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cake at Pioneer Wedding

What’s Cooking – Celebration Foods

Posted on July 8, 2019

July 8, 2019 Midwesterners love a good party. It can be a dinner party, a picnic, a birthday party, a potluck. This week Living History Farms interpreters take a look at special occasion foods and…

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jack-o-lantern

Halloween in Iowa: History of Mischief

Posted on October 11, 2018

October 11, 2018 As Iowa heads into fall, our museum looks forward to the many simple pleasures the season brings us. Ripe corn, cool mornings, coffee on the woodstove, and fuzzy wool overcoats. It’s also…

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Embroidered Tidies – keeping the 19th century home clean and pretty!

Posted on February 28, 2017

February 28, 2017 All winter, the 1875 Tangen House has been open to dinner guests. In March, the Flynn Mansion will also be hosting guests for a special 19th century meal. These homes showcase Victorian…

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Flynn Mansion in the snow

New Year’s Calling

Posted on December 30, 2015

December 30, 2015 It is almost 2016! Many people are planning a New Year’s Eve party on December 31st and then a solid day of parades and football watching on January 1st. In the 1870s,…

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card game in tangen parlor

Fun and Games

Posted on December 23, 2015

December 23, 2015 Everyone is getting into the holiday spirit by now, and starting to make time for festivals, soirees, and visits amongst friends. These are often full of food and revelry, and sometimes friendly…

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decorated tree at tangen home

Trees that Glisten

Posted on December 2, 2015

December 2, 2015 We see them everywhere in December, twinkling with lights and full of colorful ornaments, but have you ever stopped to think about how old the tradition of the Christmas tree really is,…

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flower illustration

Message in a Blossom: The Victorian Language of Flowers

Posted on August 20, 2014

August 20, 2014 Ever since ancient times, flowers have held both practical and cultural significance. Whether the question at hand was decoration, medicine, or the wooing of a potential mate, men and women have turned to…

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tea at the flynn mansion

Taking Tea in the Garden

Posted on August 13, 2014

August 13, 2014 A beautiful rug, sparkling silver, and brilliant flowers: the scene is set for garden tea outside the Flynn Mansion. On a lovely Sunday afternoon in July, several staff members, interns, and volunteers…

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Tea Time at the Flynn House

Posted on June 19, 2013

June 19, 2013 “Tea time” is our favorite time of day at the Flynn Mansion. Around two o’clock each afternoon the Flynn ladies gather in the back parlor or the dining room for a cup…

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Spotted: Independent Order of Odd Fellows Wall Hanging

Posted on June 17, 2013

June 7, 2013 Happy Monday everyone! Kate here, with another treasure to share from the 1900 Farm collections! I discovered this week’s item, a needlepoint wall hanging, above the bed in the parents’ room. I…

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