It marked 150 years since the town was established. That milestone was celebrated June 24-26 with a series of events, including the Crash My Crater concert featuring country star Chris Janson.

Residents of Manson have more than just 150 years of history to be proud of, as recent developments have shown.

Area kids are now playing on two recently created ball fields at the Manson Area Community Center.

These youth ball diamonds were developed through a partnership of the Youth Cougar Club, led by Brandon Bush and Dave Pearson, the Manson city government and the Manson Northwest Webster Community School District. More than $130,000 was raised to help pay for the ball diamonds.

-Messenger file photo
Ethan Bloom, of Fort Dodge, center, drives what may have been one of the smallest entries in the Manson Sesquicentennial Parade last June.

The next phase of the project will involve building a concession stand.

Manson residents also have the opportunity to play the fast growing sport of pickleball close to home. The game of pickleball is played on a smaller version of a tennis court. Players use solid paddles to hit a wiffle ball over the net.

Brothers John and Gene Zook donated money to create a pickleball court at the 10th Street courts. The donation was a memorial to their younger brother, Jerry.

The completed pickleball court debuted in August 2022.

For those who like to walk, run or ride their bicycles, a new trail is being developed in Manson. Called the Seavert Trail, it is planned to be north of Iowa Highway 7.

Another source of Manson pride is its nonprofit grocery store. Manson Hometown Grocery opened in November 2020 after another grocery closed, leaving the city’s residents with no place close to home to buy food. The store is now in its second year of operation, and its small staff continues to fine tune the operation.

Looking ahead, the 2023 version of the Crash My Crater concert has been scheduled. Featuring Parmalee and Matt Stell, it will be held on June 24.