Back Roads

This week’s Back Roads is the work of The Land Correspondent Richard Siemers. Tractors, race cars and trains on the plain

Unless you think of farmers racing across a field, or race car drivers harvesting trophies, one wouldn’t typically think of agriculture and motorsports having much in common. What they have in common is the important role each continues to play in the life of Kossuth County, Iowa. Add some art work and a model railroad and you have Kossuth County Agricultural and Motorsports Museum — appealing to a wide range of interests.

Kossuth County has a rich history of racing. Some folks involved in racing wanted to document the local history of the sport. With agriculture being so prominent in the county, it was advanta geous for the two interests to w o r k together.

T h e n along came A r l e n Benschoter. A retired farmer and life-long collector of model trains, Benschoter wanted a place where his trains could be displayed and cared for. His generosity spurred construction of the new building on the Kossuth County Fairgrounds in 2013. Then Benschoter put in many hours setting up the train layout prior to his death in 2021 at the age of 83.

The exhibition hall is large, with a mezzanine around three sides. On the racing side is an assortment of race cars from a small wind sprint vehicle and a Trostle sprint car to the 1939 Ford Coupe that Richard Prior (as Wendell Scott) drove in the movie Greased Lightning. There are even a couple Soap Box Derby cars. The Wall of Fame honors those who have contributed to racing in Kossuth County.

Algona, Iowa

The agricultural portion is a diverse collection of tractors and machinery, along with many household and other smaller items. An antique egg incubator stands on four legs between a school desk and a rotary bedsheet iron. The tractors include a limited-edition 1970 International 1026 Hydro Gold Demonstrator, a 1934 Hart-Parr steel wheeled tractor, and the Allis-Chalmers driven in parades by Algona native Dick Dale of the Lawrence Welk show. A booth honors the county’s auctioneers, including another native, Denny Prilipp, a World Champion Livestock Auctioneer. The wall around the exhibition hall is lined with the detailed tractor paintings of Russell Sonnenberg, another Kossuth County farmer (retired), whose works number more than 60. (You can see smaller versions of them at http://www.megsartworld. com) Young and old are drawn to the Benschoter Train Station, a separate room with a 40-foot x 60-foot model train layout. Freight, circus and military trains wend around towns, farms, mountains and a carnival midway. With lights, mechanical props and moving trains, expect to spend a while to take it all in.

Agriculture, racing, trains, rural-themed artwork, artifacts from days gone by — you’ll find something to satisfy your interest at the Kossuth County Museum.

Located on the fairgrounds in Algona, the Museum is open Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 p.m., and by appointment. There is a $5 admission charge for 14 and older (except during the county fair). More information is available at kossuthmuseum.com. v