Iowa Byways -- Paleozoic Plateau or Driftless Area

Traveling across the State of Iowa brings back early memories of cornfield after cornfield. That was back in time when we had a limited number of vacation days and chose to drive the interstates. On this trip, we drove the back roads and were pleased to find this scenic overlook.

Bird's Eye View

Unique Topography and History

Unique topography and history

The following is copied from the above sign. (You can click on sign to enlarge it and escape to return to the blog).

"The birds you see soaring above the valley are looking down on an area of Northeast Iowa that is geologically known as the Paleozoic Plateau or Driftless Area. This area was missed by late Pleistocene Epoch glaciations resulting in a unique topography defined by limestone bluffs, woodlands, sinkholes, coldwater spring-fed trout streams, and diverse flora and fauna. The floodplain valley was created by meandering flow of the Turkey River over thousands of years. The Turkey River Watershed encompasses 1,083,520 acres and extends into parts of eight counties draining nearly 70% of Fayette County on the way to its confluence with the Mississippi River. Hawks, eagles, turkey vultures, and other large birds commonly soar above the Turkey River Valley on upward currents of warm air called thermals, looking down on this ecologically diverse area, which, also has a rich Native American history."

Reading from the three smaller sections in the first photo above:

The "Neutral Ground"

"The Valley below is included in a 40-mile strip of land set aside in 1825 at a treaty conference in Prairie du Chein, with the intent of separating the Sioux to the north and the Fox/Sac nations to the south."

"Hunting and Fishing"

"The neutral ground, extending from the Mississippi River west to the East fork of the Red Cedar River, allowed Indians of any tribe to hunt and fish with no charge of trespassing."

"Prairie Meets the Woods"

"Native American Cultures of the Fayette County area generally combined both prairie and woodland characteristics as they lived on the interface between the two natural habitats."

Fayette County Conservation Goeken Park Established 1961

Goeken Park

Views from the Overlook at Goeken Park

Beautiful ornaments were centered in each gate-like section of the overlook. Do not miss the American Flag at the left in the following photo. The post below the picture says Iowa Byways. Click on any photo to enlarge it and escape to return to the blog.

Iowa Byways

Fayette County Conservation

View from Overlook

View from Overlook

Hope you enjoyed seeing these scenic views and hearing the history. 

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Montauk: A Governor's Estate and Family Farm

In 1874, this beautiful Italianate mansion was built of brick molded of native clay and kiln at Clermont for William Larrabee, Iowa's 12th governor. This 14-room house sits on a hill about 200 feet higher than Clermont, a town approximately a mile to the south. It is surrounded by over 100,000 pine trees that Larrabee planted. Peacocks once strutted this 46 acres and turkeys roosted in the trees at night. There were also flower gardens.

Montauk built in 1874

Anna Matilda Appelman Larrabee, whom he married September 12, 1861, named Montauk for her sea-captain father, who told her about Montauk Point, Long Island, New York, where a lighthouse was located that guided him home from his whaling voyages. A dramatic view of the Turkey River Valley can be seen from the widow's walk, like those used by wives of sea captains to watch for ships, that crowns the roof. Look closely in the above photo to see a portion of the widow's walk on the roof left of center.

House with porch on back side

We were there too early to tour the home, but could walk around the grounds. I took this photo through the window of the front door showing the stairway inside. In doing some research, it was interesting to note that compared to homes of similarly prominent leaders of Iowa and the nation, Montauk was modest. This simplicity was a reflection of the Larrabees' conservative New England background.

Staircase viewed thru front door window

Montauk was lived in continuously for nearly one-hundred years. Over time, new furnishings and appliances mixed with older ones and reflected changes in style and technology. For example, a 1900 wood stove stands near a 1950s dishwasher. The house was built with central heat, a recent innovation at that time. The telephone was added in 1900 and electricity in 1910, and other new conveniences were added as available. Curios and souvenirs from his travels decorated his home. Today's visitors can view Wedgewood china, Tiffany lamps, music boxes from Switzerland, thousands of books and a large collection of paintings.

He was a native of Connecticut, but his schooling did not go beyond 8th grade. He helped his father on the family farm. He taught school two years, and his father taught him in business. At age 21, he moved to Iowa, and worked on his brother-in-law's farm in Poston to learn more about the business of farming. He felt farming in Iowa would be a good investment.

The first brown Swiss cattle ever shown at the Iowa State Fair were shown by Governor Larrabee in 1885. He was elected the Governor of Iowa in 1885 and served two terms, until February 1890. He had imported the first Swiss cattle to Iowa from Switzerland in 1882. They grazed on Montauk's meadows. It was once a working farm with farm animals, barns, an orchard and grain fields.

