5 days Ago
The stress level is quite high these days – uncertainty about what is going to happen in the wake of the recent election, a lot of work to do in the various jobs that we have, and much more. From time to time, we all need to decompress a bit. I know the perfect place to do that – Wildcat Den State Park, located in Iowa near Muscatine.
Though we have lived in the Quad Cities for more than 50 years, I wasn’t aware of Wildcat Den State Park until last summer, when my daughter, who had been there, brought it to my attention. In late August, my daughter and her husband, my two grandsons and my wife and I had a wonderful family outing there. I returned there on a Saturday morning three weeks ago to photograph the fall colors, which were spectacular.
There are picnic tables in several different areas. There is a campground for those who enjoy camping. There are miles of trails to hike for those who enjoy hiking.
And there are some historic buildings that are worth exploring. One of the most interesting historic buildings is the Pine Creek Grist Mill, which was built by Benjamin Nye for $10,000 in 1848 using lumber cut in his nearby sawmill. Unfortunately, it has a tragic history.
In 1852, Nye was murdered by one of his sons-in-law, at which time ownership of the mill passed on to his other son-in-law. Today, the mill is a museum that is open to the public during the summer months. Much of the equipment that was used in the mill is still in place.
There is a special display for children which includes a hand powered grinder for grinding corn. My oldest grandson loved it! The grist mill is located by Pine Creek, where a dam, which still exists, pooled the water to power a water wheel, which is no longer there. A small steam engine, which is still there, was used to power the mill in the winter when Pine Creek was frozen or in late summer when the flow of water in Pine Creek was insufficient to power the water wheel.
Another building of interest is the Melpine Country School. One of the few one-room country schools that still exist, it was in use from 1930-1945. It is occasionally open during the summer months.
Though not in the park, the Old Stone Church is located just outside the park. German American immigrants built the Pine Mills German Methodist Episcopal Church, using limestone quarried nearby. Services in German were held in this church from 1867 to 1920.
But then the building fell into disrepair as the German speaking families moved elsewhere or joined a nearby church where services were held in English. The sturdy stone walls, however, survived. In 2006, the building was deeded to Friends of the Old Stone Church, a not-for-profit organization, and the process of restoring the building began.
In 2010, with the restoration process nearly completed, a special Christmas service, which has become an annual event, was held in the restored sanctuary, which seats about 50 people. This year the Christmas service will be held at 4 p.m.
on Saturday, Dec. 7. The building is not heated, so wear a warm coat and mittens.
There is no indoor plumbing, so plan your life accordingly. You should also check the Old Stone Church website to make certain that the service is being held before heading down there. If the weather is bad, the service will be canceled.
When there is snow on the ground, I plan to return to Wildcat Den State Park to shoot some winter pictures on a day when the sun is shining and the roads are passable. Ditto for spring when the spring flowers are blooming. Wildcat Den State Park has become an important part of my life.
Dan Lee Dan Lee, a regular columnist, is the Marian Taft Cannon Professor in the Humanities at Augustana College; [email protected] . Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!.
