PRESS RELEASE

May 6, 2008

Contact: Sheriffa Jones (712) 262.2083 sjones@iowalakesrcd.org
or Brittney Jepsen (712) 262.2083 brittney.jepsen@simpson.edu

Clay County Historic Preservation Reconnaissance Survey

Are you interested in volunteering? Do you want to give back to your own community? Does history spark an interest? If you can say yes to any of these questions there is a GREAT opportunity awaiting you.

The Iowa Lakes RC&D has received a $5,000 grant from the Clay County Community Foundation to complete a survey of Clay County’s historic resources.  The RC&D is matching the foundation’s $5,000 grant with an additional $5,000.

Sheriffa Jones, an Architectural Historian, will be in charge of completing this survey for towns and communities.  The Iowa Lakes RC&D will also be receiving assistance from the Clay County Extension Office to survey as much of the rural areas as possible. 

This project’s purpose is to collect information from the different historic sites in the county and then put the information together in a data base. This data base will include a website of the historic resources found during the survey, i.e. schools, churches, barns. In result of this survey and website many benefits will come to the community. We hope that tourism will increase with the knowledge supplied on the website. With the increase in tourism there will be a greater demand to implement preservation as an economic development strategy in the communities.

Why do we need your help? We are looking for volunteers who would be interested in surveying. You can survey the community that you live in or you can be assigned to a community. The survey with be conducted from May until it is finished late this fall. This survey will include research, photography, and other field work. We are looking for people who have an interest in the success of this project. 

If you are interested in any aspect of volunteering please contact Sheriffa Jones or Brittney Jepsen at 712-262-2083 by June 2^nd. There will be a volunteer workshop which will be scheduled at a later date.

This is a fantastic opportunity to give back to your community in a positive way. It is also a wonderful way to learn more about your community’s history. We would really enjoy your help throughout this adventure.  

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