Today I planned another Freedom Rock Tour. We headed to the Town
of Greene, first. Greene has quite a few famous citizens including Thomas
Braden (author of Eight is Enough) and Frank Jackson, Iowa’s 15th Governor. The
floods of 2008 destroyed the town’s community center and affected almost every
business and several 100 homes. With the
help of FEMA, Greene built a new community center/city hall and tornado safe
room.
Some of the interesting places in Greene include the Church
of the Bretheren, a 141 year old stone church. The church was built for $4,000
with stone from a local quarry. The
walls are 18 inches thick. The pews were
made by church members and are still used today. The cost of each pew was less than $2. When
it was first built there were buffalo prevalent in the area. There were sheds built to the north and west
of the church which housed the horses and buggies. During the church service the men sat on the
north side of the church in order to watch the horses while the women and
children sat on the south side.
The Butler County Freedom Rock is located in Greene. It is
located by a pavilion along the Shell Rock River. It's a beautiful setting for
the lasting tribute to Veterans. On the side of the rock facing the road
features Veterans from the Civil War, Vietnam Conflict and the War on Terrorism.
There is a Destroyer in the background to honor those who have served in the
Navy and Coast Guard.
The one side includes The Flying Tigers and Greene's own
Robert J Neal. The Flying Tigers were made up of volunteer pilots from the Army
Air Corps, Navy, and Marine Corps. The shark-faced nose art of the Flying
Tigers is one of the most recognizable images of combat aircraft during World
War II. Bob Neal enlisted in the Navy in 1936 and served aboard the USS
Saratoga, as an Aviation Ordnance man until discharged to join the Flying
Tigers. On the day Bob went to get his release from the Navy, his long-awaited
orders for flight school were on the CO's desk. Although he had dreamed of
being a Navy pilot, he chose to go with the Flying Tigers instead, and never
regretted his decision.
The other side includes an eagle and has a ribbon in his
claws that read Butler County, Honoring all who've served. Just like all the
rest, the top is draped with an American flag.
On our way out of Greene, we stumbled onto Coyote Classics. Charlie saw a 1964 Ford Fairlane that caught his eye. I noticed the two 1967 Mustangs, side by side. We have learned that Iowa has many well kept secrets, and one of those is Coyote Classics.
It is a licensed and bonded, American muscle and classic car dealer. They great pride in the fact that they own all of the cars in their inventory and that they don't host consignments. Charlie talked to them for a while and I just drooled.
The history of Rockford is held in the 1879 railroad Depot,
housing railroad memorabilia and items from the Brick and Tile plant that
closed in 1977. The Brick and Tile plant
was in operation from 1910-1977. The
Rockford Museum features earlier Rockford businesses including doctors,
dentists and veterinarians. Fans of romantic novels – famous citizens from
Rockford include Robert James Waller, author of Bridges of Madison County.
The town of Rockford is home of the Devonian Fossils. Serious
fossil hunters, as well as families looking for something fun to do, come to
the Fossil & Prairie Center and Park Preserve near Rockford to look for
Devonian fossils. During the Devonian Period 365 million years ago, Iowa was an
ocean, according to the website for Floyd County Conservation.
Most of the fossils
found at the Fossil & Prairie Park Preserve are from the shallow sea
environment and are marine invertebrates (animals without a backbone). The park
is at the site of the former Rockford Brick & Tile Co. Although collecting
is allowed, Floyd County Conservation asks that visitors take fossils only for
their personal collections. No digging tools are needed because the fossils are
lying on the ground. More fossils are always becoming visible in the old quarry
area of the park due to erosion.
Before the Floyd County Freedom Rock site selection was
made, Kathy Tumilson, mother of US Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson, one of 30 American
troops killed in Afghanistan on Aug 6, 2011, when their helicopter was shot
down. She said she wanted Rockford to be the Freedom Rock site for Floyd
County. Several people in Rockford got together to donate the $1,000 needed to
secure the town as a Freedom Rock site. On the other side of the rock are two more men who gave
their lives in service to our country. Jon Tomilson of Rockford, Iowa; assigned
to an East Coast-based SEAL team; died Aug 2011 in the Wardak province,
Afghanistan when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter in which he was riding was shot down.
The resulting crash killed all 38 people on board. This was considered the
worst loss of U.S Military life in the Afghanistan campaign, surpassing
Operation Red Wings in 2005. Captain Timmie Ward was killed while serving in
Vietnam. Shortly before dawn on August 12th, 1972, he took off on a C-130E from
Soc Trang. As the aircraft climbed through 500 feet it was hit by enemy fire
and crashed near the airfield. Hobson's 'Vietnam Air Losses' states that 30 of
the 44 persons aboard were killed, but only 13 US servicemen can be identified
as lost in the crash - 7 aircrew and 6 passengers. The remaining 17 persons
must have been US civilians and/or SVN personnel.
