The Littler Cabin

Inside the Littler Cabin

The Statliness of the Daniel Nelson homestead

The summer kitchen

The meat house

The well cooler

Replica of a settler's wagon

The Kulbach Lumber office

Inside the Rus Scale House

The mule cemetery

The Mott General Store

The register at Motts

A 1966 fire engine from the Oskaloosa Fire Department

An antique water pumper

Spring Creek Township voting house

Inside the Coal Creek Meeting House

Inside the Prine School House

Stained glass in the little church

Old-fashion windmill

In 1869, young Benjamin Littler, in his late 20s and newly married to Martha J. Smith, cleared some land near Bussey, Iowa, in Jefferson Township, Mahaska County, on which to build their log cabin. An interesting difference in the Littler cabin from most others of that time is the stairway to the second floor, instead of the usual ladder to the loft. The Littler cabin was donated to the Mahaska County Historical Society in the fall of 1962 by Benjamin Littler's granddaughter, Mrs. Ralph Jones. The Society dismantled the cabin and moved it to Nelson Pioneer Farm, where it now sits in the same location as the original cabin of Daniel Nelson, one of the first settlers of Mahaska County, Iowa.

The Benjamin Littler cabin differed somewhat from the average cabin of the day in that it had no fireplace. Iron cook stoves were making an appearance on this side of the Mississippi River around the time, so this "modern" convenience was installed in their home.

In the fall of 1852, Daniel Nelson sold a grist mill on the Skunk River in Iowa, netting him a profit of $2,200. He set about to build the house that he had promised his wife, Margaret. The limestone foundation was laid in 1852 and after it was solid following a "wintering," construction on the house started in the spring of 1853. The brick was made of native clay, which was baked in a kiln south of the house. The wood is from the farm's timber and was sawed on Nelson's own sawmill. With these basics fairly inexpensive, the Nelson could splurge on some expensive items such as window panes. The Nelsons would have been considered well-to-do with the many panes of glass in their home. In the 19th century, homes with over 10 panes of glass were taxed, leading many pioneers to turn to oiled paper instead of glass for window panes. More than a dozen panes of glass frame the Nelson's front door alone.

Used for washing and cooking in the mid-1800s, the summer kitchen helped keep the heat out of the house on already sweltering days before air conditioning was even invented. The most popular washing machine (one of several fine specimens from different periods) is the hand-operated washing machine patented in May 1910 in Wisconsin. The hinged wooden lid supports a large 15-inch fly wheel with a series of gears, causing a rod passing through the center of the lid to rotate an inverted funnel-like "dolly" in teh center of the machine. This was human-powered with a back and forth horizontal motion.

Nineteenth century housewives used the meat house to butcher meat and preserve it for the long winter months. When cold weather arrived, the farmer butchered extra domestic animals and killed wild game, which his wife processed for the coming year. Meat was preserved for the coming cold months by smoking, salting and pickling or drying into jerky. Fats were rendered from the meat in a large vat and used to make lards and oils for cooking, laundry soap, tallow candles and oil lamps. Innards were used to make waterproof containers, sewing thread and sausage casings. From the extremeties, pioneers made powder horns, spoons, combs, bowls, pegs and hooks, clothing, blankets and shoes, among other items. None of the animal went to waste.

Before the days of ice boxes and refrigerators, some pioneer families used well coolers to keep fresh milk, butter and other perishable foods chilled. This 4-foot shelf was lowered down a shaft using a rope or chain and sat just above the water table in the well, keeping food at a nice cool temperature. The Nelson's well cooler was just off the back porch, making it easily accessible to the family.

A replica of the covered wagon many settlers used to travel to Iowa in the mid-1800s is parked in the large barn at Nelson Pioneer Farm. Located across the road from the Nelson home, the original barn still stands, only now it houses numerous displays of pioneer life instead of feed and livestock. The barn was constructed using wooden pegs instead of metal nails of spikes, which would have rusted away or split the wood.

Kalbach Lumber Company began its 125 years of service to area customers on June 13, 1864. When Isaac Kalbach established the first lumber yard in Oskaloosa, he had to buy lumber that had been floated down the Mississippi River, draw it up on the bank at Keokuk, Iowa, to dry and then ship it up the Des Moines River to Eddyville, Iowa, by steamboat. at Eddyville, the lumber would be loaded onto wagon nto make the final trip to Oskaloosa. Most of the early lumber was Northern White Pine from the north woods of Minnesota and Wisconsin. In 1867, a new office building was erected along with its attendant lumber sheds. This building served as the company office until 1902, when the company acquired the quarter block directly north of the original site and built a new warehouse and office. From 1902 to 1987, this building was used primarily for storage. It was moved to its present site at Nelson Pioneer Farm in the fall of 1987.

