Local historian awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for his long-time historic preservation service in Winneshiek County

Posted: Tue, Oct 27, 2020 10:56 AM

Winneshiek County Historic Preservation Commission members Ashley Christensen and Kim Glock present Al Becker with a Certificate of Appreciation for his long-time historic preservation service in Winneshiek County.

The Winneshiek County Historic Preservation Commission has presented historian Al Becker with a Certificate of Appreciation for his work in bringing the lives and history of the Ho Chunk/Winnebago people in Winneshiek County to light.

The certificate recognizes Becker's years of dedicated service to historic preservation in youth education, archaeological fieldwork, and leadership roles with the Friends of Fort Atkinson, the Fort Atkinson Rendezvous, and the Fort Atkinson Historic Preservation Commission.

Among his many accomplishments, Becker inspired Turkey Valley students and local residents to participate in archaeological digs, as Turkey Valley is located within the original site of the Neutral Ground where the Winnebago Indians were brought to from 1840-1849. Becker wrote and was project director for numerous grant awards and worked closely with staff from the University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist. He received a McElroy Excellence in Education grant for developing an innovative enrichment experience for his students at Turkey Valley.