Feeling HOT
Jasper County Mexican restaurants bring the heat
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In every community there are certain people that just get things done. They are the go-to for events, activities and bringing citizens together to remember how great it is to live there.
In Colfax, sisters Nikki Regnier Stravers and Tammi Regnier Schwickerath are two of those people. As owners of Absolutely YOUnique Boutique and Candle Bar, organizers of the Colfax Farmers Market and founders of Terrific Tuesday Nights in Colfax, the duo are doing their best to show Colfax at its best and make people proud of their community.
“We give a ton of our time but it blesses us. It makes me feel good,” Stravers said. “I love to see people have a really good time. If I can be part of them having fun it makes me feel good, too.”
Schwickerath agreed that while they are involved in many areas of the community, they do it to make Colfax the best it can be.
“I don’t need recognition, it is more just giving back to the community,” Schwickerath said. “We love our town. It is a small town and people don’t always realize what it has to offer. Getting the word out on what is going on helps a lot.”
The sisters first started their business ventures in Colfax with Tee Parties. After becoming too big to keep at their original location in their parents’ house, they moved into a new building on Howard Street.
“That didn’t go at the speed we wanted it to so we turned it into a retail space for clothes,” Stravers said. “Even though we got some traffic we didn’t get as much as wanted. We evolved and went consignment, with some retail mixed in. That’s when AYB started, April 1, 2016.”
In January 2020 they saw an opportunity to move to their current location at 118 N. Walnut St. and become neigh-
bors with Cocina Hernandez.
“We reached out to Brad Magg if it was an option for us to move in next door and he said absolutely,” Stravers said. “Brad really helped us a lot.
As everything shut down due to COVID, the women took the opportunity to get their new space ready.
“We opened June 1 and decided to change it again on a whim to a vendor platform,” Schwickerath said. “We were hoping for 25 vendors when we started and we got more than 50.”
Now AYB averages about 45 vendors in the store, but due to their business model giving most of the funds back to the vendor, the sisters were again looking for a new idea for the shop.
“Brad again saved us and suggested we look at a candle bar. We adopted that and opened up last August,” Stravers said.
Kellogg Historical Museum has a single room full of hundreds, if not a thousand, pianos, and there is still plenty of room to walk around to browse each one of them. Which means the room has to be the size of an airport hangar, or those pianos are small enough to fit in the palm of a person’s hand.
Conrad Van Maaren, board president of the Kellogg Historical Museum, would probably collapse if the museum added another building to store historical artifacts and local treasures, let alone one big enough to fit a couple planes into. The reality is: someone had donated a personal collection of miniature pianos.
All of them are prominently displayed in the new music room of the museum, which was remodeled and furnished this
past year. The novelty and decorative pianos come from an unnamed Kellogg resident, and they share space with a number of other historical music artifacts.
Including a drum from Charles “The King” Rector, who was born in 1913.
Rector was a little person who lived in Kellogg for several years, though he wasborn in Malcolm. At age 21 he weighed 42 lbs. and was 3.5 feet tall. While in Kellogg, his father worked for the railroad. Rector became an accomplished entertainer, tap dancer and musician, playing both xylophone and drums.
According to information collected by the Kellogg Historical Museum, Rector worked commercials for Philip Morris cigarettes, performed traveling vaudeville shows with other little people and held a brief engagement on Broad-
way. Rector would later die of a heart attack in 1944. He was just 31 years old.
These are but a few of the attractions in the new music room of the Kellogg museum. Old violins, an organ and cases of trumpets found their way into the exhibit, too. Van Maaren said the museum had so many music-related items they felt it would be best to have it all on display in one room.
“We had them laying here and there,” he said. “We had all of these things!”
Kellogg Historic Museum is good at holding on to items like that. Betty Steenhoek, a board member for the museum, put it in as plain of words as she could: “It’s an old building with old
things. That’s what I always tell people.” For visitors, she says it gives them a sense of comfort.
Exhibits are kept open and folks would be hard pressed to find anything behind glass. The handful of board members running the museum — all volunteers —do so because they love their town and their history. Which is perfectly exemplified by their care and attention to detail in the displays.
Perhaps the most overlooked attribute of the museum is its record-keeping and genealogy, which traces back a number of family histories. Binders and books are stacked and organized in ways only Steenhoek and a few other board members know how to figure out.
