“Searching for Buxton” debuts with much fanfare

CRI's own Jason Madison (left) and Jacob Rosdail (right) at the premier of "Searching for Buxton"

The Musco Technology Building, on the campus of William Penn University, was buzzing with excitement for Local TV Talent Jason Madison and Jacob Rosdail. Their year long journey in filming and producing the special on the lost Iowa town of Buxton were set to culminate in this moment.

The story follows Jason Madison, an Oskaloosa Resident and Senior Producer for CRI, on a journey that connects him on a personal level with the lost town Southwest of Oskaloosa.

Madison and Rosdail worked on the project for a year or more, and collaborated with Iowa Public Television as well. Simon Estes who has had a major international opera career for over 40 years and is an Iowa native, narrated the production.

For the premier of the show, the lobby of the Technology Center was transformed into a “Movie Theater”. Both Madison and Rosdail were very pleased with the size of the crowd. “I’m glad the support is actually out here coming from the University as well as individuals.” Madison said. He also expressed a desire that people would be able to take something away from the experience.

CRI’s General Manager, Sam Looney, helped the duo along the way with all the logistics needed to help keep such a project running. Nearly all of the staff of CRI made the trek out for the showing, showing their support for their co-workers.

Dr. Ann Fields, President of William Penn, was on hand to make opening statements and to lead a question and answer session with Jason Madison and Jacob Rosdail after the showing.

This ghost sign recently uncovered during the renovation of the "Iowa Building" shows the connection Oskaloosa had to the now lost town of Buxton

Oskaloosa and Buxton had many connections in those early days of the 20th Century. Oskaloosa’s trolley service, or Interurban as it was called in 1906, also served Beacon, Iowa and had a line that ran to the then boom town of Buxton, Iowa, which was 15 miles to the southwest of Beacon.

If you missed the show and would like to see it, you can watch it online on Iowa Public Televisions website by following this LINK: http://www.iptv.org/series.cfm/21517/searching_for_buxton

You can see Madison and Rosdails work every week on CRI and many of the other shows that air weekly on MCG. We hope to see more work from our local talent, not only locally but also sharing their talents with those like Iowa Public Television, in the future.

If you have any comments or questions on this article you can email us at info@oskynews.org.

Jacob Rosdail, Jason Madison and William Penn University President Dr. Ann Fields at the premier of "Searching for Buxton"

Question and Answer for those involved after the premier of "Searching for Buxton"

And aerial view of Buxton in the 1930's (USGS photo)