Macedonia Historical Preservation Society

Macedonia Historical Preservation Society Macedonia Historical Preservation Society is a non-profit community organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Macedonia, Iowa.

08/30/2026

Red, White & Donia! September 11 - 13!

Are you planning your parade entry for the 75th Anniversary of Donia Days and America's 250th Birthday?

This year's parade theme is Red, White & Donia - a celebration of our nation's history and 75 years of Donia Days. How about recreating this float from 1957? Ralph McCready and Harry Summit won 1st place in their parade entry.

We invite families, alumni groups, businesses, organizations, churches, clubs, schools, and individuals to join the fun by entering the Donia Days Parade on Saturday, September 12!

Cash prizes will be awarded!
1st Place: $300
2nd Place: $200

Judges will be looking for the parade entries that best capture the Red, White & Donia theme through:
Originality
Creativity
Overall Presentation

We encourage participants to showcase patriotic colors, historical elements, and hometown pride as we honor 250 years of America and 75 wonderful years of Donia Days!

Whether you build a float, decorate a vehicle, march as a group, or create something completely unique, this is your chance to help make this year's parade one of the most memorable yet!

Let's fill Main Street with red, white, blue...and plenty of Donia spirit!

Stay tuned for more Donia Days information and start gathering your ideas today!

All Aboard for Donia Days, 1951!The very first Donia Days began in September 1951, when the Sigma Gamma Club organized a...
08/30/2026

All Aboard for Donia Days, 1951!

The very first Donia Days began in September 1951, when the Sigma Gamma Club organized a community celebration simply called Macedonia Day. And they certainly didn't start small!

Instead of choosing one parade theme, organizers created a 25-entry timeline telling the history of Macedonia, with each entry portraying a different chapter of the town's past.

One of the biggest turning points came in 1880 with the arrival of the CB&Q Railroad. The railroad bypassed Old Macedonia along the Nishnabotna River, prompting the town to relocate east to the site of present-day Macedonia.

The Macedonia 8th grade class brought that story to life with this wonderful entry, appropriately named “The Railroad Came.” They created their own miniature steam locomotive, complete with smokestack, cab, and wheels.

Quite an accomplishment for a group of 8th graders, and a great example of the creativity that has been part of Donia Days from the very beginning! As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of Donia Days and America's 250th Birthday September 11 - 13, what will this year's parade entries look like? Anyone... individuals, families, organizations can join the fun, and perhaps build your own version of a steam locomotive.

These Little Wedges Held Up a Macedonia Landmark!These heavy iron wedges once helped hold together the massive timbers o...
08/29/2026

These Little Wedges Held Up a Macedonia Landmark!

These heavy iron wedges once helped hold together the massive timbers of Macedonia’s wooden railroad bridge on Main Street. The pencil gives you an idea of their size and weight!

The bridge was built over the CB&Q tracks in 1880 and stood between Woodmancy and Potter Streets for nearly a century. The iron hardware was used to secure and tighten the large wooden timbers. Driven firmly into place, they became small but important parts of a structure strong enough to carry generations of wagons, automobiles, school buses and even those unforgettable quarry trucks.

When the bridge was removed in 1977, most of that familiar landmark disappeared. Fortunately, some of its ironwork survived.

Today these wedges are on display at the Pioneer Trail Museum, a tangible piece of the bridge many Donia residents still remember bouncing across! The museum is open today (Saturday) 11 AM - 2 PM.

Take a close look at the second photo and imagine where these pieces once fit into that maze of heavy timbers.

Tonight! It's Throwback Thursday and we're going back to 75 years ago as we revisit the colorful Donia Day parades throu...
08/27/2026

Tonight! It's Throwback Thursday and we're going back to 75 years ago as we revisit the colorful Donia Day parades through lots of historic photographs dating back to 1951. You'll see beautifully decorated floats and adorable kiddie parade entries like this one. Can you guess who this is? You'll see lots of familiar faces (maybe yours!) Don't miss it.

Join us TOMORROW during Throwback Thursday as we revisit the colorful Donia Day parades through lots of historic photogr...
08/27/2026

Join us TOMORROW during Throwback Thursday as we revisit the colorful Donia Day parades through lots of historic photographs dating back to 1951. You'll see beautifully decorated floats, adorable kiddie parade entries, and lots of familiar faces (maybe yours!) Don't miss it.

