The volunteers who have made this all happen are dedicated to preserving, displaying and sharing our historical treasures.  And these aren't just old books and photos.  There are Civil War cannons, military uniforms, clothing, dolls, jewelry, plates and many rare documents that have been donated or collected over the years, some dating back to the late 1800's.

The new building is designed to be a community and cultural center, with a research room for geneaology records, an area for meetings, bingo, social gatherings or wedding receptions, and a large specialty exhibit room.  If you're interested in family lineage documents or articles on events of the past, the research room is the place to start. Several long term goals are in the works at the center.

The first is to categorize and index hundreds of articles, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings and family tree records that have been collected over the years.  Once complete, visitors will be able to search and find historical information on a wide range of topics much more efficiently.  Volunteers at the center are also happy to help in any searches you may have regarding family records.

The center is also working on the layout and structure of the large exhibit area, which will include Veteran's displays, school house and educational artifacts, memoribilia on Sauerkraut Days,  Lisbon Creamery and perhaps railway and church items from the past.  Beryl O'Connor, the center's volunteer director is also thinking about recreating a small turn of the century barn in the storage area so visitors can appreciate living conditions and tools used by our forefathers.

Other planned projects include indexing and copying sections of each Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun newspaper for the last 25 years, sprucing up the large planters outside the building, and preparing for this year's upcoming events.  Some projects will depend on grant funding from Iowa's Cultural Affairs, Historical Preservation and the Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation, as well as private funding, but with all the volunteer energy and helpful citizens working on these together, they undoubtedly will be completed.

If you're interested in viewing beautiful rural photographs by Carolyn Wellso, a painting by local artist Mark Buresh depicting Lisbon 80 years ago, or dozens of unique historical artifacts from this area, the Lisbon History and Culture Center is the place to be.

New hours for the center are 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.  The center is free to the public, and monetary donations or service-in-kind offers are always welcome to help offset operational costs.  To reserve the spacious meeting area for your civic organization, family reunion or reception, please call 319-455-2714.

Be sure to visit our calendar for details on upcoming events sponsored by the Lisbon History and Culture Center.  Address: 102 East Main Street, Lisbon, Iowa.

  Events and Exhibits: