Local 4 News traveled back in time in Fulton for this week’s Community Spotlight special report.
The Heritage Canyon Museum is a major attraction for the small town.
The 12 acres of wooded area was originally used as a place to crush limestone for different purposes from the 1800s to 1950s.
It eventually sat empty for over a decade before a local couple bought it in 1967.
After building their own home on the property, they decided to turn it into a museum to showcase what life was like in the 1800s.
“It’s set in the 1800s, late 1800s, I’d say about 1870s,” said caretaker Brian Tomman. “And we have a number of buildings I think there’s 13 buildings on the property including a church, a one-room school house, a blacksmith shop…”
And it’s all hand-built by one couple.
“In 1967 Harold and Thelma Wierenga purchased the property,” said Tomman. “And then they built the house where the rock crusher used to sit, and then continued to build all the other builds.”
Tomman has been the caretaker of the property for more than a decade now.
“It’s a very interesting place,” he said. “And the longer I’m here the more I find out learn about the history of items that are here.”
Visitors can travel back in tim as they walk along the trail.
“We have a group called the American Crafters and they come in in the period of the 1800s clothing and they’re in all the buildings.”
You can stop by the old school house, the church, or Tomman’s favorite- the old log cabin.
Today it’s become a go-to for tourists, hosting blue grass festivals and even weddings.
“I enjoy the job, I enjoy sharing this with people,” said Tomman.
But most importantly, it serves as a reminder.
“The youth has to understand what the grandfathers and great grandfathers went through to make this country what it is,” said Tomman.
A snapshot of the past that makes sure their heritage lives on.
You can check out Heritage Canyon this weekend during the 45th annual Dutch Days Festival, and come say hello to Local 4 News team during our live broadcast from Dutch Days on Friday, May 3.
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