(10) Worth County 5.29.2021

On our way to the Rhodes Mill in Fertile, we couldn’t resist driving down the main street of Hanlontown and stopping by this little park to stretch our legs and who could resist such a fun slide!

 

 

Also, in Hanlontown was a neat old church, Grace Lutheran Church as well as the Sime/Oswald Log Cabin, circa 1869.

 

 

Rhodes Mill also has a Park area with the first log cabin built in Fertile around 1861 by William Rhodes and a working hand-pump well.

 

 

 

We tried to stop at the Café Mir, and The Fertile Market but unfortunately, both were closed- note, Café Mir is only open for dinner! The Mill was still really neat to stop and look at, and you can rent the mill for the night (we did not)!

 

We then went on a mission to find the Norwegian Chapel Hill Miniature Church and Old Pioneer Cemetery. It was a tough one but worth the scouring of local county roads to find because this was literally the smallest church we’ve ever seen, with only 4 pews! You can see inside by appointment only, so unfortunately, we just had to peer through the windows!

 

 

We stopped by the Hanlontown Slough Waterfowl Production Area to view some native glacial wetlands.

 

 

Next was the hunt for lunch, which turned up very dry as everything was closed, either because of COVID, hours were off, or the owners were on vacation. You could always stop by the Diamond Jo Casino, but we were hoping to find some authentic Worth County food. Upon stopping at the Top of Iowa Welcome Center, we were informed of the only open restaurant, a local truck stop diner, R 80, in Kensett.

 

The hunt continued in Worth County for the grave of Hans Langset, the world record holder of the longest beard! We may or may not have scoured 3 cemeteries trying to find his gravestone. By the way, there are some very beautiful Norwegian style chapel churches in Worth County.

 

 

In the town of Northwood and throughout Worth County is the museum complex that seemed interesting but is only open 1 day a week (which was NOT the day we went) for a few hours through the summer. We did stop and climb aboard the caboose in Manly and had hoped to visit the Junction Railroad Museum, but the hours listed on the website must have been old as it was closed.

 

 

Return Rating: 1

Other things to see/do:

• Northwood Theatre
• Hanlontown Sundown Celebration
• Grafton Heritage Depot Musuem
• Junction Railroad Museum, Manly
• Evans Drug, Joice