Jones County, IA Historical Society & Edinburgh Pioneer Village

07/18/2026

Thank you, Ohnward Bank and Trust!

Ohnward Bank and Trust has a summer leadership program that has been active for the past 12 years, with the goal of giving students interested in banking the opportunity to collaborate with professionals in the field. These interns have to work on both a corporate project for internal use and a community project.

This summer, the seven interns chose to work with the Jones County Historical Society, specifically at Edinburgh Pioneer Village. Today we installed poster biographies on the buildings to provide visitors with some historical backgrounds if there are no tour guides present. In addition the interns took our self guided tour brochure, added color pictures made it a trifold and printed a generous number for us ready to hand out. A check for $300 also was presented to the Pioneer Village to help with a roadside signage project.

Special thanks to Savanna Gratny for taking the lead on this project. A nice ceremony was held to present the signage and brochures with refreshments provided in the air-conditioned Norlin Building.

07/17/2026

Stop out Today Friday July 17th!
Thank you to the Interns at Onward Bank.

07/13/2026

07/13/2026

Getting some blooms in Margaret Tallman's garden.

07/13/2026

Please join us this Friday.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/U2wxLrqAL5czAKVj9?g_st=ac

06/14/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18makc9Dv2/

06/13/2026

06/13/2026

Ready to set the stone approximately 2:45 today Saturday June 13th.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tCsFBBDrWqEWKK4H8?g_st=ac

06/11/2026

Monthly meeting Sunday June 14th 4:00pm @ Edinburgh Pioneer Village.

06/09/2026

With the end of the school year, with summer and county fairs quickly approaching the America 250 Iowa Projects continue at a fast pace.
The Iowa Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) members have joined with the General Society of the War of 1812 in the State of Iowa (GSW1812) and the Iowa Department of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) and local citizens throughout Iowa to reach a goal of placing military gravestones on the unmarked graves of at least 76 veterans across Iowa.

This involves identifying, researching and documenting those veterans, submitting a stone application to the VA and then if approved taking delivery the 240 lbs stones and transporting and placing them where needed.

On early Saturday morning two stones and one member will leave Des Moines to take part in a 10:30 am ceremony at the City Cemetery in Fort Madison, Iowa to dedicate a restored marker on the grave of the daughter of Betsy Ross of flag making fame.

From there the first stone will travel 2 1/2 hours to Four Horn Cemetery in Scotch Grove, Iowa to place a stone (around 2:45) on the grave of Joseph Knox, a Civil War veteran who served in Company E of the 3rd Iowa Cavalry, 1864-1865. Rita Balichek and Jim Christianson were instrumental in making this possible one hundred and six years after his death.

The drive will continue and the transportation of another stone heads for Oak Hill Cemetery in Belle Plaine, Iowa. fCharles Bassett, a Civil War veteran of Company H, 43rd Wisconsin Infantry died at the age of 78 after a likely fall from a train. The planned installation is expected around 5:00pm The initial research by Becky Myers made the recognition for this veteran possible after 146 years.

Mike Rowley
Clive, Iowa

This photo is from a stone set in Drakesville earlier this year.