Tama County Historical and Genealogical Society volunteers go over the historical collection of Western - Leander Clark Colleges and Iowa Juvenile Home / State Training School for Girls items on Thursday afternoon, April 12. From left are Virginia Roberts, Jean Bolen, Historical Society President, Elizabeth Reese and Connie Pugh. Bolen was a 23-year employee of IJH. Chronicle photos/ John Speer

Artifacts from Western-Leander Clark College and the Iowa Juvenile Home / State Training School for Girls in Toledo are now in the hands of Tama County Historical Society Museum. The Iowa Department of Human Services turned over possession of the collection to the Tama County Historic Preservation Commission which then gave custody over to the museum in Toledo.

Historical and Genealogical Society President Elizabeth Reece said her husband, Brett, and herself went to the campus in Toledo on Thursday and loaded their van and pickup truck with the items. They were then transferred to the museum for safe-keeping.

Museum volunteers including Virginia Roberts, Jean Bolen, Connie Pugh and Reece spent part of Thursday checking through the items to match with the inventory sheet supplied by the state agency.

Western College and later Leader Clark occupied the present IJH campus from 1881-1918. The Juvenile Home was established in 1920.

The State Training School for Girls was combined with IJH in the 1990s. The institution was closed in January, 2014.

Diploma from Western College in Toledo, Iowa is among the items.

While a few items were not found, almost all of the 64 line items were identified. Some listings were for multiple items of the same type.

Among the finds were a 12-place setting of silver plate table wear and a silver plate tea set. Both could date to the college era. Large aerial photos which can be remembered hanging in the administration building of the Juvenile Home as well as other photos, prints and displays were among the items.

A three-shelf lawyers bookcase, various medical and religious items, sports trophies and what is described as a “vintage chamber pot” which turned out to be a urinal are included.

The items have not yet been readied for display yet, but those with memories or information to share are invited to visit the museum and provided their recollections.

Still to be decided is the disposition of the Western-Leander Clark College bell still on display as a historical monument on the campus.

This photo of a building was among those in the Western-Leander Clark College- Iowa JuvenileHome?collection recently received by the Tama County Historical Museum. It does not seem to appear in other records. Can you identify it? If so, contact the Tama County Historical Society or The Chronicle. Have a Photo From The Past To Share? Contact The Chronicle.

While it has been included in the collection gifted to the Historic Preservation Commission it has not been decided where it may be placed.

Reece said Eric DeTemmerman, executive officer, Iowa Department of Human Services Mental Health and Disability Services Division, has assured it was acceptable for the bell to remain in its present location until a new owner for the campus is determined.

Whomever takes possession may allow it to remain or ask for it to be relocated.

There is some call for it to continue to mark the historical spot where it is now in place.

The Western-Leander Clark College bell on the grounds of the closed Iowa Juvenile home - State Training School for Girls in Toledo was dedicated in 1958. Custody of he bell has been returned locally but placement of it is expected to ultimately be determined by ownership of the IJH property.