The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-10-28
STATE PARK
IN VAN BUREN,
Tract Of 1926 Acres Near keosauaua
to be Set Aside as One of
loWas Beauty
Spots.

BONAPARTE, Iowa, Oct. 2S.-Keo.
sauqua and all Van Buren, county re-
Joice that the state park near Keo
sauQua Is now reality. The state
has now acquired tract Of land EN-
bracing LIPS acres for that purpose,
q tract almost twice the size of that
expected to be set aside for such q
park and orders have been given
looking to immediate beginning of the
work OF improving the tract.
The plans for the park had been to
acquire 657 acre tract. and that was
all that was assured of when com
mittee representing the KeosauQua
Commercial club went to Des Moines
a few days ago to confer with state
officials. The following committee at.
tended the meeting; H. K. Black
ledge, S. w. Manning, S. NJ Workman,
j. Henry Strickling, B. M Manning,
R. r. McBeth and Fl. E. Rees.
| The committee carried with 1t the
park fund of $6,40s raised in Van
Buren, county by popular subscriptions
and titles to much Of the land to be
acquired. The committee held con.
ferences with the executive council,
the state park commission, and the
state conservation board. The result
ization by the state officials of the
1,126 acres. Payments for much of
the land were made at once, and the
remainder of the purchase money will
be disbursed by the state treasurer as
soon as the deeds and abstracts are
ready for delivery
| When message telling of the sue
cessful terminating of the Des Moines
conference was sent to Keosauqua last
| Friday afternoon there was general
ljubilation, and this extended all over
| the entire county. The Keosauqua
Commercial club had charge of the
work of securing the park but they
were backed up by people from all
over Van Buren, county and many gem
erous subs criptions came from people
Of the country and from other towns.
The park, it is figured viii not only
benefit KeosauQua, but will be a fine
thing for people In the whole county.
Everybody in Keosauqua gave what
they could Of their time and money
and when they once started, didn't
stop until the park was landed. FL. u.
Blackledge, one Of the most prominent
real estate men in this part of the
country, one Of the committee, and
who was never known to fall down in
anything he started to do, has been
working all the time to land this park
for KeosauQua and Van Buren, county.
Edgar R. Harlan, curator of the
state historical society, and a member
and the secretary of the state con-
servation board, who is Van Buren,
county man, lived most of his life in
this county, and who Is greatly inter
ested in his old home community, de-
serves lot of credit for his work in
helping to make this park possible.
He suggested that the great horseshoe
bend in the Des Moines river near
Keosauqua, with all its beautiful seen
cry, much Of which has never been
disturbed, would make an ideal loca-
ton for state park. He suggested to
KeosauQua that they had one OF the
best natural park locations in the
state and from that time until the
park was an assured fact, they have
been on the Job day and night
The land purchased is just south OF
Keosauqua, large portion Of 1t being
wild timber country, along the beautt |
full Des Moines river, including what
are locally known as Thatcher's
branch, Ely's ford and Name Rock.
Ely's ford has lot Of history back OF |
it and Name Rock, which Is an i'm
mense boulder, and has been a popu-
lar resort for picnic parties for the !
past sixty-five or seventy years. On |
the face Of this great rock are the |
names Of hundreds of people, cut into |
the stone, who have spent some happy |
hours here in the golden long ago"
The state is now in control OF the |
new park area and acts through a 4
Of +rp np IT
Blackledge, S. w. Manning and J.
Henry Strickling, all of Keosauqua. I
This board will represent the state
in all park matters until title to all
the land is acquired and permanent
custodian is appointed. The board
has appointed H. e. Rees as temper
airy custodian, his duties being to pre-
vent hunting, trapping, wood cutting
or any infringement of state park laws,
Although most Of the new park will be
laft in its natural state, a portion OF
it will be set aside as game pre-
serve, where buffalo, deer and other
animals will be kept. Improvement
work on the large tract Of land will
be started at once.
The park is primarily intended for
the use and enjoyment of all the peo-
ple of the state and ample facilities
and plenty of room will be afforded
for camping parties. The park will be
dedicated early next month, and will ,
be a big event for this county. Large
crowds from all over southeastern
Iowa will be there. Governor Hard.
ing will make the principal address,
and the members of the executive
the state park commission
and other prominent men will be pres
ent.
ChTDC