MUSCATINE, Iowa — Over the past four years, Vickie Anderson noticed a colorful, interesting addition to the countryside as she traveled through northeastern Iowa.

Big squares covered with colorful, quilt-like patterns adorning some of the barns along the county roads.

 “I never knew how they got there,” said Anderson, of  Moscow, Iowa. “Now I’m finding out.”

And soon, many other area residents will know too.

Over the summer, young Muscatine artists began putting brush to board, weaving brilliant hues of basic colors into old-time country quilt patterns to help blaze a trail through the historic barns of Muscatine County.

Teens who participate in summer programs at the Musser Public Library and the Flickinger Learning Center are painting geometrical designs, patterned after quilt squares, on large wooden squares to be mounted on barns throughout the county.

The quilt squares will be  landmarks for people to help them navigate through self-conducted driving tours. The tours will be facilitated with a map, brochure and a CD or cassette tape.

Paul Carroll, development officer with the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, said the original works of art will be placed on barns along the route.

The Bloomington Grange, of which Anderson is president, is the coordinating organization for the Bloomington Grange Barn Quilts/History Tour Project. 

Carroll said the Grange received $1,000 from Keep Iowa Beautiful which they can use to provide youth groups with the materials they need to complete the project.

“We’re hoping other organizations will want to help also,” said Anderson.

Carroll said the designated route for a tour will likely begin at the Muscatine County Conservation Board’s Environmental Learning Center and Discovery Park  on Cedar Street in Muscatine.

The approximately 70-mile,  2-hour tour will include the cities of West Liberty, Wilton and New Era and the Wild Cat Den State Park area.

According to Grange officials, the narrative could be modified to include starting points in West Liberty and Wilton.

Carroll said the project involves many facets of the community.

 The narrative will focus on the history of Muscatine County and its agriculture and industry as it relates to the area and the river, Carroll said. This would include points of interest and numerous stopping places such as the Wilton Candy Kitchen and the Pine Creek Grist Mill.

Carroll said he’s spoken with a number of area historians who would like to participate in creating the narrative.

Property owners along the route will be invited to display the barn squares on their barns.

Anderson said Grange members are also requesting that people who have the tools and skills to help mount the squares volunteer their time to help complete the project.

The most visible part of the project so far was under way Monday at the Flickinger Learning Center, 413 Mulberry Ave., as Sara Salazar, 14, of Muscatine applied paint to an 8 feet by 8 feet quilt block outside the center. Salazar said working on the project has helped her learn more about teamwork.

Her brother, Jonathan Salazar, 12, created the geometrical design for the project, using a smaller pattern and converting it to a larger scale.

Brittney Crookshanks, 15, of Muscatine, said learning to apply the paint to a large surface has been another learning experience.

The students needed to tape the lines of he design to prevent paint of one color from smearing across the lines. The teens are also acquiring painting skills, such as being sure paint isn’t dripping from the brush before they begin applying color.

Betty Collins, the children’s librarian at Musser Public Library, said the Children’s Department assistant Tina Stogdill led teens in creating a 7 feet by 7 feet quilt square as part of the teen summer reading program.

The size of the quilt square the library students created was a bit smaller than the standard 8 feet by 8 feet, Carroll said, because it had to be modified to fit inside the library door.

“We like to offer a variety of things that teens will be interested in,” said Collins. “We thought this sounded like an activity they’d enjoy and the teens really feel like they’re doing something for the community. It made us really proud of them.”

Collins and Josie Cardoza, director of the Flickinger Learning Center, said the teens who make the squares will reap enduring rewards.

“I think they’ll really appreciate this when it gets up on the barns and they can see that they did that,” said Cardoza.

Contact Cynthia Beaudette at 563-262-0527 or cynthia.beaudette@muscatinejournal.com