“It started as a lark and then sort of got out of hand.” Bernie Flam tells WDMHS Administrator, Kelly Mayhew, of his project to buy a personalized brick in every state to honor his grandkids. Back in 2023 Bernie Flam of Yonkers, NY purchased one of our Pathway to History bricks to honor his grandchildren. He called to make sure our brick project was underway and asked for a picture of the brick when it was installed. Unfortunately, we were in a slight holding pattern as our brick orders had somewhat stalled and we needed a full order of personalized bricks in order to submit our order. We explained it to Bernie and he was very understanding and just told us to call him soon.

Two years have nearly passed and we finally were able to send Bernie the picture of his brick! When he called to check in, he apologized for not talking to us for two years, but that he was waiting on the picture of our brick and one other from a museum in Alaska and then he would have a brick for his grandchildren in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia! We had to ask, what started this project? Why personalized bricks? Bernie said it was a pretty simple thing, he wanted to “contribute to small town America” and create a simple civics and geography project for his grand-kids. “Think of this, someday they can take a huge road trip to all their bricks and know the places and the history they should know.”

The first brick was in Grand Rapids, MN at the Judy Garland Museum as part of their yellow-brick road. What kid doesn’t want to be a part of the yellow brick road? And when 2020 hit, he realized this could be a much bigger project than he’d first thought. “These charitable donations is a way for me to contribute to the tapestry of the United States in my small way. Now my grandkids know about an incredible aquarium in Draper, Utah, a skate park in Oregon, a volunteer Firefighter group in Richardson, TX and a stop on the Underground Railroad in Iowa!”

Now Bernie wants to tell the grandparents all over the US that this is way to contribute to your grandkids that has lasting impact. Not only on the organizations that you can support now, but a little bit of memory that your grandchildren can show their grandchildren. “A memory that lasts.”

Your chance to make a memory that lasts at the Jordan House Museum is ending soon! Personalized bricks can be ordered through January 15, 2026, then the Pathway to History will be completed.  If you are buying a brick as a holiday gift, we will send you a certificate with the inscription you’ve chosen, or an order form to give, along with a certificate comemmorating your gift.

Become part of West Des Moines history here.