Conference Wrap
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Day 6: June 10, 2023 Conference Wrap Comment via blog |
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A Review of Jefferson Highway Flags was planned for Saturday and Fred, as
a resident of Kansas, had brought along a flag from his state to be used
in the ceremony. As the conference was getting underway, we both began
planning on starting for home on Saturday morning. With plans to not be
there, Fred had passed his flag onto Sandii so it could be available.
Then, failing to squeeze in a tour of the hotel during the conference, I
signed up for an 11:30 Saturday tour. Fred decided that was a good idea
and also made plans for the hotel tour which meant we would both be around
for the flag ceremony. We almost weren't, however.
We misjudged driving time a bit and the ceremony was already underway when we arrived. Fred just had time to retrieve his flag before the Kansas slot in the procession arrived and I just had time to snap a picture of Michele Hanford and the Missouri flag before Fred made his walk. I had not figured out a good spot for pictures of the procession and did not do any better after it. As they readjusted for the official photograph by Mike Kelly, I did manage an off-side shot of all the flags. There's Canada, Manitoba, Winnipeg, United States of America, Minnesota, Iowa, Mason City, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and New Orleans. |
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The flag ceremony took place in front of the
Kinney Pioneer
Museum which was then opened to the association. Not only was it open,
a big welcome banner was mounted on the 1911 Colby just inside the front
door and coffee and donuts awaited off to the right. Unlike the Colby, the
car at the front of the second picture was not built in Mason City but it
is a quite rare vehicle. It is a Ford Model N
which is just one of several low production lettered models that preceded
the breakthrough Model T. There's a look at the other end
here. The one-of-a-kind tricycle was
built in Mason City. There's a caboose outside
the museum along with several relocated buildings including a blacksmith
shop.
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Back at the Historic Park Inn, we met of with our tour guide Jim
and a few other tour members. We began the tour by stepping outside where
Jim pointed out how Write had both distinguished and tied together the
three sections of the building. The bank was on the left, the hotel on the
right, and office space for the attorneys who had the building constructed
in the middle.
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The building had been used for many different purposes over the years and
when restoration began in 2005, those involved were
surprised to find that much of the building's art glass had been covered
up and was still intact. Additional pieces were found at a home connected
with one of the attorneys. The sculpture/lamps currently in the
bank/ballroom are copies made from an original now in private hands.
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Conference literature said that Rancho Deluxe creator Max Weaver would be at the site
from 12:30 to 2:00 but we saw no one when we arrived at 12:45. That wasn't
much of an issue as we were able to look over the quirky folk-art
installation without him.
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From Rancho Deluxe, Fred headed for Kansas and I headed for home. As I
neared the Illinois line, the fact that I had been in Iowa for five days
and had not had a breaded pork tenderloin began to weigh heavy on me.
After checking into a Davenport, Iowa, motel, I found
Steel Plow
Burger a short distance away and got this quite good
BPT within under four miles of Iowa left.
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