Clay County Heritage

06/17/2026

06/17/2026

A small Iowa city turns into a giant Midwest fair tradition, and the story behind it is bigger than the midway. River-town charm, a lively downtown, fair food, livestock shows, and serious local pride make this place worth knowing before the crowds arrive.

06/17/2026

WE'RE ON THE FINAL PUSH FOR HISTORY GATHERING & SPONSORSHIPS! Things are coming together for our Clay County 175th Anniversary Exhibition. We're working like mad hatters to bring this exhibit together. 😁

ARTIFACTS AND IMAGES: We're asking county residents for the final bits of historic information - images, stories, and artifacts - from your communities (within Clay County) that will fit within the parameters of the exhibit. THINK INCEPTION & EARLY YEARS of our communities, including the late 1800s and early 1900s for this exhibit. We're venturing as late as the 1930s or so. If you have something you feel is worth sharing, give me at call! We're happy to make scans of your images ON THE SPOT if you stop into the Heritage with images we can use.

SPONSORS: We don't want to miss any businesses, individuals, or groups interested in helping to financially sponsor this exhibit. We've had a great run of support from our area's service clubs lately. It's been awesome to see these groups recognize the value of the exhibit for the benefit of our ENTIRE COUNTY. Thank you for sharing your hard-earned funds to make this exhibit happen. We're happy to share with your group as well. Sunday, we're headed to Peterson to visit with the Lions Club and this past Monday we shared with the Daybreakers Kiwanis about the exhibit.

We've had an amazing group of area businesses and individuals step up to the plate to help sponsor the event as well. We're adding them daily to our website. These businesses are making it happen! BLESS YOU! We don't want your business or group to miss this chance to help support The Heritage Center as we work to share and interpret our local history for this project. Give Susan a call at the Museum if you'd like to know more.

REMEMBER: The Clay County 175th Anniversary Exhibition will be on display at the Heritage Center in Spencer from Summer 2026 (late July or early August) to Summer 2027 and will remain open and on display for FREE tours the entire year, compliments of Spencer Hy-Vee, which covers the cost of admission. We are eager to launch and share the marvelous stories we've collected, reminding us of the amazing history of Clay County Iowa! 😁

Give us a call at the Heritage Center if you have questions or would like to visit about the project: 712.262.3304 (museum) or 712.260.1595 (Susan's cell).

*THIS IMAGE is of the stagecoach routes that 'once were' in Clay and surrounding counties - pre railroad in Clay County!

06/15/2026

Memories from the Parker Museum Garden Party 2026 . . .

06/15/2026

BIG THANKS to the Daybreakers Kiwanis Club for their recent support of the Clay County 175th Anniversary Exhibition, set to open later this summer at the Heritage Center. We appreciate the continued support of this important county-wide project.

Shayla Sanderson, exhibit assistant, and Susan Christensen, interim director, shared details with the group about our upcoming exhibition along with some cool local artifacts during today’s Kiwanis meeting.

06/15/2026

Tours at the Parker during our Flagfest Garden Party. Thanks for coming out today, Friends. It was a lovely day.

06/14/2026

Parker Museum Garden Party is today from 1-3 p.m. You won’t want to miss this 1919 Cadillac parked in the driveway. 😁

06/12/2026

Gillett Grove, friends! A generous man stopped into the Heritage Ceneter and dropped off copies of some Gillett Grove pictures. I need to visit with him for gleaning additional information. If anybody knows who might’ve dropped these off, would you have him call Susan Christensen at 712. 260. 1595. 😊

06/11/2026

ALL THINGS PATRIOTIC! June's Heritage Center Quilt Auction is the perfect lap quilt for Flagfest weekend. This lovely red, white and blue quilt was made and donated by Amy Becker to benefit the Heritage Center. It will be on display at the Parker Museum this Sunday, June 14 during our Garden Party and Open House from 1-3 p.m. for viewing and bidding. Bidding can be done online through www.bigirongives.com .

After Flagfest, the patriotic quilt will remain on display in the Heritage Center's Dvergsten Gallery until the end of the month. Come check it out and bid online!

06/11/2026

It's FLAGFEST WEEK and we're excited to be a part of the weekend's festivities. We hope to see you at the Parker Garden Party & Open House on Sunday, June 14 from 1-3 p.m. at 300 E. Third St., Spencer.

Make sure you find a good shady spot for the best view of the Flagfest parade. Speaking of Spencer parades . . . check out this blast from the past: first prize pony parade entry from 118 years ago, June 1908. The name on the postcard reads "Birdsall".