The Village - Froelich, Iowa

Froelich, Iowa, was settled in the early 1870s at the point where the narrow gauge Iowa Eastern Railroad crossed the Old Military Trail, which ran from McGregor to Fort Atkinson.

The first building was a creamery, located where the windmill now stands. It soon closed and the building was moved to the site of the monument as a grocery store. One story says that it became the blacksmith shop when the Froelichs built the Iron Clad Store, later to be called Burlingame's. As a result of the railroad and the store, many businesses centered around that area. At one time the population was over fifty.

Froelich's traction engine invention in 1892 gave the village its "claim to fame" thanks to the efforts of storekeeper Lon Burlingame and archivists of the John Deere Tractor Company. It is ironic that the technology John Froelich began to perfect would lead to the decline of the village named after his family, as well as many other small rural (one-bottom plow) towns scattered throughout the United States. Froelich with its many historic memories now has a population of twelve. Tourism is the only business.

	The Froelich Tractor In 1892, John Froelich made the first gas traction engine that propelled itself backward and forward. See an extensive display of this rare Froelich tractor half-scale model made by Jim Leete and the late George Erbe. Watch a 1939 John Deere video called "Making Tractor History" with segments filmed in Froelich, Iowa. Listen to the tour guide present the story of the invention of the Froelich tractor and its connection to the Waterloo Boy and the John Deere tractor.
	One-Room 1866 Schoolhouse This Froelich one-room school building dates back to 1866, records show a "school' was established here on that date. It has been moved from its original site near Froelich to be included in the Froelich Historic Site. Just being in this building takes you back in time. There is chalk writing on the blackboard from 1906 that was uncovered with a renovation process! You can relive those days when you attended a one-room school. Remember filling the woodstove? Try sitting in one of the desks. Pull the rope and ring the original school bell in the bell tower.
	The Iron Clad Store The Iron Clad Store was so named because fireproof sheets of iron were put on the side of the building to prevent sparks from the C.M. & St. P. Railroad steam engines from starting the building on fire. The store was not only the freight depot and general store, it was the post office and "cracker barrel" gathering place. The store has been restored both inside and outside. There are many items from the past on display and great effort has gone into making it appear authentic.
	The Blacksmith Shop The Blacksmith Shop was one of the mainstays of any 1800s village. The original blacksmith shop was located somewhere northwest of the General Store. The present shop built in the early 1900s contains tools and equipment used in Froelich in the 1800s. You will also see another replica of the Froelich Tractor. Unlike the scale model in the tractor room of the General Store, this one is not made with the original blueprints.
	Train Depot In September 2003, in our efforts to restore the village, the Froelich Foundation erected a railroad depot. The original Froelich depot was taken down many years ago. Now we are in the process of filling it with railroad artifacts and collectibles. The original steam engine train would many times throw sparks very near the General Store and risk catching it on fire, thus, protection had to be taken.
	And Much More The covered wooden bridge, dedicated to Eugene Connor, former president of the Froelich Foundation, sits over the Froelich creek. In 2003, Tom Manning, whose tractors and machinery were used in the movie "Bridges of Madison County" visited Froelich with his "famous" 4020 John Deere tractor from the movie. There are many more things not mentioned here to explore while visiting our village.