Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-03
GLADBROOK BOASTS
OF NOVEL NEW PARK
GEORGE coNANT DONATES FIF-
TEEN ACRES OF WOODLAND
FOR PLAYGROUND.
LOG CABIN BUILT IN
MEMORY OF FATHER
Cabin Used Only BY Friends Of Mr..
conant But Grounds Arc Open to
Publio-owner is Spending Large
Sums in Building Fairgrounds and
Providing Amusement.

Publio-owner is Spending Large
Sums In Building Fairgrounds and
Providing Amusement.
Gladbrook. July S.--North 1'ama
has a new public park, that is
destined to become one of the most
popular beauty spots in this section
OF Iowa. The place is known as
Conant park, owned and improved
by George Conant, Of Gladb1ook
and located on the Traer- Gladbrook
road about three miles east of
Giadbrook. The park, and the pur-
pose for which it was established
are original and unique. There is
not another place like it in Iowa and
probably few in the United States.
The park Is a beautiful wooded
tract OF fifteen acres, a part OF a
farm which Mr.. Conant bought last
year. The feature Of the improve
ments IL q beautiful modern bunga-
low fashioned after the old log
cabins OF pioneer days. The building
consists of two rooms, kitchen
fifteen feet square and a large living
room 24xSe.
The building was constructed of
logs cut from the surrounding grove
and laid in concrete. There is a con-
crete platform around the structure,
fourteen feet in front and twelve feet
on the sides and rear. The main
windows are "a inches in height and
forty eight inches wide. The WIN
dows in front are of the finest
beveled plate glass. The kitchen is
equipped with range, cupboard,
Kitchen cabinet, table, sink, an uln-
derground iceless refrigerator of the
dumb waiter" type, water piped into
the kitchen, and all necessary dish
rs and cooking utensils. The main
room has beautiful brick fireplace
with old fashioned andirons, and has
beamed ceiling and other bungalow
features. It is equipped with dining
table, library table, rockers. day bed,
old fashioned draperies, grass ru,,s,
pictures. etc. Along the outside Of
the house are being placed log
window boxes for flowers that would
clelight any woman. Just in front
of the house 10 large and beautiful
flower bed. The site is ideal, with
tall and stately old trees all around.
Cabin For Friends Only.
The cabin IS already being used by
campers. It's use II confined to Mr..
Conant's friends and acquain-
tslnces. The grounds however, are
open to the general public. West
of the house there are already In
use two double tennis courts, two
sclpqnet grounds and i've courts for
pitching horseshoes. There are
thirty swings for the children and q
swinging foot bridge There are
twelve picnic tables and three old
fashioned styles over the rear fence
afrording access to Wolf creek on
the north.
The park was established by Mr..
Conant primarily for pionics. camr,-
Ing parties, family reunions, club and
fraternal gatherings and the like. He
allows camping partiea the use Of the
grounds Indefinitely, with privilege
OF using the water and fuel on the
grounds. He is to construct two dutch
ovens Tor public use within few
days.
Mr.. Conant encourages ,ne use Of
the grounds for these purposes, but
will prohibit public dances. He has
given the Gladbrook American Legion,
boys the exclusive right to sell ic,.
cream and soft drinks on the grounds,
but to date has allowed nothing to be,
sold on Sundays.
Mr. Conant himself designed the
log cabin and other improvements III
the park and has given most OF the
last six months to, manual labor,
there. He obtained the idea of build.
Ing long cabin from his aged father,
]. w. Conant, eighty years old, and
pioneer OF northwest Tama. The sem
ior Mr.. Conant wanted to see q log
cabin in the grove, to commemorate
the old log cabin Of pioneer days
which he himself built on the old
Conant homestead. seven miles south
west Of the park, in 1856. The son,
who has made success In business
the idea and enlarged on 1t by MAX
Ing the log house a modern bunga-
low and turning the grounds into a
public park at an expense Of many
thousand dollars.
Next year Mr.. Conant will equip
the ground east Of the cabin with the
latest and best playground apparatus
for children, He has also decided to
improve the ground laying to the
north OF the house in another year or
two. He will probably lay out a base
ball park or construct a swimming
pool.
The building is already wired and
equipped with beautiful electric light
fixtures. Lights will be supplied by a
high tension line from Gladbrook,
which Is soon to be constructed past
the park. This week an attractive
steel Tense is being installed in front
OF the grounds. Recently twelve bird
houses. built by manual training
class in the Gladbrook schools, were
added to the park.
PLAN CAMP SITE FOR IOWA.
Officers Arrange Rifle Range and
Make Final Preparations.
Special to Times-Republican.
Storm Lake, July 8. Capt. John
r. Hayes, Of the adjutant generals
office In Des Moines. is In this city.
laying out the camp site and the rifle
range for the summer encampment OF
the Iowa National Guard, which will
be held on the other side Of the lake