Monroe
Community Garden provides fresh produce and a gathering place for green thumbs
A trip overseas gave Monroe resident Suzanna Johnson an idea. She wanted to bring the idea of a shared garden to the community after seeing the concept work so well across the pond.
“I had seen something in England with their community gardens,” Johnson said. “Then, I started watching different programs on types of community gardens and I thought a sharing garden would be awesome.”
An idea she thought might happen in the future took root right away.
“It happened immediately, people started working on it,” Johnson said.
Located south of Monroe City Hall, the community garden will be starting its third season in 2025. The first two years were filled with growth for the new community attraction.
In its first season, on garden plot
was used to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and more. In 2024, the garden expanded to a second plot adding more fruits and vegetable options.
The picturesque garden has vines growing to form a tunnel, a scarecrow to keep it safe and a fairy garden for a little extra magical help. It has become a location people seek out throughout the warmer weather months, even if they aren’t gardeners.
“I’ve had people call me and say it is their destination when we get out on our walks; it is so pretty,” Johnson said.
The produce harvested from the garden makes its way to the Monroe square where a stand displays what is available for the taking. A freewill donation box is set up and the food is for anyone in the community.
“That has been working out really
well,” Johnson said. “I’d like to have another one located by the garden, too.”
Along with providing fresh fruits and vegetables to the community, the garden serves another purpose for Johnson. She hopes it helps teach those interested in gardening along and gives kids an opportunity to be exposed to what a garden is and can do.
“We also want it to be a teaching garden. I’d like to be able to teach people how to use different vegetables, how to can and how to preserve, as well as grow them,” Johnson said. “Rather than having people come in and do their own area, we have them come in and help out and work together.”
What future ideas, projects or events are you looking forward to?
Hopefully we will have nine primary colored sculptural bicycle racks installed in downtown Colfax this spring! This project has been in the works for years; last year we got a grant from the Jasper Community Foundation to complete this project. One of downtown Col-
fax’s issues is that it’s become very car dependent and built around a busy state highway versus pedestrians. We want downtown Colfax to be more pedestrian and bike friendly. Maybe people will choose to ride their bike downtown during the summer versus jumping in their vehicle? The bike racks should also double as public art! We’ll also be hanging up over 40 flower baskets again, which is always beautiful.
DRIVE THRU
What are your goals now and how have they evolved as you have been in the position?
Personally, I’d still love to figure out ways to get more public art in downtown Colfax. Another goal is figuring out how to improve pedestrian safety and walkability. An overarching goal is to figure out how to make downtown Colfax a great place for thriving small businesses when the majority of Colfax’s population leaves the communi-
Cont. 7
With her gardening partner Karen Bollhoefer, the space is continuing to grow with new and different ideas constantly popping up. The duo will always welcome any help.
“We designed it the way we did so we can expand and change as we learn, and I’m glad we did,” Johnson said.
ty each day for work. I’d love to find ways to get those people to intentionally choose to support local businesses, versus stopping at a chain business in the Des Moines metro. I would also love to see Colfax attract a large employer to our community. Why do you keep doing this job?
I do it because I’m somewhat altruistic and believe that making your community something you’re proud of really improves people’s overall well being.
“Karen came in when I needed her most, and this year I just let her go and she goes.
“We think alike and end up on the same page every time we have an idea.”
An idea from a trip has turned into a community asset and one the founders hope to continue long into the future.
— Jamee A. Pierson
since
GET TO THE CHOPPER!
Visitors traveling to Baxter on Chichaqua Valley Traill are treated to a unique monument that honors veterans and their service
It wasn’t enough to just have a caboose at the end of the Chichaqua Valley Trail; Baxter had to go and add a helicopter, too. But this is no ordinary helicopter. No, no. This is a genuine Bell UH-1 Iroquois, better known by the U.S. soldiers who flew them or flew in them in the Vietnam War as a “Huey.”
Lynn Harnden, of Baxter, spent 1,200 combat hours in the cockpit of a Huey in the Vietnam War. The retired lieutenant colonel is a true Army man; he was already enlisted in the U.S. Army for 15 years before he made his first deployment to Vietnam back in 1966. He made a second tour in 1979.
