taste of the reconstituted dried corn from the previous year's dried corn. When properly prepared, the corn is very tasty. We also had a special display of ball canning jars on display in the kitchen. The jars will remain on display until the museum closes for the winter on November 30.

Sue Stiffler and her work group did a fantastic job with the country store this year. All items on sale have been donated by Society members and individuals from the local community. A favorite item in the store is the homemade pies and other baked goods. The pies sold out very quickly. I am sure we will have them again next year so if you want to buy a pie, come early--they do not last long. If you did not get a chance to visit the country store, all is not lost. You can also come and shop in the Kris Kringle Shop. The shop will be open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM December 4, 5, 6 and December 11, 12, and 13.

There were other activities not listed. However, I have included a slide show with pictures of the activities that were held during the Farm Fest.

Historic Glimpses of Trotwood, Ohio

Whether your roots are deep in Trotwood History or you passed through briefly we hope that you think of Trotwood fondly. The Trotwood-Madison Historical Society has created a masterpiece called “Historic Glimpses of Trotwood, Ohio”, containing 224 pages of pictorials with narrative history. It also includes patron pages from families, businesses, churches, organizations, and schools with a name referenced index. This coffee table quality book is our first published history book of Trotwood and will remind you of past experiences and memorable moments that you may have forgotten.

Additional information is available on-line at http://www.trotwood.org/contact.html. Clicking on “T-M Historical Society” takes you to our home page. We are currently taking book orders, however, the second printing is selling rapidly. If you want a book you should send your order as soon as possible. Go to http://www.trotwood.org/pdf/NewBookOrderForm.pdf to download a copy of the order form. Contact Claude Keeling at 937-837-5387, Ralph Kuester at 937-837-0355 or Regina Kleinhenz at 937-854-4505 for any assistance. The first printing has sold out and the second printing is scheduled to be delivered the Middle of August.. The “Historic Glimpses of Trotwood, Ohio” will no doubt be a cherished memento of lasting value and also makes a great gift.

We hope you will consider purchasing a book to enjoy and at the same time support the Trotwood-Madison Historical Society. If you have friends or classmates that you think would like to have a copy of the book, have them visit our website or contact the individuals listed above.

Legacy Brick Walkway

To help capital improvements to the Iams Homestead, the Society has established "BUY A BRICK" to create a legacy of many individuals, Trotwood-Madison High School Alumni, businesses, and organizations which assisted with the development and preservation of the Iams Homestead property. Names will be engraved on bricks in walkways around the Iams House.

Bricks come in three sizes: standard 4" X 8" paving brick ($50.00); 8" X 8" paving brick ($100.00); and a 12" X 12" marble brick which is by special order. Contact Ralph Kuester at 937-837-0355 for further information or go to Go to http://www.trotwood.org/pdf/brick_order_form.pdf to download an order form