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riChArDSon’S PoinT
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PionEEr riDGE
Located on 995 acres of land on Highway 63 between
Ottumwa and Bloomfield, this nature center offers
interpretive displays and programming. The site features
an extensive trail system for foot, bike or horseback. It also
features four fishing ponds, a bird observation blind, open
grass ridge tops and oak and hickory timber. Rentals for
special events are available, as are primitive and electrical
campsites and modern and camping log cabins.
Prairie Hills
at ottumwa
The migration of Mormon faithful from Nauvoo, Illinois,
to Salt Lake City passed through southern Iowa. And
if you know where to look, the traces are still there. At
Richardson’s Point, a wooded location in Van Buren
County, a wood fence and a sign mark out the spot where
two pioneers from the Mormon Trail are buried. The site
has been protected by the Klodt family for decades. The
camp was created when progress stalled out after heavy
rain made travel too difficult. It came early in the trek, a bit
more than 50 miles from Nauvoo. The graves themselves
are among the first along the trail. Archaeologists are still
trying to pin down precisely where the boundaries of the
extended camp were.
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roCk iSlAnD TrAin DEPoT
This former depot now houses a railroad museum. It is
located at 405 KD Ave. in Eldon. It last saw passengers in
1968 with freight traffic continuing to 1980. It is open for
coffee from 7-9 a.m. Monday through Friday. Weekend
hours of 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday run May through
September, and tours are offered by appointment by calling
Richard Hamm at 641-799-1508. For more information, visit
www.eldondepotmuseum.org.
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WAPEllo CounTy hiSToriCAl
muSEum
ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE
Senior Living can be different...
Let us Show you how!!
At Prairie Hills
Located at 210 W. Main St., Ottumwa, the museum’s mission
is to identify, collect and preserve artifacts, images and
documents from Wapello County’s history. Exhibits include
John Morrell and Company, the county’s railroad story,
John Deere and more. Currently on display is the exhibit
“100 Years of the 19th Amendment: A Celebration of
Women.” For more information, call 641-682-8676 or visit
www.wapellocountymuseum.com.
at Ottumwa,
residents enjoy an active,
engaging lifestyle that promotes
wellness & independence
173 E. Rochester Avenue | Ottumwa, IA 52501
641-684-1871 | prairiehillsottumwa.com
24 | 101 Things To Do In Southeast Iowa
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