On a cold, blustery, Iowa winter night in March 1971, a handful of persons formed an organization dedicated to locating and preserving local historic landmarks. Charter officers were elected, including President George Reed; Vice President Jim Hass; Secretary Ione Hokanson; and Treasurer Maudia Richard. Dues were established at $3.00 per person or $5.00 per couple. In July 1971 articles of incorporation and by-laws were approved and officially formed Peterson Heritage, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Peterson's heritage.
The first action was to seek and receive approval and support from descendants of the Kirchner family -- the first settlers of Peterson. Two of the restoration projects which the group hoped to achieve directly related to Kirchner-owned property. At the end of the first year we had acquired the privilege of restoring the Christian Kirchner home, later named Heritage House, when the Kirchner brothers agreed to deed the property to the town of Peterson on 8 November 1972. Since then the house has been completely restored and furnished accordingly.
As a fundraiser, the first home tour was scheduled for 24 October 1971. By 1972, George Reed stirred interest in collecting restored farm machinery. As interest grew, it was learned that Jacob Kirchner also was interested in a museum. Because of his generous donation, plans materialized and in 1974 a Museum was built to house a growing collection.
Another gigantic undertaking was purchasing the J.A. (Gust) Kirchner House at a cost of $16,500. This occurred at a special meeting in July 1975. With the help of a $3,000 grant, the building was purchased and completely paid for within 18 months.