Tamiann Parrott

Tamiann Parrott was buoyant Tuesday when she gave the treasurer’s report of the newly-formed Wilson Brewer Park Foundation Board.

She’d just opened the foundation’s checking account and had debit cards issued to begin paying for long-hoped-for improvements in the nearly 100-year-old park.

There was just one thing, she warned: The account had all of $80 in it.

That won’t be the case for long. Parrott went on to say the City of Webster City and Hamilton County are each in the process of depositing their agreed-upon yearly $50,000 each into the new account. The half million dollars this adds up to over the next five years will see the foundation through its formative years and enable the board to make decisions and fund them from a guaranteed source of income during that time.

Sitting quietly in the corner at the meeting was a key figure in bringing about the new foundation: Dean Bowden. Dissatisfied with years of deferred maintenance, token funding and practically no museum programming at the site, he believed the park could be much more.

Bowden wanted elected board members, responsible to the public and park visitors. He wanted the full participation of Hamilton County, including an acre of land adjacent to today’s park, owned by the county and first right of refusal to buy the modern building and parking lot next to the land.

He wanted committed financing for five years to support an organization capable of planning and operating a real museum to tell the history of Hamilton County and Webster City in the same way Living History Farms tells the history of farming in Iowa — with restored historic buildings, costumed interpreters, docent guides and compelling, entertaining events and programming.

All of that came true.

It took vision — and more money. Lots more money. Bowden announced the million-dollar gift he’s pledged to the park is now in a treasury bill in Des Moines. He has given the go-ahead to move the money into an endowment account at Enhance Hamilton County Foundation and confirmed it will happen by September 1, 2024. There it will sit for those five years, while the city and county and any grants or donations, fund the park’s operations and improvements.

Bowden told the board, “Our plan is for this money to grow at an annual rate of at least 5% compounded over the five-year term, allowing us to use only interest, leaving the principal to continue growing.” This will give the museum financial stability it never had in the past.

He continued, “I’m very happy with the arrangement we now have here at Wilson Brewer Park. The involvement of Hamilton County was a catalyst. I’m pleased with every member of the new board. I look forward to watching our progress into the future.”

Bowden briefly mentioned two other projects he’s ruminated over in the past: a large new museum building on the county land, now under park control; and hiring a full-time curator.

When asked for details, he would only say, “I’m still thinking about them.”

None of the foundation’s members is under any illusion that what they’ve signed up for will be easy, but their enthusiasm was palpable at Tuesday’s meeting.

At the suggestion of Doug Bailey, foundation chair, the five board members volunteered to be advocates for a particular building on the museum campus. In this work, they agree to become familiar with the building’s history and champion its care and use in the park.

Advocacy assignments include:

— Depot & caboose, Ryan Rupiper and Kolleen Taylor

— Harmony Center School, Tamiann Parrott

— First Hamilton County courthouse, Mark Roberts

— Mulberry Center Church, Kolleen Taylor

— Historic settlers’ cabins, Doug Bailey

Two stalwart volunteers were also at the meeting: Darlene Dingman, who’s worked in the depot museum many years, and Carolynn Miller, who continues as coordinator of the Mulberry Center Church, the site of the popular historic lecture series each summer and a wedding rental space.

The board also designated “lead persons” for each of five identified responsibilities as below:

— Volunteers, docents, training and staffing, Tamiann Parrott

— Planning, events and publicity, Ryan Rupiper

— Fundraising, business plan preparation, Doug Bailey

— Museum and park operations, Kolleen Taylor

— Buildings and grounds, Mark Roberts

Many detailed decisions related to park administration were made at the meeting. Plans for the near future include a Volunteer’s Day to help prepare the museum buildings for the annual winter closure. Date and time for this event will be announced later. Anyone who wishes to help will be welcome to join in the effort.