May 31 is Peony Day in Princeville

Do you remember when Route 91 north of town was flanked by peony fields. They were the work of Edward Auten, Jr who was a well-known peony breeder. You can still find "Auten" peonies for sale which are named after Princeville's own Edward Auten. In 1981, Damon Griswold, Princeville Village President, signed a proclamation declaring the Village of Princeville as the "Peony Capital of the World". Do you have peonies growing in your yard? Did you know the history of Princeville and peonies? Above this post is an article from the May 27, 1981, Princeville Telephone and a picture of Edward Auten with a cutting of his favorite peony, Nippon Gold.

FFA Exhibit and Joe House Retirement Party

We are very excited about the upcoming retirement party for Mr. Joe House on Saturday, May 21, 2011 from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm at the Princeville Heritage Museum.

In honor of Mr. House's retirement, the museum will be debuting a special FFA Exhibit at the retirement party. We have received lots of photos, including the one above. Do you know what year this was and any of the people in the photo? Help us identify former FFA members and comment on this post if you know any of the names.

Were you a Princeville High School FFA member? The museum is taking items on loan for this exhibit. If you have any items you would like to loan the museum, call the museum or stop by. The exhibit will be on display through July 2011.

The retirement party is open to anyone who wants to celebrate with Joe. The party is sponsored by the Princeville FFA Alumni and Supporters. To RSVP for the party, please call the museum at 309-385-1916.