To his fellow soldiers, he was an old man, but he was also their savior. Seeing a Huey in the sky providing air support was a welcomed sight for the American soldiers on the battlefield. The Huey helicopter is a symbol of the Vietnam War for that very reason, and Harnden wanted to see one displayed in Baxter. Harnden and the Baxter American Le -
gion Post 493 spearheaded a fundraising campaign to get the helicopter on display on a raised platform, permanently in flight and overlooking other veterans memorials on the north end of Main Street. Veterans exceeded their goal of $75,000 in just 16 months.
Now, the helicopter is posted for all to see in downtown Baxter, and it’s bringing visitors to town to see it for themselves.
It is an important part of living history, Harnden said, and its presence in Baxter may just reinforce the impact of the Vietnam War and those who fought it in. He hopes residents and visitors appreciate it in the years to come. He hopes it becomes an educational tool. And he hopes it inspires.
Surrounded by other memorials to veterans, the Huey helicopter monument is in good company to do just that. Greg Christianson, the longtime post commander of the Baxter American Legion, said when he first took on the leadership role there was only one flag pole and two
walls of names honoring veterans.
Two more walls and two more flag poles were added. Then came the soldier statues. Funnily enough, it took longer — two to three years — for the Baxter American Legion to finish that project than it did to install the Huey. The mural is one of the newest additions to the corner memorials.
Silhouettes depict a soldier calling for help for another injured laying on the ground. Next to them is a nurse, which Christianson said is supposed to be local veteran Marta Ford, who was an active duty member of the Army Nurse Corps. Like Harnden, she retired a lieutenant colonel.
Above the silhouettes are Huey helicopters flying over the horizon. Christianson said these memorials in conjunction with their proximity to the Huey, the caboose and the Chichaqua Valley Trail, it ought to bring more people to town and enjoy the small town atmosphere and amenities.
“It’s a destination,” Christianson said. — Christopher Braunschweig
Georgioz —Colfax
Located right off of Interstate 80 in downtown Colfax, Georgioz is a local favorite. Featuring a variety of pizza, appetizers, sandwiches and pasta, it has a little something for anyone who walks through the doors.
Want more pizza?
Check out other local favorites, including Sned’s and Giovanni’s in Newton or widely known pizza joints such has Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Godfather’s, Pizza Ranch, Hy-Vee and Casey’s.
Happiness really is a slice of pizza in each hand
— Newto n
Murph&Mary
A featured location in the up-and-coming Legacy Plaza on the former Maytag grounds, Murph & Mary’s serves up unique speciality pizza and your favorite appetizer — wings.
Your favorite bar pizza, Wilkies, has the eats to go along with the drinks. With pizza, sandwiches and custom-made cheese bread on the menu, it is always a fun night out in Prairie City.
WilkiesGarage —PrairieCity
The development of Legacy Plaza has seen significant progress over the past year. Tenants have been moving in to the 78-unit apartment complex known as Plant 1 Lofts, and DMACC has since launched a $4 million fundraising campaign for the greenspace that will be hosting the Newton Farmers Market this year.
Inside the apartments of Plant 1 Lofts in Buildings 16 and 50 of Legacy Plaza is a setting few rental properties have achieved in Newton thus far. It is a space rooted in rich history and uplifted by developers who have not only embraced its classic qualities but also let them thrive in a significantly more modern design.
Rebecca Crady, property manager of Plant 1 Lofts, said the newly opened apartments offer occupants a “small town living with big city vibes.” And the fact these units used to be intrinsic parts in the Maytag Corporation operations — just look at the photos on the walls — only adds to the facility’s overall character.
High ceilings complement the exposed wooden beams and brickwork prevalent in each unit. Tall windows cast a blanket of natural light into each space and its modern furnishings. The handful of lofts available to tenants only amplify these qualities, and they are the most breathtaking units of the bunch.
There is no laundry room because every unit has its own washer and dryer. There are no patios because Plant 1 Lofts is affixed with its own clubhouse, outdoor fire pits and lounge area for residents to enjoy. There is easy access to other amenities in Legacy Plaza, like the pub and brewery in the next building.
For many years Buildings 16 and 20 were nothing more than empty spaces filled with tall pillars, and many, many years before that they were part of Maytag operations. The first floor of Building 16 was home to manufacturing in the 1940s, and the upper floors were a warehouse of washers and other parts.
