P-day came and we took a road trip through the villages of Van Buren County Iowa, where the saints had gone on their trek west. It was a beautiful day with clear skies, pleasant temperatures, and a very fresh breeze a blowing. As usual, we passed cemeteries every so often and had to take a picture to send Halie. We have enjoyed exploring cemeteries with her.
Our first stop was the village of Bonaparte. It is on the National Register of Historic Places as the smaller Main Street community in the nation. We stopped at a pottery shed but it was closed.
The antique shop, which was also closed, had a fun side to the building. I think the summer season is over.
Bonaparte sits on the Des Moines River. The saints stopped here long enough to have their grist processed at the local mills.
The sign sits at the entrance of the bridge.
Bentonsport had a few sights to see. This historic iron truss bridge was built in 1882 for horse and buggy use, but is now used only as a foot bridge. It is the oldest and longest original bridge across the Des Moines River.
The Mason House was built in 1846
Notice the marks on the outside corner.
The Mormon pioneers camped at Richardson's Point from March 7 - 18, 1846, as they waited for weather conditions to improve before traveling further.
The first and second of hundreds of deaths on the Iowa Mormon Pioneer Trails occurred here. A marker is at each end. James M Tanner, age 15 months, and Edwin S Little, age 30.
In Keosauqua we stopped at the Van Buren County Courthouse. It is the oldest courthouse in Iowa, and was built in 1843. It has remained in continuous use since then.
I hopped out of the car and took a picture of this church. I was fascinated with it's architecture.
We journeyed on to Yoder's furniture store. We had a great time and I loved the smell of all things wood. When we made our purchase they gladly took a personal check as they do not have electricity. There are huge skylights to let in the light.
On one of our trips to Burlington, we were amazed at all the clouds being blown across the sky.
We came home one night from our shift at the temple, and as Bob turned to back in, look what we saw on the lawn! They just stayed there watching us get out of the car and go inside.
Friday we were in Burlington and had dinner at The Drake. It is on the river by the bridge. We enjoyed the meal and the outing.
Brother and Sister Christensen had invited us and the McBride's for dinner on Sunday after church. We had a delightful meal and enjoyed visiting with them. They moved to Washington, IA a year ago with a job change. We all shared family details and various happenings. At dusk that evening we saw flocks of geese across the street. We have watched them grow from babies, to toddlers, on to teenagers, and now young adulthood. They are pretty fun to have around.
Temple Fact: In the fall of 1840, the First Presidency paid eleven hundred dollars to Daniel H. Wells for a four-acre site that would command the attention of residents and travelers from all approaches. The October 1840 conference approved Joseph Smith's proposal to build a House of the Lord by appropriating the labor of all willing men every tenth day. The conference appointed a three-member building committee, and within a week a team of stonemasons had opened a temple quarry at the north end of Main Street. (When Bob & Becky came to see us, we went to the quarry. It is overgrown and filled with water. It is not used today.) Digging of the basement began in earnest in mid-February and foundation stones were laid during March to be ready for the April 6 placement of the cornerstones. (Now, it is cold here during those months. I am amazed they could work in the cold and accomplish so much with the tools and equipment they had.)
From Home:
Wyatt just a chillin'.
Great Grandson Clark, taking it easy.
Dakotah decided to buy a bouncy ball with his birthday money from us.
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