The Chester L. Krause Legacy Park in Iola, Oct. 13, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
IOLA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The village of Iola is commemorating who it calls, its best known citizen.
A dedication ceremony for the Chester L. Krause Legacy Park took place today, to honor Krause’s lifetime contributions.
Lifelong Iola resident, Chester Krause, also known as Chet, is the reason behind the village’s famous car show.
“The car show’s impact on the entire automotive enthusiast community, it’s really immeasurable, the impact,” said Ken Nimocks, President of Wisconsin Chapter Society of Automotive Historians.
On Friday, community members gathered at the Iola Historical Society’s Machine Shed for a dedication ceremony.
The ceremony was supposed to take place at the Chester L. Krause Legacy Park on North Chet Krause Drive, but the rain pushed it indoors.
“With the creation of Numismatic News, this idea grew from a hobby, to a monthly periodical, to Krause Publications, a business that published 50 periodicals and hundreds of book titles,” said Jennifer Schustek, Iola Village President.
The park features a large mural which has paintings of Krause himself, cars and old Iola. A large statue of Krause was unveiled at the ceremony, which will stand in the park. The mural also includes a timeline, highlighting important events that happened in the village’s history.
“The growth of this business also brought extensive growth to Iola,” said Schustek.
The first Iola Car Show and Swap Meet took place in 1972. Nimocks says Krause invited a handful of area vintage car owners to show off their vehicles at a fundraiser and cookout.
“All of a sudden the thing took off, so by the time I came here, 70s, early 70s, I had heard about this big show and I wanted to go over and see it,” said Nimocks.
Now, 51 years later, more than 120-thousand people and 2,500 show cars attend the show. Since the car show doubles as a fundraising event, it’s also generated more than $9 million to area groups.
“For a lot of people, it’s a bucket list event, and there are people who set aside — plan their vacations a year ahead of time, get the rooms if they’re coming in from out of town,” said Nimocks.
This December marks Krause’s 100th birthday. Patti Dickhut, a family member of Krause’s says this dedication is the perfect way to celebrate.
“Without this community, Iola, behind him, it wouldn’t have happened. So thank you, Iola,” said Dickhut.
Krause passed away in June of 2016 due to complications of congestive heart failure. He was 92-years-old.
The hope is the park will remind local residents of Krause’s contributions and enlighten future generations of Iola’s heritage.
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