Et cetera : \'Partnering\' to be another theme for CP Historical Society

The Center Point Historical Society chose the Civil War as their museum and activity theme for 2013 but at its regular March meeting “partnering” turned out to run a close second.

Melissa Atkinson, city clerk, and Carrie Wilkinson of Center Point Economic Development attended the meeting. The Historical Society, at Melissa’s invitation, will be providing photographs and artifacts from the Museum collection for rotating displays at City Hall.

Carrie invited the Museum to participate in a Cedar Valley Nature Trail special bike ride, Saturday, May 4, celebrating the reopening of the LaPorte City trail bridge which was destroyed in the 2008 flood. The group voted to have the Depot Museum open from 8 to 10 a.m. and from 2 to 4 p.m. that day of the Bridge to Bridge ride, which is being sponsored by LaPorte City.

Historical Society members also finalized plans for this year’s County Historic Preservation grant application. The Society plans to partner with the Linn County Conservation Department on fire and security protection for the Depot Museum building. The Conservation Department owns the 1914 Waterloo, Cedar Falls & Northern electric railroad depot in which houses the Historical Society museum.

The March meeting wasn’t all work—the group played with the newly restored 1923 player piano, too. The player piano was restored with the help of last year’s grant from the Linn County Historic Preservation Commission and Linn County Supervisors. The Museum’s grand opening of the year will be Sunday, May 5, from 2 to 4, with a Player Piano Party.

The Historical Society will have special workdays each Saturday in April from 9 to noon for Museum spring cleaning and display set up. (There will undoubtedly be frequent breaks for playing that fun piano, too.)

Historical Society meetings are 7 p.m. the last Tuesday of the month at the Depot Museum.