Historical museum outlines programming with county

After a visit to the Creston City Council earlier this month, the Union County Historical Society continued presenting plans for an updated museum to local government with a visit to the Union County Board of Supervisors.

Members of the historical society visited Wednesday, with Brian Zachary leading the conversation through his idea for a prominent tourist and education destination within Creston and Union County.

The historical society had previously shown plans to the county earlier this year in a formal funding request. Wednesday’s visit continued with more detailed information on programming and educational opportunities.

With the budget for the next year approved just a few minutes before the historical society presented their plans, it will likely be a while before the county can commit any funds.

“I understand it’s not going to go into this budget,” Zachary said. “It gives us a long time to discuss, refine, hopefully talk you into it for the budget after that and the following budgets.”

Further progress for obtaining funding from grants and other entities will depend on support from both the city of Creston and Union County local governments.

Zachary explained the museum will be open year-round with schools invited for presentations. With the planned expansion, Zachary predicted student access would be 200-300% more than the current capacity.

Programming in the museum will be partially designed through Creston Middle School students, which will be led by Lisa Downing, the middle school principal and former history teacher.

Zachary also listed the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Creston Arts as local organizations who will hold activities and other workshops within the museum space. Without good programming, Zachary knows the museum won’t be a year-round attraction.

“We’ve engaged with the DNR to do activities out there and with Creston Arts to come and do traditional crafts and arts demonstrations and workshops,” he said. “That’s really the engine that’s going to drive people out there again and again, whereas [previously] they may have only gone out there in second grade and come back when their kids are in second grade.”

Framing the museum as a local community service and a chance for the county to have residents engage with local history, Zachary appealed to the supervisors and called the museum the county’s “Disneyland.”

“It’s serving your constituents, but it’s also serving you directly as the county, as the holder of the historical repository of this county,” Zachary said. “It’s also really the history of pre-motorized America and the state.”

During this portion of Wednesday’s meeting, Supervisor Rick Friday said the county is looking at placing a referendum in November’s general election to allow for the county to collect hotel-motel tax in the rural areas of the county, specifically in county conservation.

Through the tax on Union County Conservation lodge and cabin rentals, the state has collected a 5% tax on each rental purchase. The referendum would allow for the county to collect this 5% tax rather than the state.

Friday estimated this would be about $15,000 in revenues. He said the county would collect these taxes and, following the creation of a committee, put the funds toward local tourism opportunities.

Although placing the referendum is unofficial at this point, it’s likely those funds would be used to support the historical society’s museum expansion.

In other Union County news...

Roads Superintendent Al Hysell said Green Valley Road is close to reopening. The roads department has been replacing pipes and smoothing the grade in the section.

“Should be opened up well in advance of camping season,” Hysell said. “It’ll be gravel in that portion of the road, but it’ll be crossable.”

The county approved the fiscal budget for 2026-2027, which begins July 1. The approved tax rate per $1,000 valuation is $7.54801 in urban areas and $11.03467 in rural areas.