White barn at right rear houses antique carriage

Four bronze likenesses that he commissioned of Civil War heroes surround the front of the house. They are Generals Grant, Sherman, and Dodge, and Admiral Farragut. Click on any photo to enlarge it and escape to return to the blog.

General Sherman

Admiral Farragut

General Grant

General Dodge

 One of Governor Larrabee's daughters lived in the house until her death in 1965 at age 96. The family opened the home to the public in 1967, and maintained ownership until 1976 when the contents and 40 of the 200 acres were deeded to the State of Iowa as a historical site. The State Historical Society of Iowa now preserves it as a historical preserve. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Iowa Historic Site on National Register of Historic Places

The caretaker's home can be seen in the distance.

Caretaker's home

Inside this barn was an old carriage.

Barn housing antique carriage

This beautiful antique carriage is parked inside where the barn door is open.

Antique carriage

Old Trellis and flowers blooming at edge of what appears to have been gardens.

Evidence of flower gardens thru old trellis

This concludes our visit to Montauk.

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Matchstick Marvels

The next stop was in the quiet rural town of Gladbrook, Iowa, at Matchstick Marvels. The display is wood art, where millions of matchsticks have been glued together to represent many things.

Many of master Craftsman, Patrick Acton's, largest and most complex Matchstick Marvels are on display. He has been building large matchstick models since 1977.  Many are featured in Ripley's Believe it or Not museums in the United States and around the world.

The second model that he built was the hip-roofed Barn as a Christmas present for his father in 1978. It used 5000 matchsticks and is the oldest matchstick model on display at this museum. It recognizes the barn as a disappearing landmark.

The Barn

B-17 Flying fortress

It was completed in 1990 using 14,000 matchsticks.

B-17 Flying Fortress

Wright Brother's Flyer

This model has 10,000 matchsticks. Built in 1994, it is a 1/8 scale model of the Wright Brother's Flyer.

Wright Brothers' Flyer

Terrace Hill

Was known as the most magnificent mansion west of New England in 1860s when it was built. Easterners called it "The Palace on the Prairie." Frederick Hubbell bought it in 1884, and in 1971 his family deeded it to the State of Iowa. It was restored in 1974 and is home to the Governor of Iowa.

Acton spent over 800 hours and used 193,000 matchsticks to complete it in 1996, with over a quarter of a million individual pieces, counting the shingles.

Terrace Hill

Cutty Sark clipper ship

After 500 hours of planning and building, this model was finished in 1996 with 38,000 matchsticks. Interesting things to note about this model are 1) Even the figurehead is carved of matchsticks, and 2) How the 38 sails were made...first by forming jigs of condensed styrofoam for molds. Then each mold was covered with matchsticks to get the perfect size and shape of each sail. He removed the sails from their molds when the glue was dry

Cutty Sark

Space Shuttle Challenger

One-thousand hours and over 200,000 matchsticks were needed to finish this in 1997. It stands seven feet high, and is dedicated to the Americans who lost their lives aboard that Challenger when it exploded January 28, 1986.

Space Shuttle Challenger

USS Iowa

Built in 1998, this 1/70-scale of this battleship contains 137,000 matchsticks.

USS Iowa

USS Iowa

US Capitol Building

The United States Capitol building is a 1/65-scale model. It took 478,000 matchsticks and measures 12 feet long and 5.5 feet tall. It took nearly two years to complete in 2001.

US Capitol Building

Dome of US Capitol building

Lighted US Capitol building

American Bald Eagle

15000 matchsticks -- 2004

American Bald Eagle

Apache helicopter

This is a 1/10-scale completed in 2004. It took 26,000 matchsticks and nearly 200 hours to build.

Apache Helicopter

Note Dame Cathedral de Paris

This model took 298,000 matchsticks. Acton finished this matchsticks model in 2012.

Notre Dame Cathedral de Paris

There were many more items on display which I did not photograph. However, I did take two photos of a full-size car in progress. It is from the movie Fast and Furious.

Car in progress

Car in progress

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New Adventures West of the Mississippi

New adventures continue to present themselves on our journey of full-time travel. As I sit here today at our campsite in another beautiful Park of our National Park System, the temperature was 91 degrees and sunny with a nice warm breeze. It is a good day to write a blog post.

All of a sudden it began to sprinkle. It was only a little shower, but it was enough for me to take cover. Waited 30 minutes. It has cooled off nicely and I am back outside. It is only dripping off the trees now.

Crossing the Mississippi River (again)

I am now reflecting back to an earlier time this year when we crossed the Mississippi River at Clinton, Iowa, on the old, tall iron bridge. I actually got a photo of the River below through the sides of the big old iron bridge.

