AllamakeeIOWA County www.AllamakeeCounty.com Come Explore With Us! 1 Allamakee Economic Development Member’s are marked with this symbol M throughout the publication. WELCOME! ou will find an entirely different experience in Allamakee County, the Northeast corner of Iowa! Deeply carved river valleys, upward reaching bluffs and outdoor activities for all seasons, Yare just a few things that make our county one of a kind! We have spectacular views of bluffs, the longest trout stream in the state, and the only National Monument in Iowa. Allamakee is the place for adventure, family friendly experiences & unrivaled natural beauty. Besides our natural surroundings, Allamakee County offers quaint downtowns, one of a kind shops and history that may surprise you. Did you know that Jefferson Davis spent time in Allamakee County? Davis was sent to Allamakee County to open the first saw mill west of the Mississippi River because he was courting President Zachary Tyler’s daughter. Despite Tyler’s effort, they did end up getting married on June 17, 1835. 2 WHAT’S INSIDE Historical Attractions ...........................................4 Recreation and Outdoor Adventures ..............9 Shopping ............................................................ 18 Experiences ...................................................... 22 Byway ................................................................ 24 Map .....................................................................27 Meeting Rooms & Reception Halls ............... 28 Dining ................................................................. 29 Lodging .............................................................. 33 Community Services ....................................... 36 We hope you find this brochure a useful and educational resource that will entice you to visit Allamakee County. We, Allamakee County Economic Development & Tourism (ACED), are proud to promote our wonderful county and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do. We are able to provide this brochure and other resources because of our business members. Without their support we would not be able to achieve the goals we have reached, provide the services we offer and create the marketing materials to help promote our county. ACED members are denoted in this brochure by the “ M ” symbol and bold. Please thank the ACED members when you have the opportunity to do business with them. We are unique and can provide you a vacation, weekend getaway, hunting exploration or family adventure that you will never forget. Come Explore With Us!3 HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS M ALLAMAKEE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM & GENEALOGY RESEARCH 121 Allamakee St., Waukon (563) 568-2954 • www.allamakeehistory.org The interior and exterior of this 1863 building has been preserved to reflect the time of its construction, including the bell tower, which houses the original bell. The whole family will enjoy a step back in time as you visit displays of period clothing and furnishings, including the piano and organ from the historic Wexford Church (located in the rural Lafayette Township area). A medical exhibit includes an operating table and instruments used by physicians during the early years of the county’s settlement. The original second floor courtroom is intact and includes a display of law books, judge’s chair and bench, witness BLACK HawK BRIDGE chair, and the jury box. IA-9/WI-82 Mississippi River Crossing, Lansing Completed in 1931 at the cost of nearly $750,000. The Black Hawk Bridge crosses the Mississippi River with a design that has attracted not only local, but national attention for its beauty. The cantilever structure spans the Mississippi, joining the states of Iowa and Wisconsin. The bridge was named in honor of the great Sauk leader, Chief Black Hawk and is popularly referred to as the “Lansing Bridge”. The bridge roadway is 21 feet wide with a minimum vertical clearance of 18.5 feet and has a total length, including the main channel crossing and approach spans, of 1,623 feet. EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL ION EXCHANGE MONUMENT 1878 Old Mission Dr., Harpers Ferry 151 Hwy. 76, Harpers Ferry (800) 291-2143 • www.ionexchange.com. (563) 873-3491 • www.nps.gov/efmo/index.htm Growing wildflowers, native plants, No visit to Allamakee County would be native grasses and Gardening plants. Ion complete without stopping at Iowa’s only Exchange, Inc. is a Native Wildflower and national monument, Effigy Mounds National Prairie Grass Nursery established in 1988. Monument. There are 206 known prehistoric Tours are available by appointment. Native American Indian mounds within the borders of the park, 31 of which are MUSEUMS & HISTORIC shaped in the likeness (effigy) of bears or birds. The 2,526-acre park is divided into ATTRACTIONS two units (North and South) by the Yellow by hours of operation or appointment. River. Although most Indian mound groups See listings for details. involve hiking along relatively long and steep trails, three burial mounds are accessible M directly behind the visitor center. Hiking trails OLD COURTHOUSE MUSEUM offer modest to extended routes, allowing 107 Allamakee St., Waukon you to select your route and view a variety (563) 568-2954 • www.allamakeehistory.org of mounds. An accessible boardwalk trail Within the 1861 structure, one will discover into the wetlands near the Visitor Center is rooms furnished to reflect the 19th and available for disabled visitors and persons of early 20th century, displays of farm tools, all walking abilities. Open year-round. military items, medical room, and the court 4 M = Allamakee Economic Dev. Member HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS room-complete with the judge’s bench, chair and gavel. The courthouse was the center of a great controversy between the cities of Waukon and Lansing. Both cities claimed to be the County seat; each raised funds and built courthouses with Lansing completing theirs first. In June of 1866, after ten county seat contests, a posse of 30 men on horseback seized all the county records and took them to this Waukon courthouse. The Iowa Supreme Court later intervened in the dispute, making Waukon the official and 30 minutes north latitude. To solidify his county seat. Locals today will still speak of mark, Lee purchased a cast-iron monument the brazen action! on October 19, 1849 and had it installed on the border. This 600-pound cast-iron post FISH FaRM MOUNDS marks “Minnesota” on the north, “Iowa” on STATE PRESERVE the south and “1849” & “43-30” (latitude) Hwy 26, 3 miles S. of New Albin on the sides. This is the only original marker A 3-acre prehistoric cemetery (mound group) remaining on the northern boundary line of located in the southern portion of the 576- the State of Iowa. acre Fish Farm Mounds Wildlife Area. The Preserve contains a cluster of 30 conical MUSEUM OF RIVER HISTORY mounds of various sizes, which were built AND COMMERCIAL FISHING by Native Americans from 100 B.C. to 650 MUSEUM A.D. The Wildlife Area is mostly wooded and 60 S. Front St., Lansing, is abundant with wildlife, making it a popular (563) 538-4641 or (563) 538-3943 hunting area. Site includes picnic shelters Lansing’s unique history as a river town and limited hiking and walking trails. comes to life in this specialized museum, featuring a collection of memorabilia IRON POST from the early development of the town. Hwy 26, 1/4 mile N. of New Albin Authentic wooden boats and artifacts offer For many years, the border between Iowa visitors a glimpse at the early clamming and Minnesota was hotly disputed. Iowans and clamshell button industries, as well as urged the government to use the Minnesota commercial fishing and ice harvesting. An River as the dividing line, giving Iowa a extensive photograph collection documents good portion of what is now southern the growth of this river town, which was an Minnesota. Minnesotans wanted to use the important ferry point for immigrants crossing 42nd parallel as the border, giving them the the Mississippi River in the early days of city of Dubuque & Northern Iowa. In 1849, westward expansion. Open by appointment. Captain Thomas J. Lee settled the matter by establishing the border at 43 degrees 5 HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS GJEFLE LOG CABIN legally purchase the building for town hall 121 Allamakee St., Waukon purposes alone. Thus, the building served two (with the Courthouse Museum) purposes, town hall and as a memorial for the community’s veterans, hence the name This two-story cabin was originally built by “Memorial Hall.” The property was added to Norwegian immigrants. It housed as many National Register of Historic Places in 2000. as 15 people at a single time between 1870 and 1886. Cabin was moved to its present site in 1990. SANDY POINT CEMETERY (Historically known as Harpers Ferry Cemetery) Southern end of Sandy Point Rd, Harpers Ferry Surrounded by a modest, black iron fence and shaded by tall oak trees, two very different histories are juxtaposed at this point. Buried in this small cemetery is David Harper, an influential businessman known for his large merchandising business of produce. The town was named after Mr. Harper in 1860 and he is still regarded as a leading spirit in the development of Harpers Ferry and his gravestone still stands in dignified grandeur. But it is what surrounds Mr. Harper’s gravesite that makes this cemetery so unusual: seven ceremonial Native American mounds. As many as 2500 years before the settlement of WEXFORD IMMACULATE Harpers Ferry, this land along the CONCEPTION CHURCH 1416 Co. Hwy. X52, Harpers Ferry great river was occupied