Highway 34

[Brooke Kohlsdorf] On this episode of Road Trip Iowa -- we're traveling southwest Iowa on highway 34. We'll explore the communities, the heritage, and the hometown spirit that keeps this Iowa roadway moving through history. Next, on Road Trip Iowa.

[Announcer] Musco Lighting is an Iowa company that travels across the US and to more than 125 countries to light community recreation fields, stadiums, airports, monuments and more. While our reach is global, we're committed to our local communities. 

[Announcer] Beverly Thomassen Schultz -- honored to support local programming on Iowa PBS.

[Kohlsdorf] Plotted during the Good Roads movement in the early 1900s, Highway 34 in southern Iowa got its start as the Bluegrass Road. History is a major theme along this route, which was the first in Iowa to be fully paved. Today we're traveling east from Red Oak to Osceola. Let's take a look at our itinerary. 

[Kohlsdorf] We'll explore the Swedish heritage of Stanton. Dine at a big time restaurant in the small town of Corning. Sharpen our aim at Three Mile Lake. And we'll enjoy local food and some barnyard fun near Osceola. 

[Kohlsdorf] We begin in Red Oak, a community that got its start at the intersection of agriculture and innovation.

[Kohlsdorf] Highway 34 provides a path for travelers in Montgomery County to immerse themselves in ages of history, from the heritage of Native Americans 10,000 years ago to southwest Iowa's role in the country's industrial innovations. Explorers have plenty to learn at the Montgomery County History Center in Red Oak.

[Dave McFarland] Everything from cigar factories to making calendars. You name it, they did it here. And for a number of years, it was kind of a leader in southwest Iowa. We're big on doing genealogy also, which draws a lot of people in.

[Kohlsdorf] Outside the center, visitors can tour a campus of historical buildings from around the county. Some of the structures are still in use today.

[Dave McFarland] We have a small church out there. It is the oldest church in the county. We have church services in it three Sundays a month. When I was a small boy, my grandmother and I went to church in that church. So yeah, it kind of hits close to home.

[Kohlsdorf] Others stand as a testament to Red Oak’s heritage and agricultural innovation.

[Dave McFarland] Well, in the corner of the property, we have a barn from 1884. Some kind of pioneers came here, two brothers came and started one of the first hybrid seed corn, which is kind of a big thing for Iowa.

[Kohlsdorf] Woven throughout Red Oak and Montgomery County is honor and appreciation for military service. From the Revolutionary War through the campaigns of Desert Storm and Desert Shield, the center displays articles and artifacts celebrating the area's national pride.

[Dave McFarland] A large part of Montgomery County was given away as military land grants, and it kind of established a tradition. We sent some of the first troops to the Civil War. Our philosophy is if you can have an artifact, you can have a tractor. You can have a military uniform. And it's maybe an interesting artifact, but it's the story that goes with the artifact, who wore it, who drove the tractor, and that sort of thing. So early on, we adopted that philosophy that we emphasize the story and it's the story of all of us.

[Kohlsdorf] The communities along highway 34 share a thread of appreciation for the region's European heritage. The town of Stanton celebrates their roots at the Swedish Heritage and Cultural Center.

[Kohlsdorf] The Montgomery County community came into being in the 1870s, when Swedish pastor Bengt Magnus Halland brokered a deal with the railroad for land in southwest Iowa.

[Kohlsdorf] Today, over 600 residents of Stanton honor their heritage with the Swedish tradition of Midsummer's Day.

[Kohlsdorf] Children attend a week long class to learn about Swedish culture and history.

[Kohlsdorf] The week of learning culminates with a community gathering each year in June to watch the dancers and raise a celebratory maypole.

[Carroll Peterson] Of course, that's a long standing tradition in Sweden and it has carried over, and we've been doing it maybe into the 1800s.

[Kohlsdorf] Stanton is known for its iconic landmark, the world's largest Swedish coffee pot water tower. Designed in 1971, the landmark boasts a capacity of over 600,000 cups of coffee.

[Kohlsdorf] In 2015, the water tower reached the end of its lifespan and was dismantled to improve Stanton's water supply infrastructure. The iconic coffee pot was moved to the Swedish Heritage and Cultural Center as a historic landmark.