The Rus scale house, originally located near Peoria, Iowa, was used to weigh livestock before taking them to market. During World War II, the scales were used as part of a hog buying station. The capacity of the wooden scales is rated at 6,000 pounds. The scales and scale house were moved to Nelson Pioneer Farm from Peoria and set on a new foundation after being lifted off a flatbed truck with a crane.

The mule cemetery at Nelson Pioneer Farm is popular with children. It is said that the pure white mules, Jennie and Becky, prior to being purchased by the Daniel Nelson family, were sold in Ohio to the United States government. They were given the U.S. brand and mustered into the artillery service, where they helped pull the large guns during the Civil War. When the war between the states ended, Jenny and Becky were sold at public auction and brought to Centerville, Iowa. They lived out their days at the Nelson farm until Becky died in 1888 and Jenny in 1897. They were buried beside each other. Becky was 34 at the time of her death and Jennie was 42.

The Mott General Store was built at Lacey, Iowa, in 1915 by Mr. Walter Mott and his son, Clarence. The store was located on the main road in Lacey and contained a back room where the Motts bought cream and eggs. The building was moved to Nelson Pioneer Farm in 1971 and placed on a new foundation, with a basement that serves as a war museum.

The register and counter at the Mott General Store. The Motts owned the store until the late 1920s, at which time it was moved to the school and used as a classroom. The back room was used a music room for Lacey students.

ne of the newer exhibits at Nelson Pioneer Farm is a 1966 pumper truck donated by Oskaloosa Fire Department. The truck pumps 1,000 gallons per minute. The city of Oskaloosa paid $25,600 for the engine new in 1966 and used it right up through February 2000, when it was donated to the Nelson Pioneer Farm to help preserve the history of the Oskaloosa Fire Department.

Another part of the Oskaloosa Fire Department's history lies in the exhibit of an old steam-driven water pump, also on display at Nelson Pioneer Farm. The steam-driven pump was used by firefighters in the early 1900s. Firefighters pulled the pumper on foot to local blazes.

The Spring Creek Township voting House was the first building erected west of the Mississippi River to be used solely for voting. it has been used continuously since about 1880. In 1977, the township committee voted to move the house from the east side of Oskaloosa to Nelson Pioneer Farm for historical preservation and to protect it from vandalism. The house was still being used for voting right up to the prior election, but was discontinued because the building was not wheel chair accessible.

In 1850, a Quaker by the name of Jerimiah Stanley and his wife moved frm Ohio and settled at Coal Creek, Iowa. This little town was located 4 miles northwest of What Cheer, Iowa, in Keokuk County. Soon other families followed and it became evident that a meeting house was needed for the spiritual life of these settlers. The Coal Creek Meeting House was built in 1864 for use as a Quaker place of worship. Construction of the building cost $300. The membership donated the building to the Mahaska County Historical Society to be preserved as the Meeting House of the Silent Order of Friends.

Built in 1861 by the community, the one-room Prine School was named after Henry H. Prine, who donated the acre of land on which the school stood. The building cost $200 originally and was the oldest one-room schoolhouse still in use in Mahaska County when it closed in 1966. It had been in continuous use for 105 years. The school was moved from its original location on Highway 92 East to Nelson Pioneer Farm in the fall of 1966. It is completely furnished with double desks, books and records intact. Event the dinner pails are lined p on the shelves. Due to an increase in students, a cloackroom was added to the school in 1926. Tradition required that all window shutters be closed and bolted every night by the school teacher. Early teachers at the school were paid $30 a month. Rural teachers taught kindergarten through eighth grade and boarded with families that had children in the school.

In 1984, the town of Wright, Iowa, was destroyed by a tornado. A replica of the town church stands at the Nelson Pioneer Farm, complete with stained glass windows, a pulpit, and small wooden pew. The little church is a favorite with the children.

An old-fashion windmill graces the main entrance of Nelson Pioneer Farm. There are thousands of items on exhibit here, with articles added every year. Take a step back in time with your family and friends by visiting Nelson Pioneer Farm.