AMBROSE A. CALL STATE PARK

I don’t know about you, but I have very happy memories of the time I have spent in Call State Park, which is located just a mile or so south of Algona.  I have enjoyed hiking out there over the years and have introduced some of my grandchildren to its beauty, although I have to admit I now avoid the trails that go up and down the steep cliffs. 

When I was in Girl Scouts there used to be a day camp there which would take place every day for one full week in the summer.  From the raising of the flag in the morning to the singing of “Taps” in the evening, the day was packed with activities, crafts and food.  Sometimes I wish I still had the cigar box which I had so beautifully decorated with shells, buttons and other sparkly things.

THE LOCATION

Most people in the area know that the park was named after one of Algona’s founders, Ambrose Call, who once lived there.  In fact, there is a bronze tablet mounted on a large boulder situated at the fork in the road that memorializes the location.  It states, “The first log cabin in Kossuth county was built near this spot in July, 1854, by Ambrose A. Call. This tablet placed by the Algona Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.”

In his speech at the semi-centennial celebration in 1904, Ambrose described his home which he built with the help of William Smith who accompanied the Call brothers on their trip.

 “We reached the edge of the timber two miles south of Algona about the last of July, and here we built our cabin.  It was 14x16 feet and the logs were as large as two men could raise.  Asa returned towards the last of August and remained a week or ten days in marking our claims.  He then went back to Iowa City and in the following November brought up his wife.

        “My cabin had a door made of puncheons hewn from basswood logs; a sash window, 10x12, a chimney made of sticks, and mortar made of yellow clay; the fireplace of boulders and the hearth of dirt.  In those very early days we had no sod houses.  Our cabins were all made of logs, just as our grandfathers in the green mountain state built them, a little improvement on the cabin in which Abraham Lincoln learned to read his bible.”

THE PURCHASE

It was always my perception that the land on which the park sits was donated for use as a park by Ambrose Call himself.  However, I have discovered that my perception was in error.  In the mid-1920s there was interest in securing a park for Algona and vicinity.  A committee composed of W. E. McDonald, Al Falkenhainer, T.P. Harrington, Mrs. Tom Kain and Mrs. J.O. Paxson was elected following a community meeting held at the Algona Hotel.  Florence Call Cowles, eldest child of Ambrose and Nancy Call, was presented with a plan to acquire the tract formerly owned by her father for use as a park.  She donated $3,000 which was combined with $400 donations from both the Algona Community Club and the State Conservation Board and other donations.  A tract consisting of 128.16 acres was purchased.  Two other gifts – one from Eva Arend of 1.02 acres and another of .47 acres from Robert and Emma Donovan – brought the total acreage to 129.65. 

Besides its use as a park, many citizens were interested in its conservation.  The site was home to many native trees, plants and animals.  The rugged timberland contained black walnut trees, some over three feet in diameter, as well as red and burr oak, butternut and elm trees.  It was hoped that the park would cultivate a love and reverence for things of nature by future generations. 

BECOMING A PARK

The first task to turn the tract into a park was the installation of roads and a well.  W.E. McDonald, who was also serving as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors at the time, was instrumental in getting these improvements completed.  First a road was built which included the construction of a bridge over the ravine near the entrance of the park.  A well was dug on the north side of the road, but it proved to be unsatisfactory due to seepage of surface water into the well.  Later a 200 foot well was drilled near the lodge.

In August of 1927, Paul Wille was hired caretaker.  He immediately began cleaning up dead limbs and underbrush.  John R. Fitzsimmons of Ames was hired as landscape engineer.  He was tasked with planning the landscaping of the park and designing the lodge and residence.

The construction of the shelter house began on June 27, 1928.  The red and white logs used for the walls were shipped from Bellevue, Iowa.  The lodge was 64 feet 6 inches by 89 feet 10 inches in dimension and faced slightly southeast.  A large fireplace made of stones from the area was at the west end of the main room.  When it proved to be unsatisfactory, it was torn down and then was rebuilt by Hal Cowan who also laid the cement floor in the lodge and porches.  The shelter house was surrounded by a 12 foot porch on three sides with four large doors that opened to the porch.  The four foot pillars at the entrance to the park were also built from native stones. 

