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Salem Old Settlers celebrates 142 years with food, fun, and family
From water fights and pedal pulls to music, food, and family reunions, Old Settlers continues to bring generations together
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SALEM — For 142 years, Salem residents have gathered at the end of August to celebrate Old Settlers, and this year’s theme, “Alive in 2025,” rang true as families, neighbors, and friends filled the park and streets for a weekend of food, music, games, and tradition.
The park buzzed with energy all weekend. Carnival rides lit up the evenings while the smell of ham and beans drifted from the serving line. Children laughed in bounce houses, friends reconnected over pancake breakfasts, and neighbors lingered under shady trees to swap stories. Everywhere you looked, generations shared the space together.
The Salem Fire and Rescue water fights certainly featured some of that togetherness as a crowd cheered on cousins and classmates competing side by side.
“You’re gonna have to get up there and get wet if you want to win,” announcer Kevin Nichting called as firefighters prepared hoses in front of the library.
Those competing didn’t hesitate to follow Nichting’s prompting and nearly everyone left the water fights soaked, smiling, and ready for more.
Six-year-old Eleanor Kramer said her favorite part was simply, “getting sprayed.”
While she didn’t win her round this time — her cousin Joey Fedler did — but she was already excited to try again next year.
For parents like Rhonda White, watching those contests is about more than competition. It’s about continuity.
“We grew up running around these grounds, and now our kids are running around,” she said, smiling as her children waited their turn. “Everything feels super lively during Old Settlers. It’s like the cycle continues every year.”
Even within her own family-unit, White appreciated the passage of time and tradition as she saw her youngest, Mykey, competing at six years old. As she waited for her next child to be called up to compete she looked up photos of her now 14-year-old Micah doing the same at only seven years old.
That sense of continuity is built into the traditions themselves. At the 65-and-older registration table, longtime residents signed in and reconnected, adding their names to a record that stretches back decades. Cheryl Sanders, helping at the table, said it captures Salem’s pride in where it came from.
“History is important,” she said. “People here are proud of it.”
For others, Old Settlers is about seeing how those traditions still feel fresh.
“Back then it was a family town, and it still is,” said Margaret Savage-Carlson, reflecting on the community spirit that has endured through changing times. “A lot of people come here to raise their families.”
And that is the real heartbeat of Old Settlers: the way it ties together Salem’s history with the families and friendships that define it today. From the kids lining up for pedal pulls, to the elders checking in at the registration table, to the volunteers serving meals and running games, everyone plays a role in keeping the town’s story alive.
“The committee thanks you for coming out to celebrate our 142nd year,” the Old Settlers Committee said in a statement released to social media. “The weather was perfect, the food was great, the entertainment was awesome and lots of wonderful memories were made.”
At its heart, Old Settlers has always been more than a festival. It is where Salem’s past, present, and future come together in the same place, reminding the town of who it has been — and who it still is.
Results
Water Fights
- 8 and under: 1st — Levi Schinstock; 2nd — Joey Fedler; 3rd — Grayson Nichting
- 9—12 years old: 1st — Joselyn Swinscoe; 2nd — Carson Yocum; 3rd — Taelyn Hornbeck
- 13 and up: 1st — Hailey Swinscoe; 2nd — Kinley Nichting; 3rd — Micah White
Pedal Pull
- First heat (29 lbs. & under): 1st — Emmett Johnson (Washington); 2nd — Ember Brown (Fairfield); 3rd — Joey Brown (Mt. Pleasant); 4th — Vance Andermann (Salem); 5th — Hudson Millard (NL); 6th — Graham Hultman (Mt. Pleasant); 7th — Pardon Pidgeon (Salem); 8th — Daniel Hill (NL); 9th — Maggie Detrick (Mt. Pleasant); 10th — Graham Garnett (Mt. Pleasant)
- Second heat (30—40 lbs.): 1st — Mykal White (Stockport); 2nd — Lexy Hummell (Salem); 3rd — Marliss Boone (Salem); 4th — Jax Hultman (Mt. Pleasant); 5th — Asher Offerman (Rome); 6th — Sincere Coffin (Solon); 7th — Fallyn Callaway (Stockport); 8th — Anna Helterbran (Salem); 9th — Benni Hill (NL); 10th — Jolie Roen (Mt. Pleasant)
- Third heat (41—50 lbs.): 1st — Cooper Mason (Salem); 2nd — Sophia Dickerson (Salem); 3rd — Elsie Coffin (Mt. Pleasant); 4th — Joey Fedler (Salem); 5th — AJ Hummell (Salem); 6th — Izaak Kramer (Salem); 7th — Kolter Johnson (Washington); 8th — Collins Callaway (Stockport); 9th — Atlas Detrick (Mt. Pleasant); 10th — Elinor Kramer (Salem)
- Fourth heat (51—60 lbs.): 1st — Eli Coffin (Mt. Pleasant); 2nd — Emerson Lydolph (Hillsboro); 3rd — Maggie Brown (Mt. Pleasant); 4th — Kipp Hogan (Houghton); 5th — Max Detrick (Mt. Pleasant); 6th — Bo Taylor (Mt. Pleasant); 7th — Easton Stewart (Mt. Pleasant); 8th — AJ Helterbran (Salem); 9th — Mylee Swinscoe (Salem); 10th — Grayslyn Beason (Salem)
- Fifth heat (61—70 lbs.): 1st — Jackson Hummell (Salem); 2nd — Letta Ludwig (Hillsboro); 3rd — Maverick Pidgeon (Salem); 4th — Karlee Swinscoe (Salem); 5th — Lauren Hoyer (Winfield); 6th — Hannah Hoyer (Winfield); 7th — Easton Brown (Fairfield); 8th — Danny Merkens (Salem); 9th — Josie Hoyer (Houghton); 10th — Teigan Johnson (Washington)
- Sixth heat (71—80 lbs.): 1st — Ivy Mitchell (Ollie); 2nd — Mahlee White (Stockport); 3rd — Klara Shelby (Mt. Pleasant); 4th — Emary Hart (Stockport); 5th — Logan Schinstock (Salem); 6th — Lailah Swinscoe (Salem); 7th — Abby Helterbran (Salem)
- Seventh heat (81—100 lbs.): 1st — Penniah Pidgeon (Salem); 2nd — Eli Brown (Fairfield); 3rd — Kaleb Shelby (Mt. Pleasant); 4th — James Coffin (Mt. Pleasant); 5th — Alura Rohde (Stockport); 6th — Alaina Rohde (Stockport); 7th — Levi Schinstock (Salem); 8th — Kassidy Nichting (Lockridge); 9th — Maddie Ledbetter (Salem); 10th — Charlotte Winter (Birmingham)
Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com