If you were a 9- to 15-year-old Donia kid in 1963, chances are you knew your foxtrot from your cha-cha!Thanks to Dale Ho...
08/23/2026

If you were a 9- to 15-year-old Donia kid in 1963, chances are you knew your foxtrot from your cha-cha!

Thanks to Dale Hobson and other local parents, Bill Larkin from Red Oak's Larkin Dance Studio came to Macedonia to teach lessons at the firehouse. And Donia turned out to dance, 50 elementary and junior high students plus 20 high school students learned the foxtrot, waltz, twist, cha-cha and other popular dances.

These kids didn't just practice, they performed! Dance teams entertained at Donia Day, neighboring communities, and even on local TV.

For the 1963 Donia Day parade, the young dancers selected Steve Koehler and Tracy Husz as their King and Queen. Their royal court included princesses Janice Mueller, Debbie Schwinderman, Becky Husz, Ruth Ann Norton, Marianne Pilling, Beverly Colman, Ginger Hobson, Cheryl Crisler and Paula Pilling, along with princes Bob Husz, Kenton Moss, Steve Husz, Jim Bolton, Greg Hobson, Kevin Falk, Terry Pullen, Eugene Galitz and Bob Achenbaugh.

Pictured are the King and Queen riding their royalty float in the 1963 Donia Day parade.

Were you one of Donia's young ballroom dancers? Which dance was your favorite, and do you still remember the steps?

Made to March and Made to Last!This handmade Macedonia High School majorette uniform from the 1950s is a fun piece of Do...
08/22/2026

Made to March and Made to Last!

This handmade Macedonia High School majorette uniform from the 1950s is a fun piece of Donia school history on display at the Pioneer Trail Museum.

Made in the school colors of green and white satin, the uniform features a pleated skirt and cross-front bib fastened with snaps. Hope Cleveland handmade and tailored the uniforms to fit each majorette. Since they belonged to the school, they were passed down from one baton twirler to the next and altered as needed.

And caring for that satin took some work - cold-water washing, line drying, and ironing!

The second photo shows the Macedonia School majorettes proudly wearing their uniforms with the band in 1956.

Do you recognize any of the majorettes?

The Pioneer Trail Museum is open today and every Saturday this summer from 11 AM - 2 PM.

Join us during Throwback Thursday as we revisit the colorful Donia Day parades through lots of historic photographs dati...
08/21/2026

Join us during Throwback Thursday as we revisit the colorful Donia Day parades through lots of historic photographs dating back to 1951. You'll see beautifully decorated floats, adorable kiddie parade entries, and lots of familiar faces (maybe yours!) Don't miss it.

Six young Macedonia mothers gathered with their little ones for this cute photo taken more than a century ago. Based on ...
08/16/2026

Six young Macedonia mothers gathered with their little ones for this cute photo taken more than a century ago. Based on the women's identities and ages of some of the children, we believe it dates to about 1922–1923.

We don't know what brought everyone together. Perhaps it was a church or club gathering, an afternoon visit among friends and neighbors, or maybe someone simply decided that six mothers and their babies deserved a photograph!

The back of the photo identifies the women: Front: Marie Stempel, Marguerite Smith, (unknown); Back: Lucille Smith, Zelda Casson, Ruth Pilling

Does anyone recognize the house in the background?

This Edison Diamond Disc Phonograph in the Pioneer Trail Museum brought recorded music into a family’s living room more ...
08/15/2026

This Edison Diamond Disc Phonograph in the Pioneer Trail Museum brought recorded music into a family’s living room more than a century ago. The medallion inside identifies it as a Model 250, one of Thomas Edison’s Diamond Disc machines from the early 20th century.

Instead of plugging it in, the owner wound the phonograph by hand. A special diamond-tipped reproducer followed the grooves of a thick Edison record, and the sound was amplified acoustically through a horn concealed inside the cabinet.

Our phonograph also includes several original records, giving us a small collection of the music people once gathered around to hear at home.

And this one, donated by Shirley Hartman, still plays! We’ll include a short recorded clip so you can hear what an Edison Diamond Disc sounded like more than a century ago.

Next time you visit the museum, take a closer look at this remarkable piece of early home entertainment. We're open today and every Saturday this summer from 11 AM - 2 PM.

Address

Macedonia, IA
51549

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 5pm
Tuesday 7am - 5pm
Wednesday 7am - 5pm
Thursday 7am - 5pm
Friday 7am - 5pm

Telephone

(712) 486-2568

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Macedonia Historical Preservation Society posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category