Hide Article Text (OCR)
STAGECOACH INN Stafyeced, *7 cp ‘PtaiiCe ‘^ctttetd ^ente*ncxcctBY JOE GABRIELSENEast of Graettinger, Iowa, there are a ret of old, deep wagon wheel nits running west and north. Few -if any - have noticed them. How old are they? Who made them? And where did they go? The mystery challenged me.They were there in what was once the lone, open prairie, mute hut interesting to a younger generation because the older has long since passed and gone on.Many years ago, I came across these strange ruts worn deep in mother earth and wondered at their being. The rolling wheels which once passed that way indelibly left their story. It took years before I arrived at some answer.These marks were the ruts from the old stagecoach road. They ran to the fork or crossing in the Des Moines River which is a little south of today's bridge east of town. They led up to and by a building or periiaps an Inn - now in a state of ruins - and continued on to the Spirit Lake Settlement and points north into Minnesota. The old building is now owned by Henry Lammers.The ruts continue somewhat west and north in direction} and I like to think that that is the way it should be for the way of the pioneer looted forward to the Western sun. Here was a pioneer story written in the good earth and I unearthed only parts of it.I discovered these ruts while duck hunting in two sloughs. They ran alongside the old Milwaukee grade for a distance which grade ran between Brekke's slough and another pond just west of it.The old railroad grade was all that was left of a rival of our present Rock Island Railroad. Years ago, the two railroads raced to build their right of way to win a virgin territory. The Milwaukee Road lost the race and their work was abandoned.For years, the railroad grade and old wagon wheel ruts stood there in the soil as a testimony to their being. But as modem times arrived, all traces have been removed by the bulldozer and the plow.But years before the railroad come to the settlements, travel from the east of Fort Dodge to the small towns was by the stage coach. The stagecoach was a sturdy built vehicle usually drawn by two teams of horses. It bounded along on the rough road over the lonely prairie whos passage scared great flocks of prairie chickens.I am indebted to Joseph Bradley of Estherville, Iowa, who now resides at Rosewood Manoi} for details. Any inaccurate accounts are due to me - not him for the story Is old.He remembers Grandfather McEvoy who - along with the Conways - came down from Canada via the covered wagon and settled close to Osgood. Grandfather McEvoy was at Fort Dodge and boarded the stagecoach for a visit to the Mite and Ben Bradley home east of present day Graettinger. It was winter time and the wheels of the coach were replaced by sled runners*Grandfather McEvoy had the best of intentions. But a howling blizzard as only Iowa can produce, overtook them. The road became Impassable. Fortunately, they found a settler's cabin and for two nights regaled each other with new?, food and the things closest to their hearts.Over a bleak expance of dazzling white snow, they continued their journey5 and it was colcft They drove by west of present day Emmetsburg, past the Wells place at Osgood to Willow Grove. From there and on, the stagecoach went east of present day Terril to the rebuilt Spirit Late Settlement.Joe mentioned that the cold was often so intense that once, some women froze to death in a sleigh. No trees or natural windbreak broke the cruel force of the wind for this was open prairie.Joe chuckled and told me in that dry Irish humor of his,’how he outsmarted the cold, He bought a good, fur coat! With a good cap and mittens to match, he was able to brave any storm.Some day, I hope to visit Joseph Bradley again and talk over old times when the land was new, the earth good and fnan was free.
Newspaper Details
Graettinger Times
Graettinger, Iowa, US
Thu, Jun 19, 1975
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Don B.
USA 20 Jul 2023
Other Publications Near Graettinger, Iowa
Graettinger Times
