# Reviving Clinton's Lumber Past with Art

> Clinton, Iowa uses outdoor art to revive its 19th-century lumber history.
- Title: Reviving Clinton's Lumber Past with Art · Chicago Sun-Times
- Summary: Clinton, Iowa uses outdoor art to revive its 19th-century lumber history. Clinton, Iowa transformed empty historic lots into art installations to attract…
- Keywords: clinton iowa, lumber industry, outdoor art, paint it back festival, thomas dambo, seahawks, nfl, mississippi river, sawmill museum, prospect league, news, local
- Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/travel/2026/09/25/reviving-a-19th-century-lumber-hub-through-art-in-clinton-iowa
- Published: 2026-09-25T10:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: clinton iowa, lumber industry, outdoor art, paint it back festival, thomas dambo, seahawks, nfl, mississippi river, sawmill museum, prospect league, news, local
## Clinton, Iowa's Lumber History
Clinton, Iowa has seen many cycles of boom and bust since its settlement after the Louisiana Purchase.
## 19th Century Lumber Boom
In the 19th century, railroads and ferries were drawn to Clinton, located where the river narrows. Then timber companies bought up vast swathes of Wisconsin and Minnesota and floated logs down the river to Clinton sawmills.
## Wealthy Lumber Barons
Wealthy from lumber, the town claimed the most millionaires per capita in the country in the late 1800s before the upper Midwest was logged out.
## Agribusiness Shift
Agribusiness eventually supplanted them, but in recent years there were significant vacancies and empty lots in the historic downtown, which has 17 buildings listed on the National Historic Register of Places, including the Van Allen Building by Louis Sullivan.
## Economic Development Focus
Matt Parbs, vice president of economic and community development for Grow Clinton, said, 'We are an industrial river town. We don’t hide from it. It has its war scars.'

> We are an industrial river town. We don’t hide from it. It has its war scars.
## Outdoor Art Initiatives
Recently, that lever has been art. Through initiatives both grass roots and public, Clinton has seized on the power of outdoor exhibitions to not just attract out-of-towners but to instill pride in local residents.
## Thomas Dambo's Trolls
Three 20-foot-tall trolls made of wood and organic refuse by the Danish artist Thomas Dambo are dispersed around the city.
## Trolls' Message
Dambo told the community in April, 'My trolls carry a message of protecting the forest that are the lungs of our planet.'

> My trolls carry a message of protecting the forest that are the lungs of our planet.
## Paint It Back Festival
The Paint It Back festival, held in August, celebrates street art murals painted on the outside walls of an 8,000-square-foot former auto garage.
## Festival Growth
The August festival has grown from a couple hundred attendees to more than 2,000, expanding to a new set of downtown walls this year.
## Art Transforming Spaces
Gabi Torres, who transformed a neglected pocket park into The Grove, said, 'It’s changing people’s understanding of how art impacts rural spaces.'

> It’s changing people’s understanding of how art impacts rural spaces.
## Clinton LumberKings
Players for the Clinton LumberKings, who play in the collegiate Prospect League, stay with local families throughout the summer season.
## Mississippi River Attractions
The Mississippi remains a mighty attraction with bike trails, eco cruises, and conservation programs along its banks.
## Clinton's Future
Clinton, Iowa is using outdoor art to revive its 19th-century lumber history and attract visitors while instilling local pride.
## Key takeaway

Clinton, Iowa transformed empty historic lots into art installations to attract visitors and boost local pride after its lumber industry declined.