GET INVOLVED
Help Make the Nelson Pioneer Farm & Museum the best it can be!
Become a Member
The Mahaska County Historical Society is a member-driven organization. Members engage with our governing process by electing our Board of Directors and approving our operating budget annually. They are vital to our success and highly-valued for their passion, ideas, and commitment to the MCHS.
Member benefits include:
- Free, unlimited admission to Nelson Pioneer Farm during regular hours
- Early registration to special events and programs
- Special members-only admission rates to events and programs
- Quarterly newsletters
- 10% discount at our museum gift shop
- 10% discount on rental fee for Bradbury Hall (excludes security deposit and other fees)
A membership fellowship meeting and potluck dinner is held quarterly on the third Monday evening of the months of February, May, August, and November.
- $12 for Individuals
- $20 for Family/Grandparent
- $250 Lifetime Membership
Membership definitions
Individual memberships include a single person.
Family memberships cover couples and include all minor children living in the home. Grandparent memberships cover couples and any visiting grandchildren under 18 years of age accompanying the grandparent.
A lifetime family membership includes the married couple for both person’s lifetime, and any minor children either born or adopted to that family or minor grandchildren accompanying the membership holder.
Volunteer
Volunteers are the heart and soul of the MCHS. They repair and use our education and demonstration collections, lead school programs, maintain our historic buildings and property, and share their unique skills to keep history alive for our visitors.
Do you have an interest in working with us? Contact Margaret at 641-672-2989 or curator@nelsonpioneer.org for more information!
Become a Donor
Each year, generous donors contribute to the daily operations of the MCHS. These donations support exhibit development, public programming, artifact care, historic preservation, and other needs for the MCHS.
Mahaska County Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and donations to MCHS are tax deductible to the extend of the IRS tax code.
Special projects
1856 Nelson Barn Roof
Daniel Nelson built his large barn three years after he finished his impressive brick home. It housed two Civil War veterans (our beloved white mules Jennie and Becky), Daniel's whiskey still, and hosted family and neighborhood square dances and social gatherings. Today, all of our school kids visit to Barn to examine a real covered wagon and milk our wooden cow, Lillie. The large center bay makes it a great place for demonstrators to set up during special events like Fall Festival.
Like the Nelson home, the barn is roofed with cedar shingles. It is time to replace our current shingles with new ones. The barn is the tallest building on site and endures the brunt of our wind and weather. August's 70+ mph winds during the derecho did not help our aging wooden shingles. We have hired Redoy Roofing and Siding from Bloomfield to complete the project late this fall. The project involves removing and replacing 39 squares of shingles with historically-comparable cedar shingles (each square is 10' x 10'). That's a lot of roof to replace! Every dime counts for a project this large. If you feel you can contribute, we sincerely appreciate your consideration.
Suggested donation levels:
Single shingle - $25
Bundle of shingles - $150
One 10' x 10' square - $500