Nelson Pioneer Farm
The Nelson Pioneer Farm, located two miles northeast of Oskaloosa on Glendale Road, takes tourists back in time with its recreation of a 19th century farm.
The Nelson Pioneer Farm is an historical complex administered by the Mahaska County Historical Society. The farm is located on the site of a 153-acre farm that Daniel Nelson staked a claim to in 1846. The Nelson family farmed for 114 years, until 1958 when the family bequeathed the farm to the Mahaska County Historical Society.
The Nelson Pioneer Farm features the Nelson Pioneer farm and Craft Museum, a summer kitchen, a meat house, a lumber yard office, a scale house, the 1900 era Wright Post Office, a voting house, a log cabin at the site of an original 1844 cabin and a black smith shop. It also features the Daniel Nelson Barn, a county store, the Coal Creek Meeting House, the Hopewell store Post Office and the Prine School. The newest addition to the historical farm is Bradbury Hall, named after the first president and founding father of the historical society, completed in 2005. The 60-foot by 120-foot one-story building has a capacity of more than 320 people.
The Nelson Pioneer Farm is the site of the Annual Pioneer Farm Festival, held on the third Saturday in September. The festival features demonstrations of 30 pioneer skills as well as special exhibit is and musical entertainment. The event is topped off with a country-style dinner.