Redfield to Adel to Perry and Home Part 5

Redfield, originally named New Ireland, is one of the oldest towns in Dallas County, Iowa. The numerous coal beds and access to water power was attractive to early settlers. About a mile south of New Ireland, Colonel James Redfield laid out the town of Wiscotta. In 1864, he purchased New Ireland and soon the narrow gauge railroad come through town. Col. Redfield was killed in Georgia with Sherman in his march to the sea.

Due to the excellent clay found in the area Redfield, “The Town with Two Brick Yards” was known for its quality brick and tile since the 1870s. In 1894, the Goodwin & Myers Brick & Tile Co. began to work the big open-pit shale deposits in the area. The iron in the material turned the bricks a rich red. They were soon called “Redfield Reds.” Eventually the name was changed to Redfield Bridge & Tile Works and their bricks were used in many of the Boys Town buildings. Pioneer Seed Corn Plant in Coon Rapids, IA, and many of the buildings at Iowa State University in Ames are of Redfield face tile.

Millions of drain tiles were also produced. Most were 4 to 12 inches in diameter, however thye could go as large as 36 inches. Today the old brick yard sets empty. A new modern brick yard, the Glen-Gery Brickworks, remains in town.

In 1850, the first sawmill in the area was built on the Raccoon River and ten years later two grist stones were added. Throughout the mill's operation, 1850 to the 1940s, the water powered mill served as a sawmill, flour mill, feed mill, ice house and electric plant.

Now a 26 acre park includes the old mill site and low head dam on west edge of Redfield.


EAST FROM REDFIELD TO ADEL

Originally called Penoach, Adel was incorporated in 1847. Situated on the west bank of the North Raccoon River, Adel had a good supply of water-power for a flour mill built in 1856.

In 1855 there were about twenty-five houses and three stores. However, Adel was along the only county road at that time and the city began to grow.

Local hero and Iowa legend, Nile Kinnick, was born in Adel, July 9, 1918. He was the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Iowa, having scored 107 of the 130 points scored by the Hawkeyes that year. As a World War II Navy pilot, he died June 2, 1943 when his plane went down.

Adel prides itself on having some of the only brick streets listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the only town to have both buildings and roads registered as historical landmarks. The recently completed street project involved removing the old bricks, cleaning them and replacing them.

“The Adel project reflects uniqueness because of the nature of rebuilding 100 year old brick streets reusing the existing brick coupled with modern methods of sub-structure and utility work,” said project engineer Jeff Schug of McClure Engineering Company.

“Not only are the brick historically valuable, but by reusing them we saved money and were environmentally responsible because we did not discard the old and purchase new brick. New brick would have cost about $350,000 more and we would have wasted all the old brick,” Adel City Council member and Street Committee Chair Jon McAvoy said.

NORTH OUT OF ADEL TO PERRY

Heading north on Highway 169, in the small town of Minburn, there are two gas pumps. No convenient store, no attendant – just two pay-at-the-pump pumps. You'll also find a grain elevator, church, two veterinarians, library and bank and you can get a free cup of coffee at the bank, the brick church on Chestnut Street, Heartland Coop, or at the library.

Formerly a major railroad junction, Perry, named for a railroad official, was born in 1869 when Harvey Willis, a '49er adventurer who had walked to California and found gold in the "Rush," convinced railroad surveyors to put the tracks on his land. During the winter of 1868-1869, Harvey and his brother John, platted the new town. Train service began in Perry on July 4, 1869.

In 1870 the population of Perry was 70; ten years later it had reached 999; and today boasts 7,633 making it the largest city in Dallas County.

The historic Hotel Pattee, one of the finest boutique hotels in the world,
is one of the few hotels where every room and suite tells its own story. 40 individually themed rooms preserve history, celebrate ethnicity, honor craftsmanship, and pay tribute to the noteworthy sons and daughters of Iowa and the Midwest.

Reconfiguration Arches are a pair of ceremonial arches, located on each end of Soumas Court.

Looking closely at the Reconfiguration Arches, you will see pieces from Perry’s past: wagon wheels, water pumps, tractor parts, augers, tillage disks, piano sounding board, railroad and mining tools and rails, and used pieces of metal donated by local residents. The large, silver-colored arches tell the stories of the men and women that built Perry.

Welded together into four 16,000-pound sculptures, they were created by Albert Paley of Rochester, New York. Local metalworkers from Perry’s metal-fabricating companies helped fabricate the arches.

Walking through the arches, you walk into Soumas Court, a small park in the business district celebrates the people of Perry. Named for George Soumas, son of Greek immigrants, World War II hero, and former mayor, the park is a public space next to the Hotel Pattee.

I have no idea what this building is, but I thought it was an interesting renovation for office space. Looks like it may have been an old gas station at one time.

It was starting to feel like a long day. My eyes were sore from looking at so many interesting views and sites. I still had an hour to go before I got home and could kick back with an ice tea and relax. Hadn't had any 'real' food to eat all day. I learned a valuable lesson: Don't try to be a tourist in rural Iowa on a Monday - nothing is opened. Having set my stomach to be ready for some small town diners and cafes, it had to settle for a bag of Hyland potato chips and an RC Cola and a slice of pizza from Casey's Convenient Store!