CLINTON, Iowa – In the late 1800s, this river city was considered the sawmill capital of the world, and had more millionaires per capita than any other city in America.

A new museum that pays tribute to this river city’s timber history is having a grand opening from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at 2231 Grant St.

The Sawmill Museum’s permanent exhibit will house some original pieces from the Struve Mill, which was operational from the 1860s to the 1980s in Hauntown, Iowa. This exhibit tells the story of how lumber was processed from living tree to finished product, which was then used locally for commercial and residential purposes.

The new museum also houses an early 20th century working sawmill.

Through April 29, the Sawmill also is hosting a national traveling exhibit, “Exploring Trees Inside and Out.” The interactive exhibit contains pieces and parts of a tree – in larger-than-life scale – that enable visitors to take a walk through the inside of a tree trunk and through the veins of the leaves.

The Sawmill Museum is a nonprofit organization, the mission of which is to preserve, collect, interpret, and explore the history of America’s sawmill, lumber, and forestry industries.

It is open from 1 to 6 p.m. Monday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for ages 60 and older and military members, $4 for ages 13 to 18 and $3 for ages 4 to 12.

Go to www.thesawmillmuseum.org or call 563-242-0343 to learn more.