News
August 8, 2008 - The flower beds in Pella have never looked more spectacular. The tulip lanes lining the city streets and the tulip beds throughout the Pella Historical Village, Scholte House and City Parks have been filled with over 100 different varieties of annual flowers. Timely rains and tireless gardeners have combined to make the beauty of the flowers take away your breath.
Sept. 22 - Nov. 22, 2008
The Lincoln Exhibit – “A Touch of Lincoln Extends to Pella”
Papers and Journals of Henry P. Scholte were discovered in a vault of the Pella US Bank being stored there since 1868, the year H. P. Scholte died. The Pella US Bank was then the Pella National Bank and H. P. Scholte was the founder and first president of this bank. Among the papers in the vault were two journals kept by H. P. Scholte of his visits with President elect Lincoln and his trip to Lincoln’s inaugural, March 4, 1861. Other items are: an 1860 Republican Campaign Poster, a rare civil war map, along with copies of Pella’s newspapers and an 1857 calendar.
This information stirred the interest of the Scholte House Museum committee members, and a committee was formed to investigate the possibility of having a Scholte-Lincoln Exhibit.
Dr. Ron Rietveld, a nationally known Lincoln scholar and member of the Scholte House Museum Committee reviewed the items left in the bank vault and found written in the personal journal’s of H. P. Scholte detailed notes of Henry P. Scholte’s trip to Chicago, where he was one of the Iowa delegate’s at the 1860 Republican convention. From Chicago he traveled to Washington D.C. and helped translate campaign slogans into Dutch and German for the Republican Party. On his return trip to Pella, he stopped in Springfield, Illinois and visited Abraham Lincoln. It is during this visit we assume Henry Scholte was invited by Lincoln to attend his inaugural.
On February 26, 1861, H. P. Scholte left Pella to attend President Lincoln’s inaugural on March 4, 1861. He made daily notations of all his expenditures, and recorded his meetings with, ‘Lincoln and his lady’, at the Willard Hotel in Washington D.C. One visit to the President elect was by himself and the second was with the Iowa delegation. The Journals along with the 1860 campaign poster, map and 1857 calendar are on display.
A very rare Vicksburg, Mississippi newspaper printed July 2, 1863 on wall-paper will be displayed so everyone can view both the printed side as well as the wall-paper.
Scholte family legend has passed down through the generations that a walking cane was given to Scholte by President Lincoln when the President had to rescind an invitation to Henry Scholte to become Ambassador to Austria, because he was not an American born citizen. It was common for Lincoln to send walking-canes, as a form of thank you to people for their services rendered. This cane will be displayed in the Lincoln Exhibit.
Dr. Rietveld’s unique collection of Lincoln artifacts will be displayed. Dr. Rietveld is a professor of Lincoln history at California State University, Fullerton. He also served as an academic advisor to the White House Speech writing staff under President Reagan. Today he continues to serve on the Historical Advisory Committee for the Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois and is an advisor to the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial National Committee in Washington, D.C.
Two videos will be continually playing in different rooms, one is a video made of Dr. Rietveld talking about H..P..Scholte and his relationship with Lincoln. The other is a documentary of Lincoln’s life.
Red, white and blue bunting, on loan from the Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa will fill the exhibit rooms. Posted information on the 1860’s, the Lincoln family, slavery, and the turbulent Civil War years will also be displayed to enhance the historic experience we hope everyone will enjoy. Original newspapers from1860 through the assassination and death of President Lincoln in 1865 will be displayed so those interested can stop and read what is written in these newspapers.
A visit to the Lincoln Exhibit will be an interesting, informative experience for both young and old. We encourage school group to attend. Call the BJ Irwin at 620-1210 or Arlys Verdoorn at 628-9713. For general questions call the Scholte House at 628-3684.
Guides are available on request.
The Lincoln Exhibit – “A Touch of Lincoln Extends to Pella” will run:
September 22 through November 22, 2008
Exhibit admission fee is a voluntary contribution.
To continue the tour of the Scholte House Museum, the cost is $5 for adults, $2 for students, remember students in Pella School District are admitted free to Pella Historical attractions.
Hours are: Monday through Friday 1 PM to 4 PM, Extended hours on Thursday’s until 8 PM. Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM. Closed Sunday’s.
The Scholte Lincoln Exhibit committee: Ellie Gosselink, Chair; B.J. Irwin; Bernice Van Gorp; Dr. Ron Rietveld; Genelle Morgan; Kathy Jaarsma Tripp; Arlys Verdoorn and Shirley Rudd
On February 12, 2009, our nation will celebrate the 200th birthday of President Abraham Lincoln of Illinois.
The National Abraham Lincoln bicentennial Commission has planned a two year Lincoln celebration. Iowa has a Bicentennial Commission and the Lincoln Exhibit is registered and sanctioned by this commission.