Dubuque County Historical Society Receives Two Silos & Smokestacks Grants
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Dubuque County Historical Society received grant support from two of the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) grant programs. Funding from the SSNHA’s 2026 Agricultural Storytelling Small Project Program Award will support the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium’s interpretation of Iowa native plants on its outdoor campus as living artifact representatives of the historical and functional evidence of Iowa’s natural heritage. Through this new interpretation, museum visitors will learn the roles that native plants play in our ecosystem. Funding from the SSNHA’s 2026 Internship Program Award will support a summer intern who joins the Mathias Ham Historic Site education team to bring new agricultural stories and interpretive experiences to life at the Ham Site.
“Grant funding from Silos & Smokestacks acts as a vital catalyst for our mission, allowing us to bridge the gaps between history, science, and community,” said Paula Neuhaus, DCHS director of grants. “By embedding Iowa’s stories into America’s broader agricultural and environmental narrative, this key grant support empowers us to inspire a deeper culture of conservation and regional stewardship for generations to come."
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area is one of 62 federally designated heritage areas in
the nation and is an Affiliated Area of the National Park Service. Through the development of
a network of sites, programs, grant opportunities, and events, SSNHA’s mission is to interpret farm life, agribusiness, and rural communities— past and present. Both the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and the Mathias Ham Historic Site are designated SSNHA heritage sites.