|
Barn quilts coming to Caledonia area |
|
|
By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
The Caledonia Area Chamber of Commerce (CACC) is looking at various ways to bring more tourism to the Houston County seat. Many Southeast Minnesota communities have experienced an economical resurgence because of the ever-growing tourism industry. And many of the tens of thousands of tourists flocking to Lanesboro, Rushford, Harmony, and Houston are looking for new areas to explore.
Besides creating new, attractive brochures and advertisements that are being distributed throughout the region touting the camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, boating, snowmobiling, and other outdoor activities the Caledonia area has to offer, the CACC is looking at developing a new tourism draw…barn quilts.
CACC member Anne Selness brought the idea to the chamber board several months ago. As soon as board members had a chance to grasp the barn quilt concept, a committee was formed, which is moving full speed ahead.
In Iowa, Kevin Payton, a Sac County 17 year old 4-H member wanted to bring tourism to his area of the state. He worked to get donations and then started painting quilt patterns on sheets of plywood and putting them on old barns (greater than 50 years old).
A group of Sac City area quilters chose the quilt patterns, based on the pattern’s agriculture-related name or heritage. School students, 4-H members, and other youth and adult volunteers painted all of the quilt blocks.
Sac County is now covered with barn quilts. Since its meager beginning in 2004, the number of barn quilts has grown to 55, so visitors can easily spot a barn quilt every five to 10 miles throughout the county. Brochures describing the Barn Quilts of Sac County can be found in visitors centers throughout the state, and barn quilt maps are available in convenience stores, museums, city offices and a variety of other locations in Sac County.
Selness’ parents, Harold and Dorothy Hendel, of rural Caledonia, were fascinated with the barn quilts in Iowa, and recently completed a barn quilt for their barn built in 1928 on Prairie Ridge Road. Selness reported many persons have stopped to comment on the quilt and wondered if there are more in the area to view.
The barn quilt committee will be making a presentation at the CACC’s May meeting, which will be held at 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 7 at the Four Seasons Community Center. Anyone interested in finding out more about this project, whether you are a CACC member or not, is encouraged to attend. Coffee, juices, and rolls will be served.
The CACC is hoping to enlist the services of youth groups, such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs, church groups, the local FFA, etc., to help create a number of barn quilts that will be strategically placed in or near Caledonia. All of the materials will be provided and the work conducted can go towards public service projects.
You can contact Charlie Warner at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
 |
