Lacy Keosauqua

[Iowa Dave]

Another week another campground review. Today we journeyed to Historic Van Buren County in SE Iowa.
We had a couple goals. One was to visit the recently renovated campground at Lacy Keosauqua State Park. We stayed there in the springs of 2015,16, and 17. In 2018 renovation of the sites, new chip and seal roads and tree planting closed the campground. Last year it was within a couple weeks of being done when we needed it so we stayed in the county park nearby. They have done an excellent job on the renovation including adding a lot of sites with water
And electric. Cost for the fully serviced sites is $14.00 a night. That’s Electric, sewer and water.. shower building and dump station included. The electric and water sites are $11.00 a night. Our
tour through the campground indicated that at least one camper had not had the GOAL training. They ran directly over a new power pedestal and the water hydrant. GOAL. Get out and look. Our second purpose was to visit the Dutchman Store in Cantril. A good source of dried food and reasonably priced meat and cheese. 50lbs of spuds for 9.95. Monday report by:
Iowa Dave

[steve dunham]

Hopefully this Spring at the McGregor Rally you can tell us the tale of the famous Van Buren County honey wars .

[Iowa Dave]

Somewhere I have a book with a lot of those historical stories including the only Civil War skirmish which “kind of” took place in Iowa. I picked up a history pamphlet at the Dutchman Sore today. Lots of history down there. The Mormons crossed the Des Moines river at the park site on their trek west after they left
Nauvoo Illinois.
Iowa Dave

[cpaharley2008]

Seeing pictures like that makes me think that some people should nit have a drivers license, let alone tow with one.....pure negligence!!

[Iowa Dave]

It looked to me like the driver cut it too short exiting the site. Probably crowded the left side upon setup and then did not back up and loop out a little to gain clearance, rather drop it in gear and go. I stopped a fellow at Davey Crockett last fall as he was about to hit a large wooden post as he was leaving his site. I tried to tell him to back up and turn wider and he did not seem to want to listen but finally did and cleared by about a foot. His wife came over to me and thanked me before she got in the tow vehicle. She said
“He did not want to back up because he doesn’t know how. That’s why we took the drive through site.” I was glad to help him and the guy in the camp office thanked me when I went in to sign up for this coming fall as he’d seen the near miss.
We came home yesterday up Highway 1, through Fairfield. I think I saw the statue they put up for you.
Iowa Dave

[cpaharley2008]

Big round ball with 4 legs with FAIRFIELD on it? This picture was in 2013 when we went thru Fairfield on the way to Minden, Ne. I ran into George's Pizza and had a "de ja vue" experience, hard to believe it was 46 years later. Iowa State Bank building was still there as was the pavilion in the town square. School was taken over by MIU.
BTW I remember a bad tornado in 67 that damaged Keokuk and Parsonites went down to help clean up,

[h2owmn]

Wow. Knock wood, that’s way more serious than I’ve ever come close to doing.

Dave, the campground has a unique name. Do you know its origin?

[Iowa Dave]

Here you go ( page 12 of the pasted history article) Read the whole history and if I meet you in the future I will kneel down and proclaim that I am not worthy!

https://s-iihr34.iihr.uiowa.edu/publ...ds/GSI-076.pdf

The article notes that Keosauqua was an Indian term and Lacey was an Iowan from Oskaloosa who fought in the civil war and became a distinguished citizen. Page 28 or 29 gives information on the Honey war which Steve Dunham referred to yesterday on this post.
It’s a nice area with a lot of history, much wildlife, antique stores full of “primitives” and some nice public timber. Many Amish families around Cantril and to the west around Bloomfield.