[Kohlsdorf] The center also honors the community's ties to America's favorite pastime.

[Carroll Peterson] Beginning in 1939, we started the Baseball Day, which that happened to be the 100th anniversary of baseball. But it became our own tradition, too.

[Carroll Peterson] It's another wonderful hometown. People know everybody, say hi and whatnot, help each other out. And when you do things together, there's a lot of cooperation here.

[Kohlsdorf] It's wise to never travel on an empty stomach. Next, we head to Primrose in Corning, where chef Joel Mahr puts a vibrant spin on farm to table cuisine.

[Joel Mahr] Primrose is an American farm to table restaurant. We focus on seasonality. Our philosophy is fresh, seasonal cuisine. We really enjoy to use local ingredients like local lamb, local beef, local pork.

[Kohlsdorf] A stop in the town of Corning offers travelers big city dining in a quaint Iowa community. Chef Joel Mahr and his wife, Jill Fulton, pair up to provide big flavors in a small town at Corning's Primrose restaurant.

[Joel Mahr] Some people feel like they don't -- this isn't in Corning -- this should be somewhere else, like Chicago or New York or something. We get guests that come in through our doors from other states that say, this feels like home.

[Kohlsdorf] Fresh seasonal produce and locally sourced food are just two of the ingredients, making Primrose a must stop for highway 34 travelers.

[Joel Mahr] Seasonality is huge, is big. I think people are really excited to see like tomatoes in the summertime, strawberries in the summertime. And there is a huge increase on people wanting to know where their food comes from now. And I'm happy that we've been on board for that for a long time.

[Kohlsdorf] For close to a decade, Primrose has provided a consistently fresh and flexible dining experience that keeps customers coming back for more. In the span of one year, over 37,000 people visited the restaurant, which is located in a town of only 1,400 residents.

[Female Server] Okay, do we want classic or original?

[Joel Mahr] Lunch and dinners are completely two different restaurants. Lunches are a little bit more fast casual. You got a burger, a chicken sandwich, a good fish sandwich, some salads, things like that.

[Joel Mahr] But then at dinner, we reset.

(bell ringing)

[Joel Mahr] We’re wine. We're fancy beers. We're good bourbon.

[Joel Mahr] We like the people that sit there and when they come off of work and sit back in their chair and relax and know that somebody's going to take care of them tonight.

[Female Server] I'll grab those drinks and then I'll come back and check out your orders.

[Joel Mahr] Giving them a menu that is ever changing and inventive, I think, gives them the opportunity to always come back and see what we're doing.

[Male Diner] With the crema on top, then the tomatoes and then the lamb is just like really soft.

[Joel Mahr] The people have really, really enjoyed the the style of menu that we provide for them. I think they're always excited to come back and see what we have to offer.

[Kohlsdorf] Perched on a hilltop overlooking the Adams County seat, the Corning Opera House is set in a perfect place to share its story.

[De Heaton] Some people describe it like the old malls had anchors on each end. It's the anchor that holds it together and that we're on the top of Main Street. So some people call it that way.

[Kohlsdorf] Built in 1902, the Corning Opera House and Cultural Center operated as an opera house until 1934 and was uniquely positioned to bring big name acts to town.

[De Heaton] And opera houses were built as community centers. So there was a lot of community events. Railroad track goes through so a lot of vaudeville acts came on the train and they would perform. They had acts from Chicago and New York perform here.

[Kohlsdorf] Besides attracting unique acts and plays, the Corning Opera House is in itself a one of a kind attraction.

[De Heaton] So when you travel along 34, you want to stop in Corning at the opera house, because we have a very unique stage. We're the only one in the state of Iowa that has a raked stage, which means it has half inch per foot slope. And Shakespeare designed that. So when people were on stage, the people in back would be taller and could be seen better. Performers think our sound and lights are amazing. We've had people from Branson and Nashville that are so enthralled with our acoustics here. They think it's great.

[Kohlsdorf] The stage also provides first hand proof of theatrical folklore.

[De Heaton] We have the original footlight trough where they lit the stage. It's in the front of the stage. There's a a trough where all the lights were. In 1902, they were gas powered and they gave off a greenish tint. So when you're walking downstage or closer to the front of the stage, you would turn green. And that's where the phrase walking into the limelight came from.

