Drive IOWA Road Trip - DIRT (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter overton
- Start date
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Great pictures - what is that thing your holding Eric?
G
what are you blind? that's a 6 lbs rainbow trout!
well, maybe 6 ozs... but at least I got the little fxxxer to rise to a fly.
I am guessing its not a hard core wheeler since your driving it from CA? I wheel a spot in SE Iowa but the trails are for hard core only. If it works out and I am wheeling there around July 4th maybe we can meet up somewhere.
overton
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- Thread starter
- #28
Fenlon Place Elevator
Fenlon Place Elevator Company History
In 1882, Dubuque was an hour and a half town - at noon everything shut down for an hour and a half when everyone went home to dinner.
Mr. J. K. Graves, a former mayor, former State Senator, also promoter of mines and a banker lived on top of the bluffs and worked at the bottom. Unfortunately, he had to spend half an hour driving his horse and buggy round the bluff to get to the top and another half an hour to return downtown, even though his bank was only two and a half blocks away.
Mr. Graves liked to take half an hour for his dinner, then a half an hour nap, but this was im-possible because of the long buggy ride.
As a traveler he had seen incline railways in Europe and decided that a cable car would solve his problem. He petitioned the city for the right to build. The franchise was granted on June 5, 1882.
John Bell, a local engineer, was hired to design and to build a one-car cable modeled after those in the Alps.
The original cable car, which was built for Mr. Graves' private use, had a plain wood building, that housed a coal-fired steam engine boiler and winch. A wooden Swiss-style car was hauled up and down on two rails by a hemp rope.
Mr. Graves' cable car operated for the first time on July 25, 1882. After that, he had his gardener let him down in the morning, bring him up at noon, down after dinner and nap, and up again at the end of the work day. Before long, the neighbors began meeting him at the elevator asking for rides.
On July 19, 1884, the elevator burned when the fire that was banked in the stove for the night was blown alive. After Mr. Graves rebuilt the elevator, he remembered how his neighbors showed up when he used the cable car and he decided to open it to the public. He charged five cents a ride.
The elevator burned again in 1893. Because there was a recession Mr. Graves could not afford to rebuild the cable car. The neighbors had come to depend on the elevator to get them to work, to church, to school, and to the market.
Ten neighbors banded together and formed the Fenelon Place Elevator co. Mr. Graves gave them the franchise for the right of way for the track. This group traveled to the 1893 Colombian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, to look for new ideas. They brought back a streetcar motor to run the elevator, the turnstile, and steel cable for the cars. They had remembered that each time the elevator house burned, the fire also burned through the hemp rope that held the car and sent it crashing down the hill destroying it and the little house at the bottom. Then they in-stalled three rails with a fourth bypass in the middle to allow for the operation of two (funicular) counterbalanced cars.
By 1912, C. B. Trewin, who had built a house next door in 1897, became the sole stockholder. It was natural for him to buy up the stock from the original ten stockholders as they either passed away or moved away.
Mr. Trewin added garages to the north and south sides of the operator's house in 1916. He also added a second floor apartment which the neighborhood men used for a meeting room where they could smoke and play cards without the wives interfering.
There was another fire in 1962. That time an electrical fire between the ceiling of the operator's room and the apartment upstairs brought the realization that the price had to go up. And it did to ten cents a ride.
In 1977, the cable cars were completely rebuilt. After 84 years the original gear drive was re-placed by a modern gear box with a DC motor. The movie F.I.S.T. included a scene that was filmed at the elevator.
Fenlon Place Elevator Company History
In 1882, Dubuque was an hour and a half town - at noon everything shut down for an hour and a half when everyone went home to dinner.
Mr. J. K. Graves, a former mayor, former State Senator, also promoter of mines and a banker lived on top of the bluffs and worked at the bottom. Unfortunately, he had to spend half an hour driving his horse and buggy round the bluff to get to the top and another half an hour to return downtown, even though his bank was only two and a half blocks away.
Mr. Graves liked to take half an hour for his dinner, then a half an hour nap, but this was im-possible because of the long buggy ride.
As a traveler he had seen incline railways in Europe and decided that a cable car would solve his problem. He petitioned the city for the right to build. The franchise was granted on June 5, 1882.
John Bell, a local engineer, was hired to design and to build a one-car cable modeled after those in the Alps.
The original cable car, which was built for Mr. Graves' private use, had a plain wood building, that housed a coal-fired steam engine boiler and winch. A wooden Swiss-style car was hauled up and down on two rails by a hemp rope.
Mr. Graves' cable car operated for the first time on July 25, 1882. After that, he had his gardener let him down in the morning, bring him up at noon, down after dinner and nap, and up again at the end of the work day. Before long, the neighbors began meeting him at the elevator asking for rides.
On July 19, 1884, the elevator burned when the fire that was banked in the stove for the night was blown alive. After Mr. Graves rebuilt the elevator, he remembered how his neighbors showed up when he used the cable car and he decided to open it to the public. He charged five cents a ride.
The elevator burned again in 1893. Because there was a recession Mr. Graves could not afford to rebuild the cable car. The neighbors had come to depend on the elevator to get them to work, to church, to school, and to the market.
Ten neighbors banded together and formed the Fenelon Place Elevator co. Mr. Graves gave them the franchise for the right of way for the track. This group traveled to the 1893 Colombian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, to look for new ideas. They brought back a streetcar motor to run the elevator, the turnstile, and steel cable for the cars. They had remembered that each time the elevator house burned, the fire also burned through the hemp rope that held the car and sent it crashing down the hill destroying it and the little house at the bottom. Then they in-stalled three rails with a fourth bypass in the middle to allow for the operation of two (funicular) counterbalanced cars.
