History projects win grants

A dozen history-related projects statewide will split about a million dollars in grants from the State Historical Society of Iowa. Cynthia Nieb, the society’s grant programs director, says 100-thousand dollars is going to the planned Glenn Miller Museum in the bandleader’s birthplace of Clarinda.Nieb says the projects are all wonderful examples of how vital our local history is to the very identities of our communities. Nieb says another 100-thousand dollar grant is going to the historic Pottawattamie County “Squirrel Cage” Jail, which was built in 1885.The jail, now a museum, is one of 17 revolving jails in the nation and is the only three-story revolving jail ever built. Nieb says the 980-thousand dollars in grants are dedicated to preserving and conserving historic sites across the Hawkeye State. Also winning grants this year are:$44,350 to Dallas County for the Elks Building in Perry$100,000 to Dubuque for railroad depot restoration$62,150 to Dubuque for the Grand Opera House facade and lobby$40,000 to Iowa Falls for the Carnegie-Ellsworth Building$74,500 to Amana for the Homestead General Store Site$100,000 for the Lewis & Clark Visitor Center in Monona County$100,000 for the Hoyt Sherman Place Theatre in Des Moines$100,000 to Grinnell for the Spaulding Site Acquisition Project$59,000 for the Bentonsport Pedestrian Bridge repair$100,000 to Indianola for expansion of the National Balloon Museum