View of Mississippi thru side of iron bridge

Army Corp of Engineers Park

That night we had a nice view of a lake from an Army Corp of Engineers (COE) park where we spent several nights. One afternoon we had a downpouring rain, including thunder and lighting. I was at the shower building and had just finished a shower when the sky opened up. I  waited until it stopped thundering and lightning and for the rain to let up, at least thirty minutes. Then I walked back to our campsite, got a little bit damp, but not drenched.

Lake at COE Park with flowering weed at left center

County Park

Iowa, by the way, has a lot of county parks, and if they are all like this one, are very nice. The park featured in the photo below has 297 acres.

Jones county park

This Bowstring bridge was manufactured in 1873, and is the last tangible artifact from the military road. It originally cost $2914.00, has been moved twice, in 1930 and to this park in 1985. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Grant Wood's Gothic Statue

Gothic Statue

This famous statue is in Anamosa, Iowa. They are developing a city park around it. Back when I was growing up in Northern Indiana, I remember seeing this couple on TV in a commercial for Kellogg's Country Corn Flakes.

"American Gothic" portrays a farmer holding a pitchfork with his daughter primly at his side. It is one of the few images to reach the status as a universally recognized cultural icon, comparable to Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa".

The Iowa commemorative quarter features the Antioch School attended by Grant Wood between 1897 and 1901. It was last used as a School in 1959. The land around it is now called Grant Wood Memorial Park. The restored schoolhouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Calkins Square and the Smallest National Park in Wyoming, Iowa

On a city block along Main Street in Wyoming, Iowa is the office and home of Dr. Martin  Calkins. The earliest part of the house was built in 1858.  His granddaughter and grandson left this house to the City of Wyoming.

Home of Dr. Martin Calkins

In 1862, Calkins mustered into the state militia a company of 89 men. They formed Company K of the 24th Iowa Infantry.  When Calkins died in 1909, it was his wish that a monument be erected to commemorate the patriotism and valor of the young men of Wyoming who served in the Civil  War.

Monument completed in 1921

In 1921 the monument was completed and stands about 50 feet Northeast of the Calkins House.  This memorial next to the Calkins house is the "smallest National Park in the United States".

Smallest National Park in the  United States

We have traveled many miles and taken pictures of many interesting things. Going forward, the length of my posts will depend on how good our internet signal is, how quickly I can charge my devices, and topics covered.

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Scenery While Traveling the Back Roads

After crossing the Illinois River in Peoria, Illinois, we made a right turn which was a very scenic drive along the Illinois River. We were on our way to another picturesque site to boondock near Dunlap.

Scenic view of Illinois River north of Peoria, Illinoia

The next morning as we continued to travel the back roads, we were amazed to come upon a picnic park. You never know what is around the next bend when you travel the back roads. While enjoying the countryside along 40 and 17 in Illinois we suddenly came upon a park with an old iron bridge and wind generators in the background. Farms dotted the landscape.

Countryside park with old iron bridge and wind generators in background where we fixed morning coffee.

Closeup of old iron bridge and wind generators at roadside park

This was a great spot to stop and heat water to make coffee and fill our coffee mugs. A water pump as shown in foreground above was located within the grassy area.

Birthplace of a President

As we were traveling, a sign appeared on our route telling us Tampico, Illinois was the birthplace of Ronald Reagan, who served as president of the United States of America. So we decided to stop and check it out.

Main Street of Tampico, Illinois

About Reagan's Rainbow

A double rainbow appeared in Tampico on November 3, 1980. It seemed to end on top of the First National Bank where Ronald W. Reagan was born. The next day Mr. Reagan was elected the 40th President of the United States by a landslide.

Sign at second floor level depicts where Reagan was born.

Reagan was born in a second floor bedroom of the First National Bank building.

Birthplace of Ronald Reagan

Boyhood figure of Reagan in City Park

Remember you can click on any photo to enlarge it and escape to return to the blog. 

Driving interstates versus scenic byways

Just the other day as we were traveling, there were no back roads convenient to our route, so we got on the interstate. Traffic was light at first. But when we approached a network of highways leading to larger cities, the number of lanes increased with more traffic. We were glad when we got to our turnoff. Traveling the interstate for only a short distance made us realize how scenic the back roads are.

So Much Green...

The two lane roads we were on had beautiful scenery. It was very enjoyable driving through the countryside seeing crops in the fields and farms and barns of all shapes and sizes. Many red barns appeared in the landscape as we drove along negotiating hills, curves, and enjoying the ribbon of highway.

Thank you for visiting. Feel free to add your comments in the section below.

Tune in to my next post to see more photos of places we visited in Iowa.