The initial concept of the Haggard-Twogood Charitable Trust was formed in 1981 during a conversation between sisters Barbara Haggard and Eleanor Twogood. Haggard was a life-long resident of Algona and very involved in the arts and community betterment. Twogood was then a resident of California and shared her younger sister’s interests. Their only brother, John, had never had children, nor had they, and they were aware that their family line was nearing its end. They wanted to leave something behind to mark the family’s time in Algona.

            When Haggard, the last of the family, died in November 1996, it set the wheels in motion for the trust which came into being a year later – Nov. 1, 1997. The sisters had left 240 acres of farmland valued at $750,000 to the trust. Eighty acres were sold, and the remainder continues to be rented out. Their intent was that the income from the trust be used for the benefit of the community. In a letter to the Trustees, Haggard specifically notes, “the library, the hospital and the Historical Society would be possible recipients. Also the Arts Council.”

            Haggard mentioned music and art as other worthwhile projects, such as bringing in musical performances other groups would not bring in and art to be enjoyed by all in a civic setting such as the library.

            The original five member Haggard-Twogood Charitable Trust Board of Trustees included Russ Buchanan, Theresa Lage, Paul Wigley, Judy Thoreson, and Dick Thoreson. Judy was a cousin to the sisters. Wendy Phillips joined after the death of her father, Dick Thoreson.  In 2006 Scott Buchanan and Kristie Brown joined the board taking the places of Russ Buchanan and Theresa Lage. In addition, Tara Brandt now serves as liaison to the Board of Trustees.

            “Barb was an accomplished musician. She was on the city council - the first woman on the council, and she was assistant librarian,” Russ Buchanan said. “She had a deep interest in the community; in particular the arts and music, and she challenged the trust to follow through on that.”

            The IRS has awarded the trust non-profit status, and the trust continues to assist the worthwhile projects.

            One of the first projects the trust sponsored was a traveling exhibit of Iowa artists through the Brunnier Art Museum (Iowa State University, Ames). In addition, the exhibit required improvements be made at theAlgona Public Library’s exhibit rooms. The trust spent over $17,000 to install track lighting and security, as well as putting in a fire alarm system for the entire building – something it had never had, Russ Buchanan said.

            The trust purchased a house along N. Jones Street, which the city arranged to have removed. The city then restored the property as a green space park with funding from the Haggard- Twogood Trust and designated it as “Haggard Park.”

            The trust sponsored another exhibit of Iowa artist Christian Petersen’s works, again at the Algona Public Library.

Haggard family was among the first to settle in Kossuth County

            The Haggard family was well established in Algona. Dr. John Haggard, of Dubuque, had contracted with the government to subdivide four congressional townships; he entered the north part of the county with his surveying party Aug. 25, 1854. His 15-year-old son, David A. Haggard, was among the surveying party of seven. David settled in Kossuth County.

            Melzar Porter Haggard, son of David A. and Susan E. (Wilmott) Haggard, was born Sept. 4, 1871, in Algona. He and his wife, Elizabeth, had three children, all born in Algona: Eleanor Elizabeth Haggard was born June 15, 1907; John Allen Haggard was born Dec. 2, 1908; and Barbara June Haggard was born May 15, 1921.

            John Allen Haggard was married June 4, 1934, to Harriet Ann Thurston. He died April 18, 1955, leaving no children.

            Eleanor was married to Forrest Floyd Twogood on May 3, 1920, at Iowa City. Forrest was an acclaimed athlete in high school and at the University of Iowa. He later went into professional baseball, spending seven years with the St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians organizations. He coached at the University of Idaho and later at USC in Los Angeles. He took over the head coaching position for the Trojans in 1950, and he had a 2280154 record 16 years later when he shifted into the assistant athletic director position. Eleanor traveled due to her husband’s career. He died of cancer in 1972. He was the 114th entrant into the Des Moines Register’s Iowa Sports Hall of Fame. Eleanor died in California at age 78 in 1986. The Twogoods did not have children.

            Barbara Haggard was born at Algona on May 15, 1921. She was graduated from Algona High School, then attended Ward Belmont College at Nashville, Tenn. She was graduated from Northwestern University at Evanston, Ill., with a bachelor of music education degree. She taught at Battle Creek, Mich., and Eagle Grove, Iowa before returning to Algona.

            Barbara worked in the Algona Public Library from the late 1940s to 1980. She was instrumental in helping to organize the Community Concert Association in which she was extremely active for more than 30 years. She helped organize the first United Way and the League of Women Voters, and she was the first woman elected to a term on the Algona City Council. She was also an honorary member of the Algona High School Honor Society and for many years, transcribed books into Braille for the Iowa Commission for the Blind.

            Barbara had never married. She died Nov. 17, 1996, in the Algona Manor Care Center where she was a resident.