Day 23 of 117 on our “Go West, Young Man” Two Lane Adventure – Thursday 7/19/18

We departed Oskaloosa, Iowa on US 63 North, we will be on this route most of the day. 

Oskaloosa has a downtown facade project underway. The City got grants and building owners had to come up with 5% of the building facade renovation costs. The former Oskaloosa Herald building on the corner of Market Street and A Avenue. They received authorization from the City Council to pursue the grant. And everyone thought, The Herald building; we can get this done. But, the building owners did not join the project. The work will eventually have to be done to that building, as well as other buildings included in the initial project but chose not to participate. The Okaloosa Historical District has a minimum maintenance standard. These building owners need to bring it up to standards. Unfortunately, you're going to be paying 100 percent of that cost.

The northern edge of Oskaloosa is home to William Penn University. It is a private, liberal arts university that was founded by members of the Quakers in 1873. The year it was founded, made me want to make the picture black & white. In 2007, Musco Lighting, also in Oskaloosa, donated $12 million to the school for various projects—the biggest single gift in the school's history. The university's athletic teams compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The university is a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference, before 2000, the school was a part of the NCAA Division III.

The town of Sharon, better known as New Sharon, was developed in 1856. Today, it is a friendly little town, way out in the middle of nowhere. I loved this historic look of the Capri Theater. Better than the look, it is still in use and is a great place to take the family to the movies. Their admission prices for currently-running movies is very low and the theater is beautifully renovated.

We kept seeing these signs and thought, what’s interesting about US Route 6? The signs are easy to explain, but story behind the US 6, is a long and winding one.  US 6, is a main route of the US Highway system. The highway’s longest-lasting routing, from 1936 to 1964, had its western end at Long Beach, California. During this time, US 6 was the longest highway in the country.   The first numbered segment of Route 6, extending from Provincetown, MA to Brewster, NY, was designated in 1925. Then Route 6 was extended to Erie, Pa, the Pennsylvania segment routed along the “Roosevelt Highway,” a name that would soon apply to the entire transcontinental Route 6. The name “Roosevelt Highway” seems to have stuck for a while, but had faded by the 1950s.

We picked up the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway outside of Montezuma on Route 63. The complete Iowa Valley Scenic Byway takes you on a 77-mile ride through the Iowa River Valley. It is anchored by two distinct cultures. At the western end of the byway is Iowa’s only Native American community, the Meskwaki Settlement. Visit the Tribal Museum, attend the annual powwow, or try your luck at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel anytime. At the eastern end are the seven villages of the Amana Colonies. The Amana Colonies were created as a communal society in 1855 by Germans fleeing religious persecution. There you can find Iowa’s oldest microbrewery, a woolen mill, a furniture shop and a cluster of quality antique shops. Our friends, Jack & Jackie, are at the Amana Colonies now.

We were on the Lincoln Byway, for the blink of an eye. One hundred years ago, the fastest way to cross the country was by train. Roads were only of local interest and were not used to travel long distances. The Lincoln Highway changed all of that when it was completed in 1913. The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental highway to span 14 states and take travelers from New York to San Francisco. Because the Lincoln Highway was a collection of roads and not specially designed like the highways and interstates we know today, traveling it is an exciting and unique adventure full of historical sites. Those who travel the Lincoln Highway through Iowa can follow the original route closely and remember the days of the classic road trip.

Tama welcomed us with a big Indian Head and a small ice cream shop!

Tama area is home to The Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi. They are the only federally recognized Indian tribe in Iowa. There tribal name is Meskwaki, meaning "Red Earth People". 

In Traer, they have my favorite “museum” of all time … The Traer Salt & Pepper Shaker Gallery. The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs has designated this gallery an "Iowa Great Place." It displays the largest collection of salt and pepper shakers in the United States west of the Mississippi River and the second largest in the world! The gallery features the amazing collection of Traer resident, Ruth Rasmussen. It all began with a trip to the Brookfield Zoo. As she was getting ready to leave, Ruth Rasmussen eyed a salt and pepper shaker set, shaped like coffeepots, but with a bear and the zoo's name embossed on the front. She just picked it up for a souvenir. Those were the first shakers she ever bought, that was back in 1946.

Over the years, buying more and more shakers became a hobby, maybe even an obsession. In 1973, she had 10,000. She purchased them from Goodwill, yard sales or auctions. As her collection eventually grew to 14,500 sets, Rasmussen had far too many to display in her rural home. They filled two outbuildings behind the house. She found a home for her collection in one of Iowa's most unusual attractions: the Traer Salt and Pepper Shaker Gallery.

For several years, a group of local ladies led by Ellen Young tried to convince Rasmussen that her astonishing collection belonged in a museum. In 2007, at age 83, the collector agreed. There are over 300 pairs of dogs in one case. The shakers are organized by subject. Next to the dogs is a case containing over 200 pairs of cats. Nearby are displays featuring all 50 states, children, politicians, farm animals and even a wide selection of ceramic ears of corn. There isn't room to display Rasmussen's entire collection, let alone another 4,000 pairs that have been donated by other people. The basement's full of those sets, some of which are being cleaned in preparation for display during the museum's next season. The Rasmussen collection has been featured in the Guinness Book of World Records, USA Today, the National Enquirer, and on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, in addition to many other publications.

Traer is home to unique buildings, dating back to 1895. I love to see this architecture highlighted, restored and still in use today.

Traer is also home to a spiral staircase at the town’s old newspaper office. Consisting of 23 steps, the freestanding staircase makes 1 ½ revolutions. It features a suspended catwalk at the top. They even hint about their unique feature on their welcome sign!

In Waterloo, we found the John Deere Museum, because Route 63 had a detour. Charlie went to a John Deere museum while he was at a military school for track hoes, but it was not this one, as it opened in 2015. You can walk through the history of John Deere tractors and engines at the site of the very first John Deere tractor factory. The museum offers a diverse range of exhibits designed to please several key audiences. It aims to appeal not only to farmers, but to the many John Deere employees who worked in its gigantic Waterloo tractor factory, and to non-Deere outsiders who visit because a trip to Iowa is incomplete without a trip to a tractor museum.

What is the National Cattle Congress? The sign is a real eye-catcher! The first Dairy Cattle Congress opened at Waterloo on October 10, 1910. Both local and out-of-town manufacturers were urged to exhibit their products. Breeders and dairymen from far and near were pursued to enter their stock. In August of 1913, “The Dairy Cattle Congress” was incorporated as an independent organization “to conduct expositions, fairs, shows, entertainments and displays; to promote dairy and agricultural interests in general; and to carry on such other business” as might be determined by a board of directors consisting of nine stockholders elected annually. For over 90 years, people have been coming to the Dairy Cattle Congress in Waterloo to be entertained. Many of them find this entertainment by walking through the barns or experiencing the nostalgia and adventure when viewing farm machinery. There continues to be much incidental entertainment for the Cattle Congress visitor and large name acts to attract people to the event. Whatever memories of this annual event stir within all of us, one thing is clear; The National Cattle Congress will continue to bring the best in agriculture, livestock, entertainment and education to all of Iowa and the Midwest.

We turned onto Iowa 346 and headed into Nashua, home to the Little Brown Church in the Vale. The location inspired the hymn "Church in the Wildwood," which references a "Little Brown Church in the Vale." When the song was written, the church wasn't built, and only by coincidence did the church that inspired the song actually get painted brown. There are several smaller models of the church inside, along with history of the area from the period it was built (1860-1864). The church still has an active congregation. Across the highway, you can find a small replica of the church.

In Nashua, we crossed the Cedar River. The Cedar River is a river in Minnesota and Iowa. It is a tributary of the Iowa River, which flows to the Mississippi River. The Cedar River takes its name from the red cedar trees growing there, and was originally called the Red Cedar River by the Meskwaki. The surrounding region is known officially as the Cedar River Valley, though it is more commonly referred to simply as the Cedar Valley. I bet this waterfall was a real asset back in the day.

We turned off Route 63 onto Iowa 27 & US 218 N and headed toward Charles City, Iowa. We are in Charles City for 2 nights, plenty of time to explore! We are staying at R Campground in Charles City.