Exhibit to celebrate Cedar Rapids founder

CEDAR RAPIDS — A new exhibit at the Cedar Rapids Public Library celebrates the significance of one of Cedar Rapids' early founders.

'As Long as the City Stands: Honoring Judge George Greene' will open to the public Thursday. The exhibit, presented by The History Center, tells the story of Greene, for whom Greene Square is named.

Mark Stoffer Hunter, research historian at The History Center, said Greene was the most important person in the founding of Cedar Rapids.

'We're going to learn about who this person was, why is the square named after George Greene, who was George Greene?' Stoffer Hunter said. 'We couldn't have the Cedar Rapids we have today without Judge George Greene.

'He was involved in every major aspect of creating the infrastructure and the economic tools to create the city that we enjoy today in the 21st Century, and he did all this in the span of only 40 years,' Stoffer Hunter said.

Greene arrived in Linn County in 1840 and immediately found the site where downtown Cedar Rapids is today, he said.

'The historic story is how he sat on his horse at the highest spot of the hill, where the Scottish Rite Temple is, looked down toward the river, saw a log cabin or two, said 'We're going to have a town of 40,000 people here in 40 years,'' Stoffer Hunter said. 'He almost made that prediction right. He could already see the Cedar Rapids that we see today.'

The highlight of the exhibit is a rare silver set in a wooden box that has never been on display in public before, Stoffer Hunter said.

Stoffer Hunter designed the exhibit with Mike Crist, The History Center's exhibits director. Crist said the exhibit will include rare or one of a kind artifacts, including letters Greene actually signed off on.

'The biggest thing we're trying to promote is the legacy and how important he was to early Cedar Rapids and the community,' Crist said.

The exhibit will include interactive and video displays. As part of programming related to the exhibit, there will be skywalk tours beginning Oct. 27 and continuing periodically until the exhibit closes on Aug. 28, 2016. There also will be a play.

In addition, Stoffer Hunter will deliver a lecture about Greene from 1 to 3 p.m. on Jan. 23 at the library's Whipple Auditorium.

If you go

What: As Long as the City Stands: Honoring Judge George Greene

Where: Cedar Rapids Public Library, 450 Fifth Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids

When: 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, open during library hours until Aug. 28, 2016.

For more information: Call (319) 362-1501 or go to historycenter.org.