Revitalizing a historic building and a community. Follow us…
Thank you for reading this first installment of our newsletter! We invite you to follow along with us as we move forward on a project that is near and dear to our hearts.
First, some background.
Most of our followers know of our passion for giving back to our home community and surrounding area. You also know that we place great value on the history of this Big Flat region of Montana and the families that built it, creating a sense of duty in us to continue growing in their honor.
You may not be aware of the pivot made in our company after the pandemic. Covid shined a light on what is most important in all of our lives, two of those things being food production (agriculture) and connecting with neighbors and friends, as we all experienced the loss of connection we were accustomed to. Kimmel Kreations changed the focus of business with this in mind, hence the rebranding to Kimmel Ag Partners.
A Legacy of Community
What does this mean? It means we’re tackling a huge project to support our rural community. On the next page, you’ll see a photo of one of the first buildings constructed on the Big Flat during the homestead era. Neighbors pooled their time and resources to build what they called “The Country Club” in the community of Little Jewell, just a few miles from where Turner is today. Many of our neighbors’ families helped construct it, including my own great-grandparents. The community hall was used also for school and church until those buildings could be constructed across the road. The Country Club boasted a unique aspect of architecture in its “floating” dance floor, made to bounce in rhythm with dancers as they move across it, a feature that is nearly extinct today.
Later in the 1980s Turner-Hogeland Lions Club volunteers, including PJ’s late father Pat and dozens of other locals, invested their resources in the building by adding a metal roof, sheeting the inside, and bracing it up for a potential move into Turner. Thankfully, their efforts helped preserve the structure, and though it’s old, it is still sound.
It’s Time
Now is the time to complete the restoration before it becomes too late. And although we had considered building a structure on our ranch to achieve our family’s purposes, we feel like the Big Flat community can benefit in parallel by establishing it in town.
That’s basically a really long way of saying, we’re moving the Country Club from the Little Jewell townsite to Turner and restoring it to its former purpose as a community hall and event center.
Progress to Date
Although we hoped to have the building set in place by now, things always take longer than planned, so though there are no visible signs, progress is being made. We have purchased a lot on Main Street, had it surveyed, scheduled a well to be dug, and are in the final stages of developing architectural plans for acquiring state building permits.
Costs and Funding
The full project, including the cost of two additions to the original footprint that will add restrooms, storage and overflow seating, is estimated to cost around $200,000, of which $15,000+ has already been expended.
We are exploring several different small grant opportunities for various aspects of the project, and will also be seeking donations and annual sponsorships. Once the building is set on its foundation, we have a long list of activities and events planned for fundraising. We hope to be able to have some progress made by the all-school reunion next summer.
Available for Everyone
We want the building to be available to everyone to use for a variety of purposes in addition to our own planned activities. There will be mentoring programs for youth and adults alike, covering everything from music to theatre to educational conferences; fitness; weddings; dances; concerts; and a long list of other monthly activities.
The project is expensive, so there will be a cost to use the facility, but we plan to make it available for non-profit use as affordably as possible, as well as commercial use.
We’d Love Your Help
We’re grateful that so many have reached out to offer support. If you’d like to be part of this journey, we invite you to consider these options:
*Be an advisor. We are seeking a small advisory group who can help us vet ideas and be a sounding board.
*Volunteer. We are seeking volunteers to help with fundraising events and with actual restoration when the time comes.
*Contributions. We humbly seek your financial support. There are a few ways you can contribute, including with the donation button on the Sponsorship page. Contributors will be listed in promotional materials and on a plaque located in the completed facility.
If you’ve read this far, we thank you! Please feel free to reach out and share ideas, or just check in on progress. Until next time… ~Tricia Kimmel
