| In the late 1890s, James Sherman Minott acquired 160 acres of timberland on the Cedar River & built a spacious inn for the accommodation of visitors. He also established a boat rental & sold lots for the building of summer cottages. Many people took advantage of this & soon the population of the area numbered over 200. Afternoon outings on the Cedar River, capped by a quiet dinner at the combined log cabin restaurant, general store, & hotel, were common in the early 1900s. Noted American poet Carl Sandburg was a yearly visitor to the "Palisades" during the 1920s & 1930s.
In 1922, Palisades-Kepler State Park was established. Much of Minot's original land had been acquired & the State Board of Conservation had taken special notice of the unique bold cliffs & proclaimed that "these palisades lining the Cedar River are quite special." In September of 1928, the Board of Conservation accepted the gift of property from the estate of Louis H. Kepler, essentially doubling the size of the park. The Board added his name to the park name. Since that time, almost 700 acres have been added to Palisades-Kepler.
In July 1934, a Civilian Conservation Corps company was established at Palisades-Kepler. Three barracks & a mess hall were built; then, work started on the building of many park facilities. The roads, hiking trails, entry portals, lodge & other timber & stone structures remain to give the park much of its rustic character. The C.C.C. camp of 200 young men closed in 1941. |
Palisades-Kepler State Park Campground Web Site
Driving Direction GPS Coordinates:
41.911108, -91.502294
|
Campground: Palisades-Kepler State Park in Mount Vernon Iowa *