George B. Hitchcock House

06/01/2026

Today’s ’Face of the Hitchcock House’ is our Board member, Mark Clark, who calls himself our worker bee & he definitely is! We’re so thankful for his expertise!

I have been on the board around 20 years.
My favorite color is blue.
Favorite food is ham balls.
Favorite scent is hickory smoke BBQ.
I am more of a worker bee. So I enjoy working on and maintaining both the Hitchcock House and the Ferry house.

05/31/2026

Today’s ‘Face of the Hitchcock House’ is our rockstar Caretaker, Robin Loring!
Robin is definitely the one keeping all the parts working together! She is the face you’ll see in the Granary Gift Shop 95% of the time, and does SO much for our site! We are so appreciative of all she does for us!

She also schedules all of our tour guides for our season - that’s 77 days she has to find guides for!

📣(YES we’d love more volunteer guides! Message us if you’re interested!)

Robin has been Caretaker here for 7yrs!
Her favorite color is lime green
Favorite food is steak & sea food
Favorite scent is apple cinnamon
Her favorite part of working with the HH is preserving the history & meeting all the
tourists from other countries.

05/30/2026

Today’s ’Face of the Hitchcock House’ is Kyla Amos... the face behind this page..so it's sort of weird to be writing about myself! Hello!
I am currently serving for the second year as the Advisory Board President. I also maintain our webpage & this page, as well as create The Banner newsletter twice per year.

How long have you been volunteering with the Hitchcock House? I'm not sure! I've been on the Board for 5-6 years maybe? I will fill in as a tour guide if absolutely needed, but believe me, our other guides are so much better! 🙂

Favorite color? Brown
Favorite food? Does coffee count? Favorite food is Chinese
Favorite holiday? Christmas
Favorite Scent? Again - coffee! Or coconut
What's the best part about volunteering for the HH? Feeling a connection to family roots. My ancestors, the Conrads were some of, if not the first, white settlers to make a land claim outside of Lewis (in the town that was called Indiantown) just north of the Hitchcock House. They lived there during the same time as the Hitchcocks. I'd love to know how their lives intersected!

05/29/2026

Today’s ’Face of the Hitchcock House is guide & former Board member Mary Hoegh!

Mary wins the award for being with us the longest!

How long have you been volunteering ? 23 years
Favorite color..blue
Favorite scent..new babies
Best part of volunteering..sharing the story. My Mothers great Uncle, helped to move first freedom seekers out of Tabor heading to Lewis.

05/28/2026

Today’s ’Face of the Hitchcock House’ is Marsha Bierbaum, Board Treasurer & guide!

How long have you been a volunteer with the Hitchcock House? 4 years
Favorite color? purple
Favorite Food? Chocolate
Favorite Holiday? Easter
Favorite Scent? Vanilla Bean
Favorite part of volunteering with the Hitchcock House? Meeting visitors from all parts of the world

05/27/2026

Today’s ’Face of the Hitchcock House’ is guide Becky Petty!

Becky hasn’t counted the years she’s been with us, but it’s been for a long time! She started her volunteering with us in the Barn for Pioneer Skills weekends. If you remember Dana Kunze, she is his sister. I have heard her blame him for getting her involved here, but we’re so glad she said yes!

Favorite Colors..blue and dark red
Favorite Food..ice cream.. any flavor
Favorite Holiday...Easter
Favorite Scent..Apple cinnamon
Best part of volunteering...meeting people, sharing the great history we have,...and working with our Caretaker Robin😊

05/26/2026

Today’s ’Face of the Hitchcock House’ is Jay Denne!
New Board member & guide!

How long have you been volunteering with the Hitchcock House? This is my first year on the Board, and I hope to also be a guide at least a few times each summer.

Favorite color? Cardinal Red (Go Cyclones and USD Coyotes)

Favorite food? Aebleskiver

Favorite holiday? Easter

Favorite Scent? The smell of an antique book (as long as it is not too musty)

What's the best part about volunteering for the HH? Our family farm is just across the river to the south of the Hitchcock House, so I love learning about the history of the area where I grew up. As a kid, I used to imagine what it would have been like for escaped slaves to travel across our land to get to the Hitchcock House.

05/25/2026

Today's 'Face of the Hitchcock House' is Michelle Hartfield!

Fun fact; I'm a US Navy Retiree.

Sharing the story of how this family risked everything to assist fugitive slaves to safety, has been my pleasure since the 90's. My mother was the caretaker at the Hitchcock House for over seven years. She inspired me to join the outstanding team of tour guides and I'm doing my best to carry on her legacy. It is my honor to share an important part of Iowa history we can all be proud of.

05/24/2026

Today's 'Face of the Hitchcock House' is Lora Kanning! You might also know her from Cass County Conservation!

Fun Facts about me:
How long have you been volunteering with the Hitchcock House? 2008, Fun fact my husband Rick was Caretaker of the Hitchcock House from 2008-2010 so tour guiding I could hang out with him even more!
Favorite color? Purple
Favorite food? Shrimp
Favorite holiday? Christmas even though my birthday is Christmas Eve.
Favorite Scent? Fruity?
What's the best part about volunteering? As I went to college to be an interpreter, tour guiding is a fun use of those skills that I don't use when I am working as the Cass County Naturalist.

02/05/2026

A look back at John Brown's first week of February in 1859. His final trek across Iowa

The Freedom Trail is the path taken by abolitionist John Brown on his last trip across Iowa. Brown, who made several trips across Iowa to…