People collect old pieces of the city-whether they are old service equipment or other items-because they help tell a story of the city’s past. Hiawatha native Rod Colvin will donate old penny-operated parking meters to the Brown County Historical Society, as he believes it is important to help with informing residents about Hiawatha’s local history. Colvin acquired the meter from his mother, who also gave a parking meter to his brother. “The meters are part of our memories of downtown Hiawatha for those of us living in Hiawatha at the time,” Colvin said. “You put money in the parking meter–it was just a part of parking downtown. I remember when the city removed them. I don’t recall the reason stated, but I assumed it was to making [sic] shopping ‘easier’ in the downtown area.” Colvin graduated from Hiawatha with the class of 1968. He has been living in Omaha, NE since 1974 and has worked as a broadcast journalist for 10 years. In 1992, Colvin started a publishing company, Addicus Books, where he is still the publisher. Colvin remarked that the old parking meters were coin operated and that they took nickels and dimes. The time on the meter varied depending on what coin was put in. For Colvin, the meters bring memories of downtown Hiawatha. He remarked that whenever you parked downtown, you needed to put money in the meter, or the “parking meter lady” would put a ticket on the driver’s windshield.
Source: Local News | hiawathaworldonline.com
