Iowa County’s mysterious author, vintage wedding display are summer highlights at Pioneer Museum

Fans of the Nancy Drew mystery series, vintage wedding dress enthusiasts and anyone interested in the health care options available before Compass Memorial Healthcare was established will want to visit the Pioneer Heritage Museum, Marengo, this summer. The museum kicked off the season on June 3 with a cookout and volunteers are excited about the new displays that offer new insights to the people and establishments who called Iowa County home over the years.

Museum hours are 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. New this summer is the addition of coffee and cookies during Saturday morning hours. Exhibits may also be viewed by appointment by calling (319) 642-7018. The museum is located at 675 East South St., Marengo.

Mildred Augustine Wirt Benson

Fans of the Nancy Drew mystery series, written in the 1930s and 40s, may recognize the name of author Carolyn Keene but not that of Mildred Augustine Wirt Benson. Born in Ladora on July 10, 1905, Benson was a journalist, adventurer and author who wrote 23 of the 30-title Nancy Drew series under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. While the series was initially credited to several different authors, a 1993 court case brought the original author and her Iowa County roots to light.

Iowa County Historical Society (ICHS) board member Patty Hinrich noted the popularity of the books and their connection to Iowa County made it an obvious choice for an exhibit.

“Girls loved the books,” said Hinrich. “They were fun and adventurous and all the things we wanted to be growing up.”

Benson was the first person to earn a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Iowa, rode a motorcycle, earned her pilot’s license and explored Mayan ruins in Central America. Her zest for life carried into writing the Nancy Drew stories, where she created a confident, adventurous heroine young readers have loved through the decades.

Since Benson was a graduate of the University of Iowa, many of her personal effects had been given to the women’s archives at the school. Although the ICHS contacted the women’s archives at UI, their requests to borrow artifacts was, not unexpectedly, turned down. However, Lois (Augustine) Kovar owns the Augustine home in Ladora where Benson grew up. When the ICHS approached her to ask if they could borrow items for a museum display, she was glad to help and shared many of the items still in place at the home.

The museum exhibit includes historic photos, items from the Nancy Drew conference held at the UI in 1993 and copies of several books Benson authored.

For more information about Mildred’s adventurous life and her role in penning the Nancy Drew mysteries, visit https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa/mildred/

Wedding dresses

Although the museum has a collection of wedding dresses, only one had been on display and the rest were in storage. This summer, all 16 wedding gowns, ranging from the mid-1800s to the 1960s and all with connections to Iowa County families, are displayed with information identifying the wearer and the year. Several of the gowns are accompanied by photos of the bride and groom.

Not all of the gowns are white and visitors may be surprised to find wedding fashions in the 1800s and early 1900s bore little resemblance to choices made by modern brides. The gowns at the museum range from white and ivory to navy blue, mauve and brown and ivory striped.

“Queen Victoria was the first to wear white at her wedding,” said Hinrichs. The queen was married in 1840 and that began the trend of brides wearing white. Before that, women simply donned their best dress for the big day. If a woman chose to have a dress made specially for the day, she may have done so with an eye to the future and chosen a fabric, color and style that could be repurposed for wear beyond the wedding.

The exhibit is proving popular, Hinrichs noted.

“We had some ladies come through and recognize the gowns,” she said. “They told us “I was at that wedding.’”

Marengo’s Hospitals

New material exploring the different hospitals in Marengo that preceded the current Compass Memorial Healthcare has been added to the museum’s permanent health care display. Susan Kreis, Marengo, donated the nursing diploma her aunt, Pauline Obermueller, received for graduating from the Mineral Springs Hospital Training School for Nurses, Marengo, in 1924. Obermueller went on to have a long career as an obstetrics nurse.

Additional photos and documentation highlight the Mineral Springs Hospital, Watts Hospital and Marengo Memorial Hospital.

In the 1800s, Marengo was home to four wells considered mineral springs. The water was believed to have healing powers and the Mineral Springs Hospital (built at the northeast corner of Main and Court streets, where Black Wall Fitness is currently located) offered mineral pools where people could cure their aches and ills.

Watts Hospital on Washington Street was originally a private home. The building was expanded when it went into use as a hospital, then it became a nursing facility before closing. It now houses multiple apartments.

If you miss the exhibits this summer, Hinrichs noted the ICHS may display a few of the wedding gowns in the office windows of Dr. James Demro’s dental office on Court Avenue this fall. Additional exhibits may follow as part of a plan to offer rotating window displays throughout the downtown.

Comments: Melinda.Wichmann@southeastiowaunion.com