DAY 6 was our first day in IOWA! Today was a day where I really missed my normal “plans” on our trip. We definitely were winging it!
Garden Grove
We zigged and zagged our way all across southern Iowa. There were two Church history spots we wanted to visit down there but they were definitely not conveinently located. Our first stop was to Garden Grove. This was a temporary settlement, known as the “Magic City of the Woods” and was along the Mormon Trail, about halfway across Iowa.
Another ancestor of mine was part of the Vanguard Company with Brigham Young and it was incredible to learn about what that group was able to accomplish and all that they did to prepare the way for those that came after them.
This was the first “way station” that the Saints came to after Nauvoo. The Vanguard Company arrived in late April of 1846. Crews dug wells, built cabins, and readied fields for planting. Some stayed to cultivate the crops and the hope was to be able to feed travelers who would follow. The site was perfect for farming but the trail for the Saints was filled with starvation, disease, fatigue, exposure, and rattlesnakes. During the first winter of 1846, over 500 Saints stayed here, but 70 did not survive. This settlement stayed active until 1852.
There isn’t much left here today, except for a host of caterpillars. Ben was in heaven.
Mount Pisgah
We zigged and zagged some more across the rolling hills of Iowa to Mount Pisgah. This second temporary settlement in Iowa was reached by the Vanguard Company (after Garden Grove) in the middle of May 1846. The group built cabins and planted several thousand acres of crops for future travelers. The population grew to over 700 Saints by the summer. However, many passed away from exposure, malnutrition, and disease.
There was an interesting story we learned there. Soon after the Saints arrived, a Native American Chief named Pied Riche came to welcome them and shared how the Pottawattamie Indians had also been driven from their homeland (in what is now Michigan). He said, “We must help one another and the Great Spirit will help us both. Because one suffers and does not deserve it is no reason he shall suffer always. We may live to see it right yet. If we do not, our children will.”
I loved that story of friendship in such a difficult time.
Pella Historical Village
It was after this that we didn’t have any concrete plan. We decided on a whim to drive over to Pella (home of Pella Windows) to visit the Pella Historical Village. The major draw to come here was to visit the Vermeer Windmill. It is one of the tallest working windmills in North American and was designed and built in the Netherlands, then de-assembled, and shipped to Iowa in 2002.
Sadly (and surprisingly) they have less tours on Saturday and we missed the last one by 10 minutes. That was a bummer. BUT we did get to tour the historical village and we all enjoyed that. It was great to step back in time and appreciate the Dutch heritage of Pella. I think the kids favorite part was the fish in the stream though 😉
Cazador
Once we left Pella, we drove over to Des Moines where we were staying for the night. We decided we didn’t want to go into downtown, and instead found a really yummy Mexican restaurant that was close to our hotel.
