Friday, April 22
Atlantic
Lewis
Macedonia, IOWA
I have two different impressions of driving through Iowa at tilling and planting time. Picture rolling hills of shades of green and gold. You drive up one hill and see the Plains, you drive down into the valley and you see more details -corn fields just stubble this time of year and grasses. Dotted about are coal black angus beef wherever you look. Drive with me -up the hill for two minutes, down the hill two minutes, over and over again. It feels alike skiing or riding the ocean waves: a glorious feeling, relaxing and liberating. The consistency of the surface looks like golden-brown hair that you roll in your fingers. First make rolls from front to back. Then add to that, rolls side to side. Then take a comb and swirl it around. Put little black pins in that. The farmlands are different- somewhat rolling but terraced and plowed in swirls. You can see erosion practices at work as well as highly sophisticated farming practices.
Historic Lewis , Iowa has a cemetery with some pioneer graves. Puppies and I walked about looking at the old gravestones- most too weathered to read. The Mormon Trail is about 2 miles south. Brigham Young and his followers used this route from their exodus from Nauvoo to Salt Lake City. Closed, but available for a walk around, is the Hitchcock house which has a secret room in the basement to hide fugitive slaves coming north from Kansas; a Station of the Underground Railroad. I visited the Nishnabotna Ferry House named after the nearby river and Indian tribe. The ferry was used for transport of wagons, cattle, people and goods.-one of many rivers in Iowa that the Mormon ‘s forded or ferried.
In 1856-57, 2100 people, in companies of 300, crossed the river here. This is where handcart companies, coming from Iowa City, joined the Mormon Trail.
I stopped at the Lewis Heritage Center which was closed; however, the librarian was planting flowers and she let me in to look around.
I drove about 30 miles east through the beautiful backcountry to Macedonia, a town of 750. The volunteer (Ruby) at the museum told me about the history of Macedonia and took me, in her car, to see some wagon ruts on the property of a friend of hers. I was surprised at the size of a rut-maybe 10-15 feet deep and 20 feet wide. It was part of a swale on the farmer’s property.
I told her of my fascination with farm machinery , and desire to start a collection of toy replicas . She called her friend ,Paul , at the John Deere outlet, to ask if he would talk with me. He agreed and told me about types of farm machinery. I bought some toy replicas from him hoping to start a detailed collection in my garage when I get home.