By 1912, C. B. Trewin, who had built a house next door in 1897, became the sole stockholder. It was natural for him to buy up the stock from the original ten stockholders as they either passed away or moved away.
Mr. Trewin added garages to the north and south sides of the operator's house in 1916. He also added a second floor apartment which the neighborhood men used for a meeting room where they could smoke and play cards without the wives interfering.
There was another fire in 1962. That time an electrical fire between the ceiling of the operator's room and the apartment upstairs brought the realization that the price had to go up. And it did to ten cents a ride.
In 1977, the cable cars were completely rebuilt. After 84 years the original gear drive was re-placed by a modern gear box with a DC motor. The movie F.I.S.T. included a scene that was filmed at the elevator.
overton
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #30
Bily Clocks - Spillville
The Bily Clocks Museum & Antonin Dvorak Exhibit has been a favorite attraction of young and old for many years. Visitors return year after year to the enchanting town of Spillville, Iowa, (located thirteen miles southwest of the town of Decorah), to marvel at the unique clocks that two brothers, Frank and Joseph Bily (bee-lee) hand-carved. The clocks depict history, art, religion and culture and are covered with hundreds of expertly carved figures. Some stand over nine feet tall.
Also housed in the museum on the second floor is an exhibit in memory of the famous Czech composer, Antonin Dvorak. In the summer of 1893, he along with his family, occupied the second floor of the building.
The Bily Brothers
The history of the Bily Brothers, Frank and Joseph, began on the farm where they were born and raised. Located between Ridgeway and Spillville,Iowa, the farm is where the two brothers started their carvings. These uniquely designed clocks have attracted people from all areas of the United States, Canada and from many foreign countries as well.
Beginning in 1913, the brothers employed the idle hours of long winter days and evenings with their skills of woodcarving. Being farmers and carpenters, they carved only as a hobby while still doing their regular chores and maintaining a well kept farm. In 1915 and 1916, they built the Apostle Clock from which the Twelve Apostles appear on the hour. During the period of 1923-1927, the Bily Brothers added their masterpiece to the collection, The American Pioneer History Clock. A memorial clock to Charles Lindbergh was carved in 1928 commemorating his historic flight. In these beautiful artistically carved clocks the brothers have used woods from a number of foreign countries as well as numerous pieces of walnut, butternut, maple and oaks from North America.
The Bily Brothers moved their collection to Spillville in 1946. They bequeathed the clocks to the town of Spillville with an agreement that they would never be sold or moved from their present location.The second floor of the building was the home of the famous Czech composer, Antonin Dvorak, and his family during the summer of 1893.
An admission fee is charged. Tours are given regularly.
The Bily Clocks Museum & Antonin Dvorak Exhibit has been a favorite attraction of young and old for many years. Visitors return year after year to the enchanting town of Spillville, Iowa, (located thirteen miles southwest of the town of Decorah), to marvel at the unique clocks that two brothers, Frank and Joseph Bily (bee-lee) hand-carved. The clocks depict history, art, religion and culture and are covered with hundreds of expertly carved figures. Some stand over nine feet tall.
Also housed in the museum on the second floor is an exhibit in memory of the famous Czech composer, Antonin Dvorak. In the summer of 1893, he along with his family, occupied the second floor of the building.
The Bily Brothers
The history of the Bily Brothers, Frank and Joseph, began on the farm where they were born and raised. Located between Ridgeway and Spillville,Iowa, the farm is where the two brothers started their carvings. These uniquely designed clocks have attracted people from all areas of the United States, Canada and from many foreign countries as well.
Beginning in 1913, the brothers employed the idle hours of long winter days and evenings with their skills of woodcarving. Being farmers and carpenters, they carved only as a hobby while still doing their regular chores and maintaining a well kept farm. In 1915 and 1916, they built the Apostle Clock from which the Twelve Apostles appear on the hour. During the period of 1923-1927, the Bily Brothers added their masterpiece to the collection, The American Pioneer History Clock. A memorial clock to Charles Lindbergh was carved in 1928 commemorating his historic flight. In these beautiful artistically carved clocks the brothers have used woods from a number of foreign countries as well as numerous pieces of walnut, butternut, maple and oaks from North America.
The Bily Brothers moved their collection to Spillville in 1946. They bequeathed the clocks to the town of Spillville with an agreement that they would never be sold or moved from their present location.The second floor of the building was the home of the famous Czech composer, Antonin Dvorak, and his family during the summer of 1893.
An admission fee is charged. Tours are given regularly.
Bah cabins! Let's make it real and tent it!
Meet at Backbone camp, then drive to Pikes Peak state park and camp. Next day drive south from Pikes Peak to Dubuque then home.
I did this trip a few times when I lived in Cedar Falls. It's been awhile though.
packman73
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packman73
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Bah cabins! Let's make it real and tent it!
Meet at Backbone camp, then drive to Pikes Peak state park and camp. Next day drive south from Pikes Peak to Dubuque then home.
I did this trip a few times when I lived in Cedar Falls. It's been awhile though.
Cabins are nice, but roughing it is always more of an adventure to me...and the ballet dancers in East Dubuque prefer the rough stench of a woodsman...
Can I join? I have never been part of an LC road trip, and well, I'd love to join you guys. I'm in the Sterling/Rock Falls, IL area. Anyone familiar with it? 'Bout 30 miles east of Clinton, IA.
packman73
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Absolutely!
DM Register Article
This past Sunday Paper had an article on NE Iowa and some things to do there. Here is link to on-line information.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007706030340
This past Sunday Paper had an article on NE Iowa and some things to do there. Here is link to on-line information.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007706030340
packman73
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packman73
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Bump...what's the plan mr. o?
I'm gonna have to make one of these trips.