Caretaker Wille built ten tables and thirty rustic chairs for use in the shelter house.  Native shrubbery such as wild currants, elderberries and wild plum were planted around the lodge and entrance to the park.  Bluebells were transplanted from an area called “Bluebell Valley” into the park along with ferns that came from Ella Thompson’s home in Algona.  Maple and hickory trees were added.

Under Paul Wille’s guidance, the park was fenced in and six picnic areas were installed, complete with tables, benches, fireplaces and parking areas.  Trails were made with bridges, railings, and steps for ease of movement.  Almost immediately the park began attracting visitors.  Thousands of people visited the site the first year.  On just one day--October 30, 1927--close to 500 people attended a big Halloween bonfire held there.  The next year Wille built a miniature log cabin in which was kept a visitor’s registration book to keep track of attendance. 

Preparation for the seventy-fifth anniversary celebration of the founding of Algona began in earnest in October of 1928 with plans to celebrate the following July.  It was decided to formally dedicate the park at that time. 

Clara Zahlten and August Slagle gifted to the park a cabin which had once belonged to August Zahlten, a settler who came to the area in 1855.  The local Kiwanis Club arranged to move the structure to the park in June of 1929.  The building whose flooring and roof beams were cut in a saw mill just north of Algona, had served as a granary and never as a home.  However, its construction was typical of cabins built in the pioneer days and it presented a fine example of pioneer workmanship. 

Zahlten Cabin

Park staff worked hard completing projects and getting the park into shape.  On June 28^th of that year a flag pole was put in place.  The park was now ready for its dedication scheduled for Monday, July 15^th. 

THE DEDICATION

Threatening clouds and an overcast sky did not prevent a crowd of over 2,000 people from attending the dedication.  The program began at 2:30 p.m. with a band concert by the Algona Municipal Band.  Rev. C.H. Seward opened the festivities at 3 p.m. with prayer.  Attorney T.P. Harrington presided over the program which included addresses by State Senator George Patterson, U.S. Representative L.J. Dickinson, and Iowa Secretary of State Ed Smith.  Florence Call Cowles was scheduled to present the park to the Iowa Board of Conservation, but on her way to Algona, she became ill and had to return to her home in Des Moines.  Her son, Gardner Cowles, Jr., made the presentation on her behalf.

Heads bowed as Troop E of the United States cavalry raised the flag over the park for the first time while the national anthem was played. 

CUSTODIAN PAUL WILLE

In 1931 the custodian’s house was built near the entrance to the park.  It was a two bedroom with living room, bathroom, kitchen, dining room, and a full basement.  Paul Wille and his wife, Eva, moved into the home upon completion and took great pride in creating beautiful landscaping.  Gravel paths meandered through the property lined with ferns and native plants.  Large rocks had been placed at intervals on the hill near the site and a lily pond was set in a recess in the hill and stocked with goldfish.

Within a few years the protection the park provided to the preservation of native flowers became apparent.  Wille began to find blossoms of species that were thought to have been extinct in the area.  For the most part, visitors abided by state law prohibiting the picking of flowers and the now unmolested vegetation was spreading rapidly.

The new shelter house became a real attraction and Call State Park soon became a favorite place for dances, parties, family reunions, and other gatherings.  Visitor attendance was high.  In 1931, official attendance records show a total of 88,815 people visited the park. 

The custodian continued to work on establishing the five miles of walking trails throughout the park.  Help was provided early on by members of the CCC in 1933 and later prisoners from Camp Algona helped with construction.

Paul Wille

With the exception of one year, Paul Wille served as custodian of Ambrose A. Call State Park for almost 20 years.  At that time park custodians were encouraged to retire at 65, but due to the war, he was asked to stay on.  He officially retired on February 15, 1947 at the age of 69.  His retirement was short-lived.  He suffered a stroke while driving down State Street on May 16th of that year causing his car to hit a light pole and a truck.  Although he only sustained minor injuries from the accident, he died later that day from the results of the stroke. 

A SANCTUARY

The Shelter House in 2017

A.A. Call State Park has now served the area for almost 90 years and has seen some changes.  The shelter house underwent a major remodel in 1998 and the Zahlten cabin has been restored.  The roads have been paved and camping areas installed.  But through it all it has managed to maintain its original purpose – to be a sanctuary preserving the native wooded habitat for study and enjoyment by future generations.  

Until next time,

Kossuth County History Buff

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