THE CASH CROP AT THAT PLACED ARCOLA ON THE MAP IN THE MID 1800'S IS
STILL ATTRACTING VISITORS TODAY,
AS WE FOUND OUT AT THE TOWN'S
OLD DEPOT.
AT ONE TIME, ARCOLA WAS THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF BROOM CORN. IT WAS STARTED IN THE LATE
1860'S.
A GREAT GRANDFATHER THAT DEALT
IN BROOM CORN IN 1880.
IN 1898, ARCOLA BUILT A BROOM
CORN PALACE, IT WAS TWO STORIES
HIGH.
YOU COULD DRIVE A CAR THROUGH IT
OR HORSE AND BUGGY AT THAT TIME
ALSO.
IT WENT UP TWO STORIES.
IT IS ALL BROOM CORN ON THE
OUTSIDE, AND HAD TO A CROWN ON
THE TOP.
WE WERE THE LARGEST PRODUCER IN
THE WORLD AT ONE TIME.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED, BROOM CORN
HAS BEEN VERY LABOR INTENSIVE,
THE WHOLE INDUSTRY HAS.
AND AS A RESULT IN THE LATE
1950'S, IT STARTED MOVING TO
OKLAHOMA, TEXAS, AND NEW MEXICO,
AND THEN IN THE LATE 60'S, IT
MOVED TO MEXICO, AND WE ARE IN
MEXICO NOW.
>> THIS IS BROOM CORN AS IT IS
GROWN FROM THE FIELD.
ONCE IT HAS GROWN, HARVESTED AND
DRIED, THEY THEN TAKE THE SEED
OFF OF IT AND THEN IT IS READY
FOR THE BROOM OTHER THAN IT IS
PROCESSED IN THE BROOM SHOP FOR
THE BROOM.
VERY QUICKLY, IF YOU TAKE BROOM
CORN, PLASTIC BROOMS HAVE COME
IN AND COMPETED WITH US, BUT
BROOM CORN HAS TINY HAIR THAT
GROWS ON THE HEAD.
IF YOU TAKE YOUR HAND, YOU WILL
SEE IT BOWS LIKE THAT, AND
THAT'S BECAUSE THE HAIR IS
CATCHING ON YOUR HAND.
WHEN YOU SWEEP, THAT HAIR
CATCHES THE DUST.
>> TODAY ARCOLA'S OLD TRAIN
DEPOT IS HOME TO THE WELCOME
CENTER AND IT IS HERE VISITORS
CAN STILL PURCHASE A BROOM CORN
BROOM WHILE LEARNING ABOUT ITS
HISTORY.
IN ADDITION, THIS BUILDING
HOUSES THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF
ANTIQUE BROOMS IN THE UNITED
STATES.
>> THIS BROOM WAS MADE IN JAPAN,
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF HANDWORK.
THEY TAKE THE STALK WHICH IS
THIS IS THE WAY THE BROOM CORN
GROWS.
THEY TAKE THIS STALK, WE HAVE IT
INTO THE HANDLE AND THE BODY OF
THE BROOM, AND THEN FROM HERE ON
UP, IS WHERE THE SWEEPING FIBER
STARTS.
OTHER ONE IS THE STICK BRUSH OR
BROOM.
YOU WILL STILL SEE IN CHINA AND
SOME OTHER FOREIGN COUNTRIES OH
PEOPLE OUT IN THE STREET
SWEEPING WITH TWIGS.
IN LATE -- NO, ABOUT 1972, I
BELIEVE, WE FOUND A BRUSH
COLLECTION IN EUROPE.
IT WAS LUKE KLINE WAS AT THE
TIME WAS PHOTO EDITOR AT NEWS
WEEK MAGAZINE HE WAS LIVING IN
EUROPE, AND WAS WORKING IN
EUROPE AT THAT TIME.
HE HAD ACCUMULATED ALL THESE OLD
BRUSHES.
SO WE BOUGHT THE COLLECTION AND
MOVED IT TO ARCOLA, AND HAVE HAD
IT ON DISPLAY.
SO THE COLLECTION ITSELF IS JUST
A WHAT LUKE KLINE HAD AND WHAT
WE HAVE ADDED TO IT.
ORIGINALLY THERE WAS A LOT OF
HANDWORK IN BRUSHES. AS YOU CAN
SEE ONE SAYS 1889.
IT IS IN WHITE WHERE MOST OF THE
BRUSH IS IN A DARK BACKGROUND OR
DARK FIBERS.
I THINK THE HAVE A RYE VARIETY
WE HAVE WE HAVE, LIKE THE
CLEANER, YOU DON'T REALIZE THAT
PEOPLE MANUFACTURE THOSE THINGS.
>> THE COLLECTION RANGES,
EARLIEST WE HAVE IS LITTLE AFTER
1850.
THE LATEST ONE IS PROBABLY 1950
SOME PLACE IN THERE.
IT IS THE ONLY ONE WE KNOW OF OF
ITS KIND IN THE US.
IT DOES BRING BACK SOME GOOD
MEMORIES IF PEOPLE ARE OLDER AND
REMEMBER THE SHAVING BRUSHES AND
SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
TO REACH THE ARCOLA WELCOME CENTER CALL 1-800-336-5456.