Memory of remarkable National woman inspires non-profit group

By Trudy Balcom

Not long ago, few people in Clayton County knew the name of Althea Sherman. Sherman was a noted artist, teacher and dedicated amatuer ornithologist who lived in National, Iowa, for a good part of her life. In 1915 she had a 28 foot-high tower erected on her property so she could attract and study a species of birds called chimney swifts.
    Called the Sherman Swift Tower, the structure was an established local landmark; a place where many area children visited and learned about the birds from Althea.
    The tower was moved to Harpers Ferry after Althea died in 1943.
    Slowly, memories of Althea and the tower faded in the community, and were nearly lost as older generations passed on.
    Then about two years ago, a group of people began meeting to discuss the tower after stories about Althea and the tower cropped up at  the history booth at the Clayton County Fair.
    Neighbors from Farmersburg and Garnavillo were drawn in, including Deanna and Harold Krambeer of St. Olaf, and Joyce Schoulte and Marlene  and Roland Doerring of National.
    The group quickly decided the tower should be returned somehow to National and the story of Althea and the Sherman family should be told.
    They discovered that the tower had survived and now belonged to the Johnson County Songbird Society. It had been in storage since 1992 in a barn near Tipton, Iowa. The Society planned to renovate the tower someday and erect it; they were unwilling to turn it over to the group at National, now organized as the Friends of Sherman Swift Tower, a non-profit organization.
Although they were disappointed, the Friends did not give up. They decided to build a replica of the tower barely a mile from where the tower once stood on the Sherman homestead. Now a foundation has been poured and plans are underway for construction to begin on the tower late this fall.
    The enthusiasm and determination that has driven this dedicated group of volunteers was inspired by the fascinating lives of Althea and the Sherman family. “I think they were such remarkable people,” Deanna noted.
Althea and her three sisters and one brother were the children of Clayton County pioneer settlers Mark and Melissa Sherman who settled and farmed near National in 1845. The Shermans were a progressive family  who believed strongly in the value of education for  both girls and boys. The children were taught by private tutors at the family home. Later Althea and her sister Amelia went on to teach at the National primary school (the school building they taught in is now part of Brainard’s Country Change restaurant) Four of the children attended Oberlin College in Ohio.
    She taught art at Carleton College in Minnesota and was Supervisor of Art Instruction for the Tacoma, Wash., school district. She returned to National in the mid 1890s to help her sister Amelia, a country physician, care for their aging parents. She went on to become a reknowned bird researcher, just studying the birds in her own backyard.
    The foundation for the tower was poured last October next to the National Cemetery after the cemetery association approved the plan. The site for the new tower is on property Althea once owned.
    The group has received grants from Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation, Alpine Communications, local banks and other area businesses and the Iowa Ornithologist’s Union. Technical assistance to secure grant funding was provided by the Farmersburg Township Trustees.
    Many donations, large and small, have come from individuals as well. “People really want to see this happen,” Deanna said.
The group says that they have the funds for the materials for the construction of the tower, which will be built as an exact replica as much as possible. Members of the group plan to visit the original tower at Tipton with their builder  to get exact specifications.
When it is complete, the Friends envision it as a place where once again chimney swifts may nest and be observed. “We really want the chimney swifts to come here again,” Deanna said.
    “It’s part of National’s history…and a fitting tribute to the Sherman family,” noted Harold Krambeer.
    The Friends of the Sherman Swift Tower will have a float at the Garnavillo Independence Day celebration and a booth at the Clayton County Fair. In October, they plan to host a birthday celebration for Althea at the site of the tower in National.
For more information or to donate to the tower fund, contact Treasurer Joyce Schulte at (563) 964-2535; or contact Harold and Deanna Krambeer at (563) 783-7791.

Iowa goes Smokefree

The Smokefree Air Act became effective Tuesday. Health officials report that businesses and the public are eager to learn as much as they can about the new law. Since the State’s Web site about the new law, www.IowaSmokefreeAir.gov, was launched on June 2, the site has received more than 50,000 total hits, an average of nearly 1,800 per day.
    “These numbers, along with more than 1,200 questions and comments from the public, indicate a strong interest among Iowans in following the new law,” said IDPH Director Tom Newton. “Education is the key to compliance. Even after the law goes into effect, we will continue to focus on educating the public.”
    Signed by Governor Culver on April 15, the Smokefree Air Act is aimed at protecting the health of employees by prohibiting smoking in nearly all workplaces in Iowa, including restaurants and bars. Casino gaming floors, however, are exempt. Enforcement of the new law will be accompanied by a strong educational component, including personally contacting businesses that have received a complaint, compliance check site visits by local law enforcement, and fines after other efforts have failed.
    To ensure that Iowans know everything they need to know to comply with the new law, www.IowaSmokefreeAir.gov includes a variety of resources for business owners and the public. There visitors will find: business-specific fact sheets; downloadable “no smoking” signs; a Frequently Asked Questions document; and links to the Smokefree Air Act and accompanying Administrative Rules. Beginning July 1, a feature will be added to allow the public to register complaints.
    In addition to providing the public with information about the new law, IDPH is also actively seeking public comment on the Administrative Rules. The comment period lasts through Aug. 22. To comment on the Rules or to see a schedule of upcoming public hearings, visit www.IowaSmokefreeAir.gov.