Steenhoek has been volunteering with the museum since the 1980s, and Van Maaren has been serving for the past four years. The two see the work volunteers have
put into the museum, but it’s getting the word out that seems to be the toughest issue these days. The pandemic certainly didn’t help with that.
“We’re on Facebook now, so I put things out there to let people know what we’re doing,” Van Maaren said, noting the page can be found at www.facebook.com/ kelloggmuseum. “…We just want people to come in here and view the history of Kellogg from back to the 1800s.”
Those who do get a chance to wander through the seven buildings of the Kellogg Historical Museum are overwhelmed with just how much history a town with a population of about 600 people really has. Steenhoek and Van Maaren said a lot of older folks love seeing the familiar trinkets and artifacts.
“I think people would be surprised to see what we got,” Van Maaren said.
— Christopher Braunschweig
El Sombrero and La Cabana in Newton, along with El Maguey in Monroe and Cocina Hernandez in Colfax, each have a unique take on their own Mexican cuisine, keeping the people of Jasper County happy and full.
Tell us a little about yourself: I have served as Jasper County Treasurer for the past 19 years. I have been married to my wife DeAnn for the past 31 years and we have three grown children.
How did you become interested in your field and what lead you to become Jasper County Treasurer? I started in the motor vehicle division in the treasurer’s office and spent six months there. The previous treasurer, Jana Lust, decided she was going to retire, so the board of supervisors appointed me to fill the remainder of her term. I have been re-elected five times since then thanks to the support of the citizens of Jasper County.
How has the job evolved through the years? We have tried very hard to stay ahead of the technology trends and the vast number of changes that always seem to be driven down from the federal level. We are now the second busiest county driver’s license station in the state. We also process a large number of car titles from out-ofcounty residents. Those transactions bring in outside revenue that helps to keep the county tax levy lower for the following year.
What excites you most about your job? My co-workers. We have a great crew at the treasurer’s office. Each one of them handles not only their daily tasks with the utmost professionalism and courtesy but at a high level of efficiency, as well. We are a big family in the treasurer’s office and they make it enjoyable to come to work every day. I love my job and the people I work with.
How else do you participate in the county and communities? I have served on the Jasper County Economic Development Board for the past 27 years.
What are you passionate about in Jasper County? I am passionate about our local veterans and dedicate my time to seeing that they are recognized for the contributions they have
given for our continued freedoms that we enjoy today. We would be nothing without our veterans and their service, both prior and current.
Where do you see the county heading in the future? Jasper County is in a great spot in my opinion. There are countless individuals throughout this county that give their time selfless-
ly to insure we continue to be a great place to work, live and raise a family. We struggled through the Maytag and TPI closings. We could have given up and thrown in the towel but we just kept hunkering down, digging in and driving through. Our can-do and willdo spirit will drive us into a prosperous future. I firmly believe that.
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The railroad was so important to Baxter that the town quite literally moved itself with oxen so it could be closer to the tracks. So it comes as no surprise that a caboose is proudly displayed as a community monument in downtown Baxter. It not only is a reminder of the town’s long history, but also a sign of its progress.
Of course, the railway system is long gone. Marie Van Beek, library director for the Baxter Public Library, remembers seeing the last train go through town in the early 1980s. Her son was still in a stroller, and Van Beek said he probably could not grasp just how sig-
nificant the railway was to the town’s history.
“My grandmother even rode on the train to go to Des Moines back in the day,” Van Beek said. “She was born in 1903 … It was your transportation, your goods coming in and out. We came up to watch the last train come through. It was cool but it was also upsetting. It was just sad.”
Eventually, the old rail line system would be converted into a recreational hike and bike trail, now known as the Chichaqua Valley Trail. The trail spans 26 miles from Baxter to Berwick. At the head of the trail is the caboose,
which at one point served as a welcoming center and museum. These days, entry is prohibited.
But the bright red Rock Island caboose still stands and gives shade to the tired cyclists catching their breath after a long ride. Connecting Baxter to Polk County through the trail gives the metro cyclists an entryway into the rural Jasper County communities, who have their own unique flairs and economic offerings.
According to the Economic and Health Benefits of Bicycling in Iowa Cont. 25
At that time they also said goodbye to the consignment area of the store. Finding it wasn’t cost effective to continue to run, the sisters also saw shoppers were mostly interested in what the vendors had available.
The candle bar has been a welcome addition and good for both AYB and their Mexican restaurant neighbor.
