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Johnson County Historical Society
The Johnson County Historical Society (JCHS) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in Johnson County, Iowa. They are not a government organization, but work closely with the City of Coralville and Johnson County. In addition to their museum on the Coralville River Landing, they operate five distinct sites pertinent to the history of Johnson County. Their mission is to be “a private, non-profit group committed to serving the public by furthering an appreciation of the historical and cultural heritage of the Johnson County community through education, preservation, and interpretation.”

History
The JCHS was founded in 1967 as the Mormon Trek Memorial Foundation. Its original purpose was to commemorate the Mormon Handcart Expeditions, but eventually grew and expanded to include all the history of Johnson County. The museum changed locations throughout the years, including its temporary location at its current address at 860 Quarry Rd. The museum will be part of the upcoming Xtreme Arena and Greenstate Fieldhouse that’s undergoing construction.

Johnson County Historical Society Museum
The JCHS has permanent exhibits, special exhibits, and space for several rotating exhibits. The permanent exhibits include topics such as the Meskwaki tribe that migrated to Iowa in the early 1700s, changes in farm life in the mid-20th century, the Bradley print shop (with a working letter press), Blue Top motels, community stories, LaBudde gun collection, John Gilbert, and the Mormon Handcart Trail.

The special exhibits are usually on long-term loan and include topics such as music boxes and historic photos of downtown Iowa City. The temporary exhibits rotate once or twice a year.

The museum houses over 10,000 artifacts in their permanent collection that were made or used in Johnson County.

Plum Grove Historic Home
Plum Grove Historic Home is the house built for Robert Lucas, the first territorial governor of Iowa. The house was built in 1844 and was sold to private buyers in 1866. The State of Iowa purchased the property in the early 1940s and restored the house to what it looked like when the Lucases lived there. The property is open Memorial Day-October 31st for guided tours and seasonal events.

Johnson County Historic Poor Farm
The Poor Farm was established in 1855. All the original buildings are gone. The oldest building remaining is the First Johnson County Asylum that was built in 1859. The asylum was restored and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Other buildings on site include a dairy barn, a second barn, and several smaller buildings. The asylum building is open for tours. Johnson County is restoring the second barn to the west and turning it into an open air event center. This space is in important look into how disenfranchised people were cared for in the 1800-1900s.

1876 Coralville Schoolhouse
The 1876 Schoolhouse has a winding history. The building was opened for classes in 1876, but it closed in the late 1940s once class sizes became too big. Class sizes once again boomed and the school was opened for classes again in 1950. Then, it closed and the building was used as a warehouse. In 1959, it opened as a teen center, but then closed in 1966 and became a warehouse again. The City of Coralville acquired the property in 1974 and the JCHS now provides tours and events there. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in January of 1976.

Coralville Old Town Hall
The Old Town Hall was first built as a church in 1892. It served as Coralville’s town hall from 1930 to 1974. Before 1974, the town hall was used as a church, but also as a classroom and a space for the Coralville library. After the city offices moved into the new city hall, the JCHS used the space as a temporary home until the renovations on the 1876 Schoolhouse were complete in 1983. The Old Town Hall is open for tours and can be rented as an event space.

The Iowa River Gazebo
The Iowa River Gazebo is home to 14 informational panels and 8 plaques that explore the history of Coralville and the River Landing area.

Public Outreach
The JCHS serves the people of Johnson County, Iowa, as well as scholars studying local artifacts and history. The collection is available for study by appointment only.

The JCHS holds several long-standing and special events during the year designed in keeping with their mission. The long-standing events, such as barn tours and an annual tea party, are focused around the history of Johnson County.