Pioneer Day Inquiry

Complete the inquiry form to learn more about visiting the Mathias Ham Historic Site or to reserve your field trip. A member of our Education Department will contact you shortly.  
Please let us know when you plan to arrive between 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
What experience are you interested in?
Pioneer Day Activities
Students have the opportunity to make cornbread biscuits from scratch.
Students learn the process of making soap and washing laundry.
While learning about the need for and use of candles, students will dip their own candles they can take home.
Students will learn how to thread a needle, tie a knot, and sew basic stitches.
Discuss play and toys of the 1800s on the Iowa frontier and in Victorian homes. Students will make a simple doll with a scrap of fabric.
Students will view examples of household tools of the 1800s and share how they are similar to or different from contemporary items.
Students will try out period games dependent on the ages of students, group size, and weather conditions.
A visit back to 1884 will show how a teacher led an entire school of children consisting of several grades in just one room.
Dubuque started as a mining camp. Early settlers lived in a variety of shelters, and modern students will experience life in an 1833 log cabin and miner's badger hole.
Students will have a blast experiencing the work done in a replica lead mine with a windlass and bucket.
Briefly describe the academic purpose of your education group’s visit: (e.g. pre-unit introduction to Iowa history; cumulative review of Life Science after learning about ecosystems and trait variation in species; a team-building experience that’s fun and educational; etc.) 
Please let us know of any special requests, student needs, or additional details we should know pertaining to your visit.