[De Heaton] There's lots of history and a lot of stories here.

[Kohlsdorf] Since the early 1980s, the landscape of downtown Creston has been made a bit brighter by a collection of murals.

[Kohlsdorf] The street paintings took on a life of their own in 2011, when a high school art teacher embarked on a plan to paint one mural per year with students.

[Kohlsdorf] The venture became known as Mural Magic.

[Kohlsdorf] The project has grown and now invites artists from across the globe to bring their skills to Creston, where more than 50 murals are now on display.

[Kohlsdorf] While you're in town, check out some Union County history along the way. In McKinley Park on the city's west side, visitors can explore the Union County Historical Village, 15 buildings from a blacksmith shop to a schoolhouse take you through a rural town from the 1800s. The buildings also hold collections of the county's history and celebrate nearby communities.

[Kohlsdorf] There is plenty of art and history to enjoy in the city of Creston.

[birds chirping]

[Kohlsdorf] People traveling on highway 34 can find plenty of ways to stretch their legs at Three Mile Lake Recreation Area.

[Mike Hilger] So when people come here, most of them come to fish, camp or hunt.

[Kohlsdorf] Built in 1995, the primary function of Three Mile Lake is a water resource for surrounding communities. The recreation area stretches over 2,600 acres, making it the largest in Union County.

[Mike Hilger] But the main reason this was built was for drinking water and flood control.

[birds chirping]

[Mike Hilger] But all the recreation is just an added benefit. If you like a good place to go fishing, hunting, bird watching, hiking, anything like that, it's a pretty good place to come.

[Girl] Pull.

[gunshot fires]

[Kohlsdorf] On the north side of the lake, travelers who like standing at the firing line or letting the arrows fly can sharpen their skills at the High Lakes Outdoor Alliance.

[Tom Lesan] You know, anything outdoors is sort of our motto.

[Kohlsdorf] The High Lakes Outdoor Alliance is a nonprofit organization that raises funds to promote and enhance access to outdoor activities in Union and surrounding counties.

[Tom Lesan] We would do banquets and raise funds, and those that dollar amount would then come back, stay in the county and like buy walleyes at Green Valley. We would do things to get people to come here to recreate. So fishing jetties, cabins, that kind of things is what we were doing. And then we came up with the ideas that we all shot. We all liked to shoot and there's not a range close.

[Mike Hilger] They’re about the best friends group a person could ask for because when you when I write grants for certain stuff like a shelter house or the sidewalks at our new cabins or literally anything they usually pitch in a little bit on everything we do, which helps grants go further because you're partnering with people.

[Kohlsdorf] The alliance also promotes youth activity in sport, shooting and archery as a way to get kids outdoors.

[Isabele Mohr] My older brother is both really started it. My oldest brother started it when he was in sixth grade and then my other brother, he started it when he was in fourth grade too, and I kind of watched them shoot and I thought it'd be fun, so I decided to try it out.

[Lindsey Mohr] The High Lakes was founded basically to help our community and help our kids specifically have something to do, have somewhere to go. 

[Girl] Pull.

[Lindsey Mohr] So we really just opened to help get kids interested, help get kids outdoors, you know, help them just really explore.

[Kohlsdorf] Whether you're looking for a tranquil spot to fish -- 

[Kohlsdorf] Or a place to sharpen your aim -- 

[Kohlsdorf] Three Mile Lake on Highway 34 has you covered.

[Kohlsdorf] I'm here at Harvest Barn Marketplace, just east of Osceola, where one family's passion for agriculture means food and fun for highway 34 travelers. Let's check it out.

[Kaitlyn Boyer] I'm Kaitlyn Boyer. I am here today with our family business, the Harvest Bar Marketplace. We have been in business for over 25 years ever since I was two.

[Kohlsdorf] Okay, well, tell us a little more about Harvest Barn.

[Kaitlyn Boyer] Yeah. So our slogan is It's Everything Good. So our family over the years has curated a lot of different products, several of which we make ourselves in the store, as well as have some sort of tracing back to our family farm and family business.

[Kohlsdorf] Yeah.Tell us a little bit about the family because you're all working together, right? And who is everyone?