When the Newton-based manufacturer closed its headquarters and plants in the mid-2000s, these buildings were entrusted to DMACC, who envisioned a multi-use campus now known as Legacy Plaza. Slowly but surely DMACC had begun filling the buildings, developing plans for the future and creating excitement.
Plant 1 Lofts is the culmination of several partners coming together toward one goal,
and the project serves as a major turning point for Legacy Plaza.
Christensen Development led the rehabilitation of the 78-unit Plant 1 Lofts with the assistance from partners like the State of Iowa, Jasper County, City of Newton, DMACC, Newton Development Corporation and Bank Iowa. All are recognized in a dedication plaque next to the clubhouse entrance.
Project team members like Beal Derkenne Construction, Slingshot Architecture, Axiom Consultants, Raker Rhodes Engineering, Brockway Mechanical, Tesdell Electric, Heartland Finishes and the Jasper County Historical Museum also played a big part in making sure the project was fully realized.
There is more to come in the second phase of the project in Buildings 1 and 2. Currently, the plan is to develop the brick buildings into 49 extended-stay hotel rooms and studio apartments. The iconic facade will mark the location of a future cocktail bar on the lower level.
Last fall, fundraising campaigns for what DMACC calls the “centerpiece” of the Legacy Plaza project started, allowing investors opportunities to not only beautify the ever-developing greenspace, located at the site of an old Maytag production facility, but also participate in paving the way for a new future for Newton.
DMACC Foundation announced is is launching a public initiative to fundraise $4 million for the greenspace. Tara Connolly, executive director of the DMACC Foundation, said more than half of the fundraising goal has already been contributed by alumni, area residents and businesses.
“This is a special project for potential donors to be recognized for leaving a living legacy to their community and future generations of DMACC students and Newton residents to use, appreciate and reflect on Newton’s heritage,” Connolly said in a press release from DMACC.
When fully con-
structed, the greenspace will include a walking trail with shade trees, a covered multi-use pavilion for summer concerts and an ice rink in the winter, an open area for recreation and a large art sculpture anchoring the south entrance. The walking path will connect the Legacy Plaza campus to downtown.
Established in 1993 through a gift from the Maytag Corporation, the DMACC Newton Campus has been in control of the former headquarters and other adjoining buildings just north of the college campus property for about eight years. The plan to develop the buildings into Legacy Plaza took shape in 2017.
Kim Didier, executive director of DMACC Business Resources and manager of the greenspace project, told Newton News the college has enjoyed its role in collaborating with its partners to breathe life back into the campus. She commended the masterplanning feedback from 2017 as a major help.
From those discussions with community members, the idea of connecting the DMACC
Construction of apartments and fundraising for greenspace mark significant milestones for the revitalization of old Maytag buildings Cont. 21
envisioned would pull people together and foster community.
“We’ve always wanted the campus to be a multi-use neighborhood with those kinds of amenities that we now have, like the brewery, the taproom, yoga every Tuesday night,” Didier said, noting DMACC wanted to also support entrepreneurs and office tenants at Legacy Plaza to bring vitality to the area.
For Didier, the greenspace is not only the centerpiece of Legacy Plaza, it’s the crowning jewel. To make sure people appreciate both the courtyard and the upcoming greenspace and the history that is part of both of those spaces, there will be a breezeway on the far east of Building 16 that is open to the public.
“It lets people move from the courtyard to the greenspace,” she said. “It’s kind of this juxtaposed space in the sense that the courtyard creates
this very scalable, cozy kind of feeling and such. And then when you move through the breezeway and go through the greenspace you have this expansive, open space.”
Walking the circumference of greenspace is about a quarter of a mile. The greenspace itself is about the size of a football field, and DMACC hopes it becomes a regular pathway for community members. By spring 2025 is when DMACC is planning to install a main sculpture in the greenspace.
Spanning 23 feet wide and 18 feet tall, the sculpture is made possible by the generosity of the Vernon Company and the Vernon family.
“It’s going to have a 6-foot sphere in the middle made of stainless steel,” Didier said. “Not that it’s as big as ‘The Bean’ at Millennium Park in Chicago, but it will still be pretty big that you’ll get these reflections. And we hope it will be something
people will want to take pictures with and be seen with.”
