CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – In small towns like Vinton, local historians say remembering the past can be a challenge.
“It’s everything, if you don’t preserve history you won’t remember the past,” said Katie Hopkins, Vice President of the Benton County Historical Society.
She said preserving what came before takes a lot of work.
Old buildings fall apart or get bulldozed, paper records get lost and deteriorate.
That’s why the Benton County Historical Society held its first ever expo, showcasing local businesses and educating people on its mission.
“We try to get people excited about history, because it is, unfortunately – not to sound cliché – it’s a dying out thing,” Hopkins said.
The expo is a fundraiser for the historical society. It says the cost of maintaining historic buildings, making necessary repairs, and keeping records is expensive.
Hopkins said, even four years after the 2020 derecho, its damage on …