[Kaitlyn Boyer] Yes. So I have my parents, Jason and Amy Boyer, both of which grew up in Pennsylvania. Both of them picked up their roots from their farms back home, brought themselves as well as our original set of Limousin cattle from Pennsylvania out here with them, started the farm out here in Osceola.

[Kaitlyn Boyer] My brothers help with a wide variety of things. Conrad, my one brother, he is the mechanic mind of the family. And then Casey, he is the animal lover, so he helps a lot with the livestock on the cattle side.

[Kohlsdorf] So you've got the farm, you've got the food, and you've also got fall fun here, right? Tell us a little bit about that.

[Kaitlyn Boyer] Yes. So we have a fun farm that has a lot of different activities in it.

[Kohlsdorf] There we go. 

[Man Off-Screen] Good job guys.

[Kaitlyn Boyer] A lot of it's been homemade by our family and we've just added to it over the years. And it's just a really fun environment for families to come out and have a fun afternoon on the weekends in September and October.

[Kohlsdorf] The community really was supportive early on, right? Like they were kind of the one, the backbone of the business, right?

[Kaitlyn Boyer] Yes, yes. So we are very fortunate to live in such a wonderful community. As we are a marketplace, we really try to promote other family businesses and family farms that are in Iowa. And so we have a lot of Iowa products that we feature within our store and we offer online as well.

[Kohlsdorf] I love that this is a local business, but you also ship, right, kind of all over the country and really the world.

[Kaitlyn Boyer] It's just really cool and inspiring to see where the product that we made or we sourced locally from other farm families goes across the country.

[Kohlsdorf] Yeah. Should we put one together?

[Kaitlyn Boyer] Yes, absolutely. First off, we will start with our jarred items. We have the mild peach salsa. We have our homemade fudge which we make in our family, our store here, our family business. Mom makes a lot of it. We also have the beef deli chubs. These are our signature family recipes, one of our most popular products too. We have the candied pecans which we make here in house as well. We have creamed cinnamon honey from another family farm here in Iowa that we include in the box. We have our harvest snack mix. We make this in house too. And then last but not least is our signature family recipe beef sticks.

[Kohlsdorf] I love it. Whoever gets this is going to be very happy.

[Kaitlyn Boyer] Yes.

[Kohlsdorf] Why is this a good highway 34 pit stop when you're taking a road trip?

[Kaitlyn Boyer] We have a our two story barn that has a variety of products, and then we have the Fun Farm in September and October. We have just a lot of things that are local, delicious and wonderful for people to come check out.

[Kohlsdorf] Next, we chat with Kaitlyn's mom, Amy, about one of Harvest Barn Marketplace's storefront staples. 

[Kohlsdorf] Well, Amy, one of the things you're famous for here is your fudge. Tell us the story behind it.

[Amy Boyer] We got into making fudge probably about the fifth year of our business. At the time, we were selling a lot of produce and we had hard goods on the shelf, but we were looking for some more market food type items and it just kind of came together. It was the right time. It's been a staple around here since then, and it's something local that they cannot find. So my local customers look forward to when we open every season to coming out and getting their sweet fix.

[Kohlsdorf] What is it about homemade treats that you think is a draw for people?

[Amy Boyer] Something that's just something that they don't have at home or don't get to indulge in often. And when you go on vacation, it's one of the things that you just really can't pass up. So with us being a destination place, again, it's kind of just a tradition to take some home with you.

[Kohlsdorf] Nicknamed the Red Bull Highway in honor of the US Army's 34th Infantry Division, history is honored and celebrated along highway 34 in Iowa. 

[Kohlsdorf] We explored the history of Montgomery County in Red Oak. Enjoyed theater folklore in Corning. Took in some art and history in Creston. And had fun on the farm at Harvest Time outside Osceola. 

[Kohlsdorf] From family heritage to Iowa's early days, highway 34 covers it all. For more on the history, culture and landscapes along Iowa's highways, join us next time on Road Trip Iowa.

[Announcer] Musco Lighting is an Iowa company that travels across the US and to more than 125 countries to light community recreation fields, stadiums, airports, monuments and more. While our reach is global, we're committed to our local communities. 

[Announcer] Beverly Thomassen Schultz -- honored to support local programming on Iowa PBS.