Construction of the greenspace and its amenities has already begun. Didier said DMACC has so far completed the concrete walkways and light poles that will be outfitted with the college’s banners. Bollards have been constructed as well. Forty-five trees and a number of perennials have been planted.
Seeing a courtyard full of people enjoying themselves time and time again has only reaffirmed what DMACC already knows: that Legacy Plaza is a viable project and that there is a market for what the campus as a whole can provide. Didier said DMACC has worked hard and has almost hit that tipping point.
“It took a vision and it took those little pieces to try and have that happen,” she said. “…What brings us to that tipping point is the housing with the apartments and also shortly after that will be the boutique hotel ... There is a
certain authenticity to this.”
Other communities are trying to carry out similar projects with the same look and feel as Legacy Plaza. But Didier said what makes Newton’s project stand out is its historical foundations. The Maytag buildings carry with them their own history, and the new architecture will reflect on that past in the greenspace.
“All of this is on the theme of ‘past, present and future.’ So the materials (for shade structures) are materials used in the past manufacturing processes,” she said. “Images in the screens are very similar to how inner tubs in washers were made and the patterns that were a part of that.”
It is these details that give respect to those who had laid the foundation for the community generations ago. But now, Didier said, they have a new purpose.
“The assets of our past generation now become the assets of our future generation.”
— Christopher Braunschweig
Front row: Kristen Reeves, Jack Reeves
Back row: Tanner Spurlin, Tim Clark, Sonny Swank, Hilary Swank, Jaden Reeves, Evan Husak, Carl Cable
By Larry Hurto Newton Historic Preservation Commission & Main Street Design Committee
The 1878 History of Jasper County lists H. J. Skiff as a druggist in Newton.
Harvey James Skiff was born Feb. 5, 1821 in the Skiff Neighborhood in Allegany County, N.Y. He was one of seven children born to Joshua Skiff (1783-1846) and Lusina (Wright) Skiff (1782-1842).
An 1846 graduate of Amherst College, in Massachusetts, he studied law with President-to-be Millard Fillmore in the law firm of Fillmore, Hall & Haven. In the winter of 1847-48, he taught in the “Chicago Academy,” of which G. F. Wilson was principal.
Skiff came to Iowa in 1849, settling in Oskaloosa, where he practiced law. The 1850 U. S. Federal Census for Mahaska County lists Skiff with his wife, Sarah (Burleigh) Skiff (1824-1861), whom he married on August 20, 1849 in Castile, New York; and her father, John M. Burleigh (1793-1873), a retired clergyman.
In 1850 or 1851, H. J. Skiff came to Newton and actively engaged in law practice. He was a member of the Third Constitutional Convention of Iowa, which was held at Iowa City in 1857, representing Poweshiek, Marshall, Tama, and Jasper counties. A Republican, he was the leader of the opposition to keep the word “slave” out of the constitution.
Skiff was engaged as a lawyer, banker, and land agent in Newton from 1851 to 1861, when he enlisted as Fifth Sergeant in Co. B, 13th Iowa Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. He was appointed Quartermaster Sergeant October 21, 1861, and served as Captain of the company from 1862 to 1864, succeeding T. H. Miller.
“During the more than three years’ military service he had the misfortune to partially lose his hearing, which prevented his resumption of the practice [of law] after his return from the army,” Edward H. Stiles noted in Recollections and Sketches of Notable Lawyers and Public Men of Early Iowa (1916).
Accordingly, he engaged in commercial pursuits.
In 1870, Skiff, a “Dry Good Merchant,” was living in the household of Solomon Gardner (c. 1822-1892), a druggist. Gardner was married to Sarah Skiff’s sister, Maria.
In about 1873, Skiff entered into a partnership with Gardner. This description of the business appeared in the Newton Journal, February 7, 1878:
S. GARDNER & CO., is the style of one of our leading Drug establishments, and an enterprise worthy of more than a passing notice in this connection. This firm, which comprises Mr. Gardner and H. J. Skiff, was organized about five years ago; however, Mr. Gardner has been identified with the drug business in this city for the past 20 years, and is, in fact, one of the pioneer druggists of Jasper County. They occupy a store 80x20 ft., with cellar of same size, and the space well filled with goods. The stock which embraces Drugs, Medicines, Paints, Oils, Toilet Articles, Perfumery, &c., is full and replete to the minutest detail, and the facilities for doing business are not inferior to the best and largest similar concerns of our large cities. The proprietors are possessed of long experience, a fact which alone should commend the establlshment [sic]. The drug business of Newton is unusually well represented, and as one of the leading features in that line we allude to the establishment in question.
