Silos & Smokestacks
Explore tallgrass prairies where bison still roam and old-time farms where the spirit of the pioneers lives on.
The prairie puts on quite a show in the spring at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, about 22 miles east of Des Moines, Iowa. Butterflies flash their colors while flitting among the vivid wildflowers and the lofty grasses of the prairie. Baby bison frolic on their gangly legs near their mamas. Critters call, and birds chatter and warble.
The refuge is one of more than 100 Iowa sites in the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area being preserved and restored to show off the land’s historical and cultural impact on early settlers. These living museums tell the story of how the native landscape influenced the evolution of agriculture in America. In Iowa, the sites tell tales of fields, farmland, Native American farming practices, pioneer log homes with wood-burning cookstoves, and meadows and plains where herds of bison are being reestablished.
Volunteers and workers at The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1990, are focused on restoring and protecting Iowa’s prairies and oak savanna. Today, songbirds are making a robust comeback in Iowa due, in part, to places like the refuge.
“Birding is fabulous here,” says Joan Van Gorp, president of Friends of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, a nonprofit group that supports the refuge. “Now the prairie attracts grassland birds we haven’t seen for years, including bobolinks and the dickcissel.” Bison and elk roam an 800-acre enclosure within the 5,600-acre refuge. I drove through the enclosure on the well-marked driving tour that visitors are encouraged to take—as long as they stay in their cars. Stop in at the Prairie Learning and Visitor Center so the volunteers can tip you off as to where the bison are hanging out, and bring binoculars.
The refuge includes miles of trails, the bison and elk enclosure, a butterfly garden, an oak savanna and the Prairie Learning and Visitor Center with knowledgeable volunteers, maps, a gift shop, historical exhibits, classrooms and a theater. More than 200 species of prairie plants have been seeded and nurtured there in efforts to preserve Iowa’s prairie heritage.
STEP BACK IN TIME
Living History Farms, a 500-acre hands-on museum in Urbandale, is another must-see site in the Silos & Smokestacks area. The immense outdoor “museum” captures the lifestyle of past generations. It includes log cabins, a print shop, a general store and a church, along with a working farm and a barn that houses hardworking Percheron draft horses. Best of all, visitors can experience
Cows peacefully graze in this quintessential Iowa sight (top, left). A red barn glows in a Warren County, Iowa, sunset (right).
a participatory stroll (or horse-drawn wagon ride) into the past, discovering how early settlers farmed, cooked and influenced the agriculture of Iowa’s early farm country.
“People are used to museums that have collections under glass, but 85% of items in the Living History Farms collection are things we can carefully touch,” says Janet Dennis, director of interpretation. “It’s a hands-on way to learn about history.”
Scrub clothes on an old-fashioned washboard, pick up an old iron or participate in one of the traditional pioneer weddings that will be celebrated at the farms in June. Or, catch an 1870s baseball game with rules that include no mitts, no cussin’ and no spittin’ in June and July. There’s even an 1876 re-created town called Walnut Hill with active businesses where people dress in authentic period attire. You can sign up for a historic skills class at Living History Farms, but plan ahead. Because of their authenticity, classes are limited in size. Check out upcoming events and dates on the Living History Farms website at lhf.org.
PRESERVING HEIRLOOMS
In the northeast corner of Iowa, just outside the city of Decorah, you’ll find Seed Savers Exchange. The nearly 900-acre farm works to preserve America’s food crops and gardens by collecting, growing, saving and storing heirloom seeds. It has a collection of more than 20,000 varieties of plants.
Start at the visitors center and explore Seed