“It has been a blast, we have a great time at the candle bar,” Stravers said. “The wax brittle, you can do so much more with it. We started mixers and because we partner with Juan (Hernandez of Cocina Hernandez Mexican Restaurant), that is a huge game changer, too. This wouldn’t be nearly as fun if he didn’t offer a full bar. He serves it right at the candle bar, he makes special themed drinks for the mixer. He really spoils us.”
Not ones to sit without a new idea for
study conducted by the Iowa Bicycle Coalition and the University of Northern Iowa Sustainable Tourism and Environment Program, recreational cyclists generate more than $364 million a year to the state, or about $1 million per day.
Which could be good news for Baxter and the shop owners who make business in town. Several of which are within a short walking distance to the caboose. Van Beek said it serves as a good end to the trail, and it gives hikers and cyclists something to remember. It’s common for many to snap a photo of it. The caboose was originally
next venture.
“We got turned on to the tea bomb, drinking them,” Stravers said. “We found out there are a lot of people in town who also like them so we reached out to the nutrition club in Altoona. She looked at our space and said there was prime space in the back of the building for a club.”
Their goal is to have AYB Nutrition open by the end of July. They have plenty going on between now and then as they continue to run the farmers market each Tuesday while adding the vendor space at the fairgrounds.
“We also run the vendor building for the Jasper County Fair,” Schwickerath said. “There is a lot going on right now.”
The pair are always willing to try, like when they hosted the community event “Fall for Colfax” or kicking off Terrific Tuesdays to get more people shopping
brought to Baxter in the mid1990s by Larry and Norma Kiser with the help of a grant. The Kisers are immensely proud of the caboose. When asked if he knew how many hours he put into restoring the caboose, Larry just shook his head and laughed. “It’d been a bunch!” he said.
“I had to rebuild part of the floor and just did a lot of stuff to it,” Larry said. “I put on a lot of new boards on the side. I had somebody here in town come and do part of the roof. We put in new windows and did a lot of work on the outside of it. Some of the boards on the platform inside were gone. Did a lot of work.”
Over time, the restored caboose would see some wear
for the future and with a little hard work, they will probably get them done.
“I believe in anything that I have ever done. Anything is possible, you just have to figure out how to do it. Even when someone says ‘you can’t do that,’ well, how can I do it?” Stravers said. “My dream for the farmers market is to fill the park. We have 15 to 20 vendors this year for the first time. The community is working together and we have more volunteers.”
As long as they can keep involving the community and shining a bright light on the good in Colfax, Stravers and Schwickerath will keep working both at the front of and behind the scenes.
“My perks is when I see other people having a good time, even if I’ve only had a small part in it,” Stravers said. “It makes me feel good inside.”
— Jamee A. Piersonand tear from being constantly exposed to the elements. In 2015, it was designated as a priority by Baxter Hometown Pride. Van Beek remembers painting the white lettering on both sides of the caboose, including its rail car number: 18890.
Norma recalled when the caboose was first hauled to town. Crews had to take back roads because of the sheer size of it. But why have a caboose on the head of the trail? Apart from the historical connection, Larry said he and Norma had seen other towns do something similar and felt it would be a good fit for Baxter.
“All these little towns have something like this, and we
should have something,” Norma said. “It worked out. It’s been there a long time now. All the work was worth it … We had RAGBRAI come through here and just think this was so wonderful. They all wanted to sit by it in the shade and get their picture with it.”
When it’s not being appreciated by out-of-town cyclists, the caboose is prominently used as a backdrop for community events. It’s a point of pride.
“Hopefully it stays there forever,” Norma said. “I love everything about it. It was a lot of work and we both worked at it — everybody in the community helped.”
— Christopher BraunschweigAs a volunteer based 501©3 organization, community support is essential to the continued success and sustainability of Newton Main Street. Without financial and volunteer support the district would not be able to accomplish the great things listed in the annual report and coming year’s priorities.
How your support of the Newton Main Street programs, small businesses and a growing historic commercial core that is the center of the life and activity in Newton. Newton Main Street has seen many improvements since becoming a designated Main Street in 2014. Help to keep that momentum going through monetary contributions. Operations are funded through donations from businesses, local governing bodies, and individuals that are passionate about seeing Main Street thrive and succeed. See the investors levels located on the tear out sheet below. Supporters are recognized in print and digital materials throughout the year.
