Jackson County Iowa Historical Society

11/02/2026

Brown Bag Lunch on Tuesday, November 3rd: We will look ahead to the upcoming holiday season with a program by Don Wentworth. During this 250th year of our nation, we will hear about THANKSGIVINGS through those many years: A holiday that is ours alone, with traditions that have come down through the decades. And hopefully, some will share special traditions that their family enjoys each November. So bring your lunch, and come to the County Museum on the Fairgrounds from noon until 1. We'll have coffee and treats! And while you are there - don't forget to walk next door and vote. That is a very special privilege that we should each be thankful for!

10/28/2026

Brown Bag Lunches Online update:

The videos for the October 20th and 27th Brown Bag Lunch presentations are now online.

📺 "$10 Casket and $3 Robe - Iowa’s Poor Farm Cemeteries" by Doug Elam from Oct 20th.
📺 "Suffragist or Suffragette? Common Goal, Different Methods" by Michelle Johnson from Oct 27th.
✅ Also, the video link for "The Wonderful World of Bees" by David Johnson from Oct 13th has been corrected.

Check them out along with our other content at A Compendium of Jackson County History at

Curated digitized artifacts from the collections of the Jackson County Iowa Historical Society and its museums.

10/26/2026

Brown Bag Lunch on Tuesday, October 27th will be timely. With the upcoming election, let’s learn a bit more about how women became equals with
men at the voting booth. Michelle Johnson, Regent of the local Lawrence Van Hook Chapter, National Society
Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), will present, Suffragist or
Suffragette? Common Goal, Different Methods. We’ll delve into the history of how
the 19 th Amendment came into existence, and the women (and men!) that worked to
make this happen.

Join us at the County Museum on the Fairgrounds from noon until 1:00. Bring your lunch - we'll have coffee and some goodies! It's also possible that Michelle's husband, Dave Johnson, who talked to us about hobby beekeeping a couple weeks ago, might bring some of his lady friends along this time. All depends on the weather!

10/23/2026

10/22/2026

👻 ARE YOU READY FOR A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM? 👻

Step into history after dark and experience the Clinton Engines Museum like never before… if you dare! 🕸️✨

"Night at the Museum: Terror at Clinton Engines" is back for more frights, games, and Halloween fun! Bring the whole family for an unforgettable evening filled with ghostly surprises lurking around every corner.

🗓️ UPCOMING DATES & TIMES:

Friday, October 23, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Saturday, October 24, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
(Missed last weekend? No worries, we have two more nights of spooktacular fun left!)

🎟️ TICKETS (PER NIGHT):

Adults (18 & up): $5.00

Children (includes kids' area with games, music, haunt, & Halloween movie): $5.00

Both Haunts (per person): $10.00

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Special Family Night Rate: $40.00 for a family of five!

📍 LOCATION:
Clinton Engines Site
605 E. Maple St., Maquoketa, IA 52060

🎃 DETAILS:

Costumes are highly encouraged! 🧛‍♂️🧙‍♀️

Family-friendly & open to all ages!

Food will be available for purchase. 🍿🥤

Give back: We encourage participants to bring non-perishable items for donations, if you’re able!

All proceeds go toward the Jackson County Historical Society. Sponsored by the Jackson County Historical Society & Maquoketa Halloween Spooktacular. 🖤

👉 Share this post, invite your friends, and come support a great cause while getting your spook on! See you there! 💀🕷️

10/19/2026

$10 Casket and a $3 Robe - Iowa’s Poor Farm Cemeteries"
They died there—from disease, accidents, old age, and childbirth—by the score, in some cases by the
hundreds, in Iowa’s Poor Farms. Then what? What happened to those who had no family to claim their
earthly remains? Join the Jackson County Historical Society Brown Bag Lunch series on Tuesday, October
20th at noon in the Pearson Memorial Center to find out.

Doug Elam of Cedar Rapids is currently researching that very question, “What happened to them?” in
preparation for publishing a book on the subject. “This is something that most people never think about,”
said Doug, “and those who do, would rather forget.” Having visited more than two thirds of the 97 Poor
Farm locations, Doug has a unique insight that he wishes to share with you. He has tales about the
inmates (yes, they were called ‘inmates’), their living conditions, their deaths and their burials.
Did you know that the Jackson County Poor Farm Cemetery is one of two in the state that is still in use?
There are 99 counties in Iowa and only 97 Poor Farms; what happened there? And, there may be a ghost
story or two to conjure up the spirit of Halloween! Come to discover some of these historical tidbits and
other facets of our history.
Bring your questions and lunch for a “lively” discussion of this fascinating feature of Iowa’s history.

10/15/2026

This week's Brown Bag Lunch presentation "The Wonderful World of Bees" is now online at https://jacksoncohistory.omeka.net/wonderful-world-bees

Also, explore that site to find many other Brown Bag Lunch videos as well as articles and exhibits on Jackson County history.

Curated digitized artifacts from the collections of the Jackson County Iowa Historical Society and its museums.

10/12/2026

The Wonderful World of Bees: A look at Honeybees and Hobby Beekeeping. This is the topic for the Brown Bag Lunch this week! Dave Johnson, from Bellevue will be on hand to tell us about his many thousands of lady friends... and will even bring a few with him for you to enjoy up close and personal! The weather should be perfect as they need to take their road trip to the museum before cold weather sets in. History tells us that the two most necessary people in early settlements were the blacksmith and the beehunter. Honey was their sweetener and they made candles from the beeswax. My how times have changed!!! Join us October 13th for a great program from noon until 1 at the County Museum on the Fairgrounds. Bring your lunch - we'll put the coffee on!

10/06/2026

🎃 NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: Terror at Clinton Engines Museum! 🎃

Get ready for four nights of fright, history, and haunting fun in Maquoketa! Step into history after dark and experience the museum like never before... if you dare! 👻✨

10/05/2026

For decades, Jerry Rasmussen was a presence in Maquoketa; there was hardly a worthy cause in which he wasn't involved. He recorded everything - which earned him the title of "Mr. History"! In June of 1988, when Maquoketa celebrated its Sesquicentennial, a pictorial program of events brought about cries for a history of Maquoketa. So Jerry wrote a great little book in response to that need. Entitled The Maquoketa I Remember, it speaks to the times he remembered best: the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. Join us as we look at many of these great old photos and the stories Jerry wrote about them. Hopefully we will add some stories of our own! October 6th, Noon until 1PM at the Fairgrounds - bring your lunch - we'll put the coffee on!