Traer took more than a grain of salt for tourism

TRAER - At an economic-development conference in Des Moines a few years ago, Ellen Young was told Traer should focus on what it has and bring that to the forefront when it comes to tourism.

'At that meeting, they said, ‘If you want to attract people to your town, capitalize on what you have,'” Young recalled. 'And I held my hand up and I said, ‘What if you have nothing?' ”

Look again, Young was told. So she drove around town, determined to find something that could shine. What Traer, a town of 1,700 in Tama County did have, Young decided, was a woman with a large personal collection of salt and pepper shakers.

Ruth Rasmussen, 91, of Traer began collecting the shakers in the 1940s. Rasmussen's affinity for them began when she bought a pair during a visit to Brookfield Zoo in Illinois.

She enjoyed it, so she kept buying more.

In 2008, the city made a deal to purchase 13,000 salt and pepper shakers from Rasmussen. After she discovered the plan was to put the collection on display, she donated the rest of her collection to the city.

In April 2011, the Traer Salt and Pepper Shaker Gallery opened on Second Street. Inside, more than 14,500 pairs of salt and pepper shakers are on display. An additional 10,000 to 12,000 sets of shakers that have been given to the gallery remain in boxes, waiting for an opportunity to be displayed.

The gallery bills itself as the 'Midwest's largest collection of salt and pepper shakers.” It is open March 1 through Nov. 30 and closed in the winter months.

The shakers are neatly displayed in rows and on shelves in the gallery by category. There are agricultural themed salt and pepper shakers, shakers in the shape of every state in the nation, and international shakers.

There are also condiment sets, which include three pieces - one for salt, one for pepper and one for mustard.

There are presidential themed-shakers, including one of former President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hillary Clinton. This set includes 'nodders,” which means the heads of the Clintons shake. (The former president's head shakes 'yes,” while his wife's only nods 'no.”)

There also are 'go-withs,” meaning the two shakers are not identical. For example, an ink bottle and a patch of spilled ink.

Last year, nearly 1,000 people visited, said Young, the gallery's director.

'That's 1,000 people that turned down our main street, stopped and did something here in Traer, hopefully did some other things, like eat and buy gas and maybe stop at the stores,” she said. 'That was the whole purpose of putting this on display.”

Young said the gallery was fortunate to have many people and entities believe in its purpose, too. Funding for the gallery was provided by the city of Traer, the state of Iowa's Department of Cultural Affairs, the Traer Community Foundation and other entities.

Some of the grants the gallery received were a result of collaborations with other communities, Young said. She encourages visitors to the gallery to check out attractions elsewhere in Tama County, such as in nearby Gladbrook, 12 miles away.

'I make sure they know about Matchstick Marvels (a museum of 3-D models of buildings made entirely of matchsticks), and we do that with other things in the county, too,” she said.

Rasmussen, for her part, said one of her favorite pairs is an international set of shakers from England when Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana were married.

More on Traer

Traer, in Tama County, has a population of 1,700. In addition to the Salt and Pepper Shaker Gallery, the town is known for its Winding Stairs on Second Street. The iron staircase, catwalk and attached building are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of the major employers in town are Clearline Cutlery and the North Tama County Community School District.

If you go

What: Traer Salt and Pepper Shaker Gallery

Where: 411 Second St., Traer

Hours: 1 to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, from March 1 to Nov. 30

Admission: $3

For more information, call 319-231-7654 or go to www.traer.com