New wagon welcomes kids to world of books

Visitors to the Lake City Public Library might notice the beautiful building, tastefully and classically appointed.

But it was missing something, Director Michelle Deluhrey said.

“We wanted something a little more kid-friendly in here,” she said last week.

So the library applied for a Calhoun County Community Foundation grant, asking for $1,000 to commission something for the children’s section. The library matched that grant with its own $1,000 and asked Angie Jergens, of Yard N Garden in Auburn, to construct a wagon akin to the ones that brought pioneers across Iowa in the 19th century.

“We wanted to come up with a theme,” Deluhrey said. “We decided Little House on the Prairie is a good theme.”

The front of the wagon features a small bench, on which children can sit. Around back, children can climb a few steps, then choose either a carpeted or wooden bench, where they can rest, read and do homework. Delurhrey said children immediately started using the wagon when it arrived.

To further the prairie theme, the library had Jergens paint a pioneer scene and six quilt squares, all of which are based on actual prairie quilts.

The wagon is a permanent fixture in the library now, Deluhrey said.