News : Limited edition Red Cedar River prints available at Farmers Savings Bank & Trust

Therese Foth and the Red Cedar print

Close-up of the print and frame

At Farmer’s Savings Bank & Trust is a framed, limited edition print available for purchase. Profits from sales of the prints are intended to finish fundraising for the “Celebrate The Cedar River Project.” The run is limited to 50 prints and buyers will receive a numbered print from that run. “Our hope,” says Brian Parr, one of the local citizens working on the project, “is that many years from now these prints will continue keeping our community’s knowledge of the lore and legend of the river from disappearing. That’s why we’re offering them in a wood frame and under glass; we want them to be displayed proudly and to last a long, long time.”

The prints are on sale for $500 each. Therese Foth will be taking orders at Farmer’s Savings Bank starting Monday, May 9th. Delivery will be made at the unveiling of the project on Friday, June 17th, at Celebration Park. The group will host a picnic at the park featuring Merchant’s Grilling and supported with a free-will donation.

The story of the “Celebrate The Cedar River Project” has almost as many twists and turns as the river itself.

Vinton residents Bob and Ann Harrison have enjoyed the Cedar River for many years. Bob fished and the couple often boated on the Cedar, sometimes leaving from their cabin at what has been called Norwood’s fish camp, a name from the 1930’s and a place where in years past girl scouts would stay for a week at a time.

They both realized that the stories of life along the river would soon be lost with the passing of the current generation. In many cases today’s generation learned stories and lore from their parents, aunts and uncles, no longer walking the banks or paddling the current of the Cedar.

Gone would be names of landmarks like Horse Thief Caves, Linger Longer and many others along the river’s banks. Gone would be the family stories, handed down through generations, of the days when Native Americans still lived along the river and traded with their Grandparents and Great-Grandparents.

It is difficult now to fathom the importance the river once had for those living along its banks. For Native Americans it was an important source of food and provided fast transportation between seasonal camps. For the Europeans settling here the river was the major transportation network, a source of food and employment. A button factory in town once produced millions of buttons and many people now in their 60’s or older remember how common it once was to find clam shells along the riverbank with holes in them from button manufacture.

Over many years Ann would occasionally mention to various individuals and groups her fear that the heritage of life on the river would be lost with the passing of the next generation. Her words didn’t lead to action until one day she mentioned her thoughts to Don Eells at a meeting of the Virginia Gay Hospital Foundation Board.

Don has been actively involved with the Vinton Community Foundation - Fine Arts Guild in Vinton and immediately took an interest in the project. Local artist and craftsman Brian Parr was interested, as were a few other members of the community. By the time of the first meeting in the summer of 2015, the group included Ann and Bob Harrison, Dick and Joyce Kenny, Bob LaGrange, Russ Glime, Bart Klinzing, Jody Herger, Don Eells, Brian Parr, Chuck Meridith and Therese Foth.

The group met regularly over a period of nine months, discussing ideas and exchanging stories. “There was a lot of time spent on “big fish” stories during those early meetings,” says Ann with a smile, “but all those stories were part of what brought us to where we are with the project today.”

The group decided to construct a pavilion along the Cedar at Celebration Park. Their project was met with enthusiasm by the Vinton Park and Recreation Department. “I would like to express our group’s appreciation for Vinton Park and Recreation, the Benton Historical Society and the Department of Natural Resources” explained Ann, “because without their approval and assistance this project wouldn’t have been possible. We also owe a lot to Bobbie Hendryx of Monkeytown who took our stack of photos and hodge-podge of ideas and put them together in a way that’s both beautiful to see and informative. Thanks also need to go to Beau Wood of Tharp Design. Beau and Tharp’s were responsible for turning Bobbie’s design into the 20 foot display of the river that will be housed in a pavilion at Celebration Park.”

In the pavilion will be an aluminum panel showing the Cedar River’s flow through Benton County from the Mt. Auburn bridge to the bridge south of Urbana. Nearly 20 feet in length, the display will show more than thirty “points of interest” along the river’s course. Beau Wood is working on the other side and on the end caps where there will be additional items of interest about the river, including photos of early bridges, wildlife living along the river and information about the major floods that have occurred. There will be information about Native American life along the river and about the nearly 1,400 acre area known as Dudgeon just across the river from Vinton.

The group has raised slightly more than $49,000, all from private donations. They hope to raise enough to finish the project and offset future maintenance costs with a strong finish to the project.

To put your name in to purchase one of the limited edition prints, ask for Therese at Farmer’s Savings Bank & Trust or mail her at the postal address below. Those wanting to purchase a print can also email Therese at Tfoth@FSB-Vinton.com. Please tell Therese how you wish to pay for your print in your email. Prints are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis on the date payment is received.

To make a general contribution to the project please send any checks to: VCF-Celebrate the Red Cedar Project c/o Therese Foth, Farmer’s Savings Bank and Trust, 401 B. Avenue, Vinton, IA 52349.

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