The total volunteer hours dedicated to Newton Main Streets programs and services each year equals about 1/3 of the total operating budget. Volunteers are a huge asset to the organization and form a community of leaders within Newton. Be a part of the action by dedicating your time and talents to fun projects and events. Each of the Newton Main Street 4 committees aligns with one of the 4 points of approach list on the previous page. Contact the program executive director Erin Yeager, today to get involved.
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Around 1910, the moving picture show business experienced a boom in Newton, with “greater crowds than ever” both “during the busy hours” and at Saturday matinees.
“People have begun to be of the opinion that an education can be gained through the agency of a picture show,” The Newton Daily News reported on Oct. 10, 1910, “and since the more important film concerns have put the ban on pictures of murder, kidnapping and robbery, the motion picture show industry has become one of the most important in the country. People may gain an idea of foreign countries and industries upon a picture show canvas that can be gained in no other way, and at far less expense.”
How the public taste in pictures has changed since then!
Movie-going has been a favorite pastime of the people of Newton since 1907, when the first movie house opened here. I have identified 13 additional movie theaters in town since that time, including, for a time, the old Lister Opera House. Drive-in movies appeared locally on the scene in 1949, with the opening of the Newton Drive In Theatre on what was then RFD 2.
Much of the motion picture industry’s success here can be attributed to M. B. Huckins, who took over ownership and management of The Electric Theatre, the city’s first movie house in the A. Wendt building on the north side of the square, from a man named Charles Dixon.
Mahlon B. Huckins was born July 15, 1863, in Myrtle, Durham Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada, the son of David A. and Harriet L. (Embury) Huckins. He arrived in the United States in 1879.
He married Katherine B. “Kittie” Barkdoll (1874-1928), a Dixon, Ill. native, on Jan. 9, 1890, in Forest City, Holt County, Mo. Their daughter, Bayonne Avon Huckins, was born in Newton on June 16, 1894.
Huckins is listed as foreman in a pants factory (Taylor-Newell) in Newton in the 1900 U. S. Federal Census.
In 1908, Huckins opened The Lyric Theatre on the east side of the public square. In 1910, he rented the old Westbrook drug store building,
111 N. Market (W. 2nd St. N.), for The Lyric, Newton’s second oldest movie house.
At the same time Huckins made several “timely improvements” to the Electric. “The raised floor which he formerly had in the old Lyric on the east side is being laid in the Electric and he will repaper and repaint the popular north side of amusement,” the Daily News announced on Nov. 3, 1910.
Employees at that time included W. C. Barlow, operator and sometime manager; Miss Birdie F. Lanphier, pianist; and Lyle E. Lanphier, drummer. (Remember, pictures were silent until the 1920s.)
At The Lyric Huckins employed off and on in the 1909-11 period Miss Mabel Livingston, who couldn’t seem to stay put. This talented musician was an accomplished vocalist, pianist, and organist, who had been a “pianiste” and singer for the Chase-Lister Dramatic Company in 1906. She left Huckins’ employ (and her second husband) to break into films in New York.
The Newton Journal reported on Nov. 15, 1911 that Mabel had joined the American Pathé Frères company of actors, “and will be seen in the film productions of that company.”
Manager Huckins received an advance notice of a comedy entitled “A Pinch of Snuff,” which contained a reproduction of one of the scenes in which Mabel (Mrs. David Yates) “may be easily recognized.”
Huckins told the press that he would make an effort “to secure this film for a Newton date soon.”
Mrs. Mabel Livingston Yates would later join Huckins in California.
Two other Lyric musicians married one another. Miss Bessie Leigh hired on as a pianist and vocalist in 1908, and James “Jimmy” Wilson commenced playing traps about 1909. They apparently became smitten with one another and got themselves hitched!
What a fun place to work!
Huckins always appreciated the Lyric and Electric theater employees’ loyalty, and on a Saturday night in March 1911 he entertained them at a luncheon at Kuhn’s Grill Room after the theatres had closed.
Huckins and family left Newton about 1912 for Hollywood. “Since going to Los Angeles he has been interested in the moving picture show business purchasing theaters, remodeling them and selling them,” the Daily News reported. “He also did some work directing pictures.”
Huckins was killed in an auto accident at Los Angeles, May 26, 1919. Newton attorney E. M. S. McLaughlin said the accident occurred at 11 o’clock, and that Huckins suffered a skull fracture; “he lived about an hour after the accident.”
During his years in Newton M. B. Huckins was an active member of the Hook and Ladder Hose Co. and of Delta Lodge, No. 53, Knights of Pythias.
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