The partnership lasted until 1879.
From The Newton Journal, Dec. 4, 1879:
DISSOLUTION – The old firm of S. Gardner & Co. has dissolved, Mr. Sol. Gardner retiring, and the business will hereafter be conducted by Mr. H. J. Skiff. The old customers of the firm will regret to lose the familiar face of Mr. Gardner at the old stand, but they can rest assured that with a full stock of goods, and low prices, they will as heretofore get the best bargains for their money.
Mark C. Wiseman, whose article “The Early Druggists of Jasper County, Iowa,” appeared in the July-Aug. 2013 issue of Bottles and Extras magazine, has perused Skiff’s advertising for his store. His advertisements ran in the weekly Journal during his long tenure as a druggist here. He ran five different long-running ads in the newspaper starting on January 13, 1881.
DRUGS.
Medicines, Patent Medicines And Chemicals.
Toilet Articles of all kinds, PAINTS, OILS, VARNISHES, BRUSHES, OF ALL SORTS. LAMPS AND LAMP GOODS. WALL PAPER, A BIG STOCK. Everything usually and unusually kept at such a store always on hand at H. J. SKIFF’S
NEWTON DRUG STORE, West Side of Square.
On Jan. 16, 1884, he commenced editing a column for the Journal titled “Our Drug Store,” insisting that the editor, Ralph Robinson, implored him to write for him:
“We, which means H. J. SKIFF, have been requested by the publisher of the JOURNAL to edit this column headed ‘OUR DRUG STORE.’ We had to promise the editor, whom we admire, not so much for his good looks as for his winning ways, considerable money before his request became very urgent, but true genius is not easy [to] overcome, and we are bound to become authors if we don’t lay up a cent. In this column we shall endeavor to describe from time to time, the many new and wonderful things kept at SKIFF’S PHARMACY, besides this there shall be many points of interest which will make the column worth reading.”
In addition to highlighting various products, Wiseman observed that Skiff “commonly inserted a bit of humor” into his columns. For example:
“Pean’s [Pears’?] Toilet Soap is one of the best Soaps we ever handled; the Soap is pure, is not expensive, and has the endorsement of such female beauties as Mrs. Langtry, Henry Ward Beecher and H. J. Skiff” (!).
On May 24, 1898, Skiff, along with R. F. Parmenter, his step-son, and A. E. Hindorff, “organized a corporation for pecuniary profit under Chapter I of Title IX of the Code of Iowa, and have adopted articles of incorporation under the name of the ‘Skiff Drug Company,’ with its principal place of business at Newton, Iowa. The general nature of the business to be transacted
NEED FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORT
As 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.
is the manufacture and sale at wholesale and retail of drugs, medicines, chemicals, paints, oils, varnishes, proprietary medicines, and to do anything and everything identical to or in the furtherance of its leading object – a general wholesale and retail drug business and manufacturing chemists” (Iowa State
BECOME AN INVESTOR
East side of the Newton square, c. 1875
Democrat, Newton, Iowa, June 16, 1898). The provisional officers of the corporation were Parmenter, President, and Hindorff, Secretary.
The Skiff Drug Co., drugs, medicines, perfumes, fancy goods, proprietaries, domestic and imported cigars, etc., was listed at 102 N. Spring in the
1899-1900 Newton City Directory.
According to Stiles, Skiff’s latter years were spent “in study and quiet retirement.” His health, by this time, was characterized as “feeble.”
Skiff’s first wife, Sarah, died July 26, 1861. On April 2, 1873, he married Lavinia C. Parmenter (18371930). To them a son, Earle Harvey Skiff (1875-1955), was born. Harvey J. Skiff died in Newton on November 12, 1904. The immediate cause of death was convulsions, from one of which he failed to recover. He had had “several attacks of appoplexy,” the Journal reported.
He occupied a number of public offices, including those of Prosecuting Attorney and School Fund Commissioner.
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.
INVEST YOUR TIME
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. Contact the program executive director Erin Yeager, today to get involved.
