I really enjoy reading about unique things like this:
http://amestrib.com/news/railroad-remains-discovered-under-knapp-street-campustown
http://amestrib.com/news/railroad-remains-discovered-under-knapp-street-campustown
Construction workers find railroad under Knapp St in Campustown
- Thread starter JP4CY
- Start date
Cool.
We went on a architectural bike tour downtown Des Moines a few weeks back. One of the stops was the old library, now world food prize.
I never noticed it before, but they redid the staircase on the east side, and then the plaza as part of the Riverwalk. The guide was telling us about the limestone and how they were able to source the same stuff from the quarry town in Minnesota that just happened to be tearing down some train bridges.
But while they were excavating the plaza, they ran into a 3 tier fountain (had to be 10-15' high) that had been simply buried back in the 50's-60's. And they were able to salvage the top tier and incorporate it into the new staircase.
A lot of history underneath our feet.
We went on a architectural bike tour downtown Des Moines a few weeks back. One of the stops was the old library, now world food prize.
I never noticed it before, but they redid the staircase on the east side, and then the plaza as part of the Riverwalk. The guide was telling us about the limestone and how they were able to source the same stuff from the quarry town in Minnesota that just happened to be tearing down some train bridges.
But while they were excavating the plaza, they ran into a 3 tier fountain (had to be 10-15' high) that had been simply buried back in the 50's-60's. And they were able to salvage the top tier and incorporate it into the new staircase.
A lot of history underneath our feet.
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I really like finding the old pictures of Riverview Amusement Park in Des Moines. You can still see some footings from the old rides ect.
http://www.riverviewparkdsm.com/
http://www.riverviewparkdsm.com/
I bike by there all the time and had no idea that was an amusement park. Is that were the carousel at Union park came from?
Dubuque has similar thing. Union park behind (what used to be) the YMCA camp. When I was a kid at camp, the destroyed remains were really cool/creepy
http://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=UNION_PARK
I'm always intrigued by the Ames High Fieldhouse. Don't hear many people in Ames talking about it.
http://www.ameshistory.org/exhibits/l_way/fieldhouse.htm
http://www.ameshistory.org/exhibits/l_way/fieldhouse.htm
How times have changed! "You can smell real smoke and breath live cinders into your lungs."
http://www.ameshistory.org/exhibits/dinkey/dinkey_photos.htm
http://www.ameshistory.org/exhibits/dinkey/dinkey_photos.htm
That kind of stuff is fun for everybody who's not involved in the demolition/construction project. I'm involved in a fairly major construction project for my company where we've found a bunch of things that we didn't know existed. Doesn't make for a fun time.
This is a great book. Almost entirely photos and captions.
[h=1]AMES: A RIDE THROUGH TOWN ON THE “DINKEY”[/h]
[h=2]Author(s):[/h] Farwell T. Brown
[h=2]ISBN:[/h] 9780738519333
[h=2]# of Pages:[/h] 128
[h=2]Publisher:[/h] Arcadia Publishing
[h=2]On Sale Date:[/h] 12/02/2001
[h=2]Binding:[/h] Softcover
[h=2]# of Images:[/h] 200 Black and White
http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/9780738519333/Ames-A-Ride-Through-Town-on-the-Dinkey
[h=1]AMES: A RIDE THROUGH TOWN ON THE “DINKEY”[/h]
[h=2]Author(s):[/h] Farwell T. Brown
[h=2]ISBN:[/h] 9780738519333
[h=2]# of Pages:[/h] 128
[h=2]Publisher:[/h] Arcadia Publishing
[h=2]On Sale Date:[/h] 12/02/2001
[h=2]Binding:[/h] Softcover
[h=2]# of Images:[/h] 200 Black and White
http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/9780738519333/Ames-A-Ride-Through-Town-on-the-Dinkey
I can't tell if this is on the site you attached but thought Riverview fans may like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dqdc4ixMkE
I can recall going there as a kid (and the Rocketpark...)
Its always fun when you find things buried underground right where you are going. Structures are a hassle, but you just hope you don't find buried tanks of unknown toxic material.
