A Little About Why We're Here

History is fun! So why do we mess it up and make it boring by JUST reading about it? I'm not saying reading isn't helpful...that's how we learn a lot of information. BUT...not every author is really captivating AND that can make some historical topics seem pretty irrelevant. That's a shame, because ALL history is relevant and it can be way more engaging than words on a page!

The answer: objects. Things from the past help us make sense of it all. Objects that survived millennia tell us about how and where people lived, what they ate, who they worshiped, what they valued and so much more. Look, we know a lot of stuff about history, from the powerful ancient Chinese dynasties to that good ole’ American western frontier. Do you think we know about these things because somebody tweeted it….or even just wrote it down? Mostly no! A lot of what we know about day-to-day life (the stuff that actually matters) comes from objects. Objects visually take us into the past so we can understand how people lived, look at their actions and lifestyle, admire the triumphs and gasp at the evils.

Iowa State has a lot of history that is important not only for the university, but for the state of Iowa and the nation as a whole. Lucky for us, we have a living piece of ISU history right on our campus: the Farm House Museum! Step into the past and see what life was like in the Midwest at the turn of the 20^th century. Look at the objects so you can understand how people lived and learn specifically about important people and events from ISU’s history!

We plan on posting about an object every two weeks, so keep your eye out for more!

Also, stop by the Farm House Museum anytime between 12 and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday!