A small community hospital in Fort Madison, Iowa, was the next travel nurse assignment. It was about a 5-hour drive from home, a nice change from the multi-day trips we had been taking for the assignments out west. It was also close enough for a visit back home over Memorial Day.
On a warm Sunday afternoon in mid-May, we pulled into the RV Park nearest the hospital. We made reservations over the phone, and the owner knew we were going to need a site for two months.
Unfortunately, the RV park did not have the amenities we understood it would have. There were no working restrooms, and the 50 amp spot we had reserved was not available. Our spot was in the open, with no shade for the coming summer months. This park would be fine for a weekend, but not for two months.
The nearest RV park was in Keokuk, about 18 miles south of the hospital. On Monday, as soon as Andy was off work, we drove to Hickory Haven RV Park. They had the amenities we wanted for a long-term stay and, best of all, there were spots with shade trees. We moved our RV there Tuesday afternoon. Our new home in Keokuk was at the back of the park, with plenty of shade.
Fort Madison and Keokuk share the title of Lee County Seat. This is the only county in Iowa with two seats of government. The cities are located on the Great River Road, the National Scenic Byway along the Mississippi River. We explored both Fort Madison and Keokuk, and the surrounding area, during our two-month stay. This post features Fort Madison. Our next post takes you on a visit to the historic Lock & Dam No.19 and the surrounding area along the Mississippi River.
Historic Fort Madison
If you have been reading our blog since we started our travel nursing journey, you know that we like to visit and learn about historic places. At the time of this writing, there are sixteen places in Fort Madison listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We visited six of the historic places during our stay.
Old Fort Madison Site
The City of Fort Madison was settled around the site of the first U.S. military fort in the upper Mississippi region. The fort, built and occupied in 1803 was deserted five years later when they were overrun by the Sauk Indians. The soldiers escaped to the river under the cover of darkness, setting the fort on fire as they left.
A replica of the fort was built in Riverview Park along the Mississippi River, not far from the site of the original fort. During our visit, we learned about the lives of the soldiers and families that lived there.
After purchasing our tickets, we walked past the garden and outer buildings to the gate.
Once inside the stockade, we entered the first building, the officer’s quarters. One of the reenactors was describing the daily life of the soldiers, along with the various means of discipline practiced at the fort.
Each room was furnished to represent a different aspect of life at the fort. Below is the kitchen, with laundry drying on a rack.
In the room that represented the fort’s clinic, there were cases displaying medicines and herbal remedies used in the early 1800’s.
There were also surgical instruments and other natural remedies, such as leeches.
Since Andy is a peri-operative RN, this room and the surgical instruments were of interest to him. Many of the natural remedies are still used today.
In the enlisted men’s quarters, one of the rooms was set up as a trading post. There were various furs, traps and other goods that would have been traded.
We heard that a musket was going to be fired and went outside. The reenactor was explaining how the musket worked and demonstrating how to load it. Soon, he fired it towards the back of the fort.
After the demonstration, we explored the area within the stockade.
This is the officer’s quarters. The second-floor rooms are furnished as typical bedrooms.
A portion of the enlisted men’s quarters displayed their bedrooms. They were cramped, with several bunks in each room.
Many of the visitors were taking pictures with one of their party in the pillory. Neither of us wanted to put our head through the opening.
One of the blockhouses was open and we climbed the stairs to the top. It was an interesting view.
The walkway around the stockade, with shorter poles for the soldiers to fire their weapons at approaching invaders.
Leaving the historic fort replica, we drove about a quarter mile east on Ave H to the chimney-shaped marker built in the approximate location of the original fort’s Block House One.
Fort Madison Toll Bridge
The Fort Madison Toll Bridge is the last remaining double swinging truss bridge on the Mississippi River. It holds the world’s record as the longest bridge of it’s kind in the world. Completed in 1927, the bridge is 3,130 feet long, with a swing-span of 525 feet.
The lower level of the bridge is for trains. The two traffic lanes on the upper level connect Fort Madison to Niota, Illinois. The toll is $2.00 per passenger for those eastbound to Illinois. The bridge opens about five times a day to allow barges and river traffic to pass up and down the Mississippi River. Several days a week, some of Andy’s co-workers were late to work due to the bridge opening for barges.
Historic Iowa State Penitentiary
The Historic Iowa State Penitentiary closed August 1, 2015, after 176 years. Originally a two-story sandstone cell block intended to house only the most serious felons, the penitentiary acted as the only territorial prison almost 10 years prior to Iowa’s statehood.
A third story was added to the original cell block in the 1870s. As the inmate population grew, additional cell houses and a large sandstone wall with gun towers were added.
The Penitentiary opens for tours a couple times a year. Unfortunately, there were no tours while we were in Fort Madison. However, the day we went to take pictures of the outside of the prison, one of the gates was open. There were several cars parked on the drive.
We walked up the drive and Andy peeked inside. After taking a few pictures inside the wall, he came back out.
Soon, several others came out. While talking with them, we discovered that they were a film crew, making a YouTube movie. They were finishing up as Andy started taking pictures.
If you are interested in touring the historic penitentiary, there will be two tours on October 27. Here is the link if you will be in the area. Historic Iowa State Penitentiary Tour.
Old Santa Fe Depot Complex
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Passenger and Freight Complex Historic District, the depot and other buildings in the complex date back to the late 1800s.
The east end of the depot was brought back into passenger service in 2012.
The North Lee County Historical Society museum is housed in the remainder of the depot and the attached Railway Express Agency building.
Inside the museum, a volunteer gave us a tour. We saw an old fire engine, antique farm equipment, and household items.
When we had finished exploring the depot portion of the museum, we went outside and walked the short distance to the Division Freight Office. Inside were toys, an Edison Victrola, a pump organ and an exhibit from the recently closed Sheaffer Pen Company museum.
After touring the museums, we went outside to walk up the pedestrian bridge over the train tracks.
It was fun standing there, looking down at the tracks. We were only there a few minutes when a train pulled into the station.
Fort Madison Downtown Commercial Historic District
The downtown commercial district was added to the register in 2007. One of the buildings in the district, The Cattermole Memorial Library, is also listed individually on the register. We strolled around the district in the early evening.
It appeared to us that there was a renovation in progress at the Cattermole Memorial Library.
This building on 7th Street had ‘Bella Moon’ inscribed over the door. I believe it is the Hesse Building.
Buildings along Ave. G built in the late 1880’s.
Built in 1893, the Lee County Savings Bank building is the tallest in historic downtown Fort Madison. At one time, the post office and other professional offices and businesses operated there.
Dodd Printing & Stationary, located on Ave. G has been located in Fort Madison since 1877.
This display was in the window of a shop in the historic district. Who doesn’t like watching solar dancing toys?
Though there were several vacant buildings, we saw many small businesses that had made their home in the historic downtown area.
The Annual Invasion of Mayflies
Our post about Fort Madison would not be complete without sharing Andy’s experience with the annual mayfly hatching.
On June 15, mayflies struck Andy’s truck as he drove south from the hospital in Fort Madison to the RV park in Keokuk. He pulled off Hwy 61 into Heron Bend Park on the Mississippi River to take this video and pictures.
