Ambrose A. Call State Park
Encyclopedia
Ambrose A. Call State Park is a state park
of Iowa
, USA, that commemorates the first settler
in Kossuth County
. The park preserves rugged hills of old-growth forest on the East Fork of the Des Moines River
.
while Asa went back to retrieve his family and more supplies. In 1925 Ambrose's daughter donated the site to the state of Iowa for a public park. While the original cabin is gone, a similar structure was moved from a nearby homestead and placed approximately where Ambrose's cabin stood.
trail.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, USA, that commemorates the first settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
in Kossuth County
Kossuth County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,543 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,486 housing units, of which 6,697 were occupied.-2000 census:...
. The park preserves rugged hills of old-growth forest on the East Fork of the Des Moines River
Des Moines River
The Des Moines River is a tributary river of the Mississippi River, approximately long to its farther headwaters, in the upper Midwestern United States...
.
History
Ambrose A. Call and his brother Asa staked their claim on the site of the future park on July 9, 1854. The next day Ambrose and traveling companion William Smith started building a log cabinLog cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
while Asa went back to retrieve his family and more supplies. In 1925 Ambrose's daughter donated the site to the state of Iowa for a public park. While the original cabin is gone, a similar structure was moved from a nearby homestead and placed approximately where Ambrose's cabin stood.
Facilities
Ambrose A. Call State Park boasts a log cabin-style lodge built in 1928 that can be rented for events. There is a campground with 16 sites, all but 3 with electrical hookups. 2 miles (3.2 km) of trails wind through the forest and in winter there is a cross-country skiingCross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
trail.