The painting on the road side of the rock, is the Marine
Corps Devil Dog is Ed Trettin. Ed joined the Coast Guard shortly before Pearl
Harbor was bombed in ’41. Ed became one of the top gunners for the Coast Guard
cutter the USS Ingham, which is one of the most decorated ships in the US fleet
and received a presidential citation. Ed saved a fellow Iowan’s life when he
pulled him from the cold ocean waters. Ed gave the soldier a button off his coat
to recognize each other later. After the war when the soldier tracked Ed down
in Rockford, Ed didn’t remember him at first, but the he pulled out the button
and Ed recognized it immediately. So that’s why he is portrayed with a Coast
Guard button and the Ingham.
On one side is the Medal of Honor recipient, Paul F.
Riordan. His Medal of Honor citation is for conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, at the city of Cassino on
February 3, 1944. 2LT Riordan's bravery and extraordinary heroism in the face
of almost certain death were an inspiration to his men and exemplify the
highest traditions of the US Armed Forces.
We headed to the Town of St Ansgar to see the Mitchell
County Freedom Rock. Charlie & I have been talking about deer and we finally saw one along side a corn field.
The town of St Ansgar was founded in 1853 by a group of
Norwegian immigrant farmers, led by the Reverend Claus L Clausen a Danish
minister. This town is named after a French monk and bishop, who in the 9th
century was a missionary to the Scandinavian countries and was made the patron
saint of Denmark. The St Ansgar church, congregation and town served as a
center for the dispersion of Norwegian immigrant settlers north across the
border into Minnesota and on into western Iowa from the mid-1850s into the late
1870s. Reverend Clausen formed 21 additional congregations.
Mitchell County Freedom Rock is in St Ansgar. It was the
first County Freedom Rock that Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II painted. When
we were there, I noticed it was missing some of the “standard” items I have
seen on other Freedom Rocks. However, it is located in conjunction with a superb Veterans Memorial.
He just signed the rock, he did not use his “hanging
sign” that is his signature now.
An American Legion medallion on one side.
Also, there is an American flag breaking out
of a heart on one side, now most all of his rocks have a flag draped over the
top of the rock.
The design on the front includes ships, planes, helicopters
and an Army solider. The newer Freedom Rocks have more “connection” with the communities
Veterans.
We spent some time driving around Charles City this
afternoon. It is located on the site of a Winnebago Indian village, Charles
City was originally named "Charlestown" for the son of the
first-known white settler to the area, Joseph Kelly. Upon his 1851 arrival to
the area, Kelly envisioned the site, with its ample supply of water from the
Cedar River and adjacent timberlands, as an ideal location for a town. By 1852,
twenty-five other settler families had joined Kelly in that vision and a
community was born. The town name changed, first to "St. Charles" and
then to "Charles City," to avoid duplication of other Iowa town
names. Charles City became the county seat after Floyd County was established
in 1851 and officially organized in 1854. Floyd County itself was named for
Sergeant Charles Floyd of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
The Charles Theatre was originally constructed in the 1930’s.
This is just one of two art deco theatres in the state. This theatre is run
through volunteer efforts & owned by the Charles City Arts Council. When we
drove by the theatre, they were running The Ant Man & The Wasp. I think
that is a pretty current movie title.
At the Charles City Whitewater at Riverfront Park we saw why
the Cedar River is the heart of downtown Charles City. The multi-use area
accommodates not only kayaks, but also inner tubes and stand-up paddle
boarding. The one-quarter mile rodeo course is rated at Class II and III levels
with three distinct features for paddlers of all levels. Too bad, no one was on
the water while we were there.
We also found some of the innovative art collection of “art
that you can sit on” is a brainchild of our local Main Street Iowa program,
Community Revitalization.
These unique pieces, accessible along the
recreational trail, make a stunning addition to Charles City.
There are other
unique public art sculptures located in parks and by various buildings in town.
There is a stalled revitalization project at McQuillen Place
in downtown Charles City. The 50,000 square-foot complex, was slated for
completion by the spring of 2015. Brothers Charles M. Thomson, Peter W. Thomson
and Steven Thomson received a $2.94 million grant from the Iowa Economic
Development Authority for the project, which is expected to cost a total of $13
million. McQuillen Place, to be located at the corner of Clark and Main streets.
If it is ever completed, it will be the largest new retail Main Street
structure built in the city in 115 years. McQuillen Place is slated to include
33 apartment units on the second and third stories of the building, indoor
parking, and five to eight retail stores the length of its frontage on Main
Street, according to its developers. A sky-lit pedestrian retail arcade will
replace a pocket park at the south edge of the development. The development
team says the architectural style and exterior detailing of the building will
be "emphatically Victorian" like many of the surrounding commercial
structures. But, it is now 2018 and it is still a building under construction.
A little more touring slated for the morning, after we do laundry!
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