Kari Anderson (karipearls.com) recently shared this story of her visit to a fascinating Pearl Button factory which once operated in Muscatine, Iowa! Thank you, Kari!!

Muscatine once had the title of  “Pearl Button Capital of the World!” and this pearl button factory is actually a time capsule of that long-past era. In 1956 the owners said the last good byes to their employees and locked the door!

With flashlights in hand, Kari climbed the dark stairways. At least 2 floors of the Schmarje building were dedicated to the Ronda Button Company and the Schmarje family had the foresight to leave this factory basically untouched for over 60 years – what a blessing! for those of us interested in this local history.

At least 2 floors of the Schmarje building were dedicated to the Ronda Button Company. The Schmarje family had the foresight to leave this factory basically untouched for over 60 years – what a blessing! for those of us interested in this local history.

Button Cutter

These machines zipped through tons of shells, cutting blanks for buttons. Muscatine also has a local pearl button museum which has a movie visitors can watch showing workers quickly slipping shells into shell cutters so blanks can be cut out from them. (It looked dangerous…)

The new type of button cutting machine, featuring a carbide-toothed saw operating on a vertical shaft enabled workers at the Ronda Button plant to produce top grade blanks at a faster rate than was possible by older methods.

The local pearl button museum has a movie visitors can watch showing workers quickly slipping shells into these cutters so blanks can be cut out from them. (It looked dangerous…)

I saw how shells would arrive at the plant by the tons in burlap sacks.

Button BlanksShells would come not only from the Mississippi River, across the street, but from lots of sources including the Minnesota, Arkansas, White and Tennessee Rivers.

Machines Lined the WallsThere were old burlap sacks bursting their seams with buttons blanks that never made it to the finishing factories…but lay here as a reminder to all of us of the immense work and effort that went into making buttons for our shirts and skirts.

Finished “Pearl” Buttons made in MuscatineI hope you enjoyed the little mini tour of our local time capsule.

Here I am sharing for Pechkucha Night at our local museum about my pearling adventures.

Me speaking at Muscatine Button Museum “Around the World in 80 Carats!”An interesting bit of trivia: guess who at one time stayed here in Muscatine, IA?

The current president of China, Xi Jinping! As a young man he was an exchange student here. His presence here in Muscatine, has developed a unique relationship between Iowa and China. Our former governor, Branstad, is now the ambassador to China.

God bless,

Kari

 

Greeted Sunday by getting up early to enjoy the valley!

Watched a “V” of geese go by… learned from birders yesterday that about this time Canada geese begin to flock up and continue to migrate northward. These are the geese that have not fledged any young this spring. Birders call it the “molt migration” as the geese will now begin to molt their breeding feathers. Preceded by weeks of loud honking as they begin to gather up. Usually occurs about June 1.  The geese with hatchlings are now quite silent in order to protect the young.

Dan Jackson, who probably hears and sees every bird to pass through the Coulee Region has a reported several oddities of interest. Most recently (about May 16) he reported seeing this “white-faced ibis!!”  His comments follow:

“The White-faced Ibis that was first seen about a week ago is still hanging out in the Halfway Creek Marsh.  This marsh is on the north side of county ZN about ½ mile west of Midway and between Midway and the Visitor’s Center of the La Crosse District of the Upper Mississippi River NWR.  This is west of Hwy 35 and County ZN can be reached by exiting on OT from that road.  In Midway, take ZN to the west and watch for the small parking area on the right (north) side of the road after you go around a major corner.  This is east of the RR tracks.”

   WHITE-FACED IBIS

Another interesting report was of the WHITE ROBIN Dan photographed this spring, which I cropped to show here!     Dan has been posting his sightings at https://www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn

A New Map of Lake Pepin by Lisa Middleton … Order Today!

This fine art print of A New Map of Lake Pepin features named islands and sloughs and is both geographical and historical in nature. Landmarks visible to those cruising on both road and river are marked from Wabasha to Red Wing. Approx. 36″ long, and beautiful when framed. You may study a large high-resolution image by visiting our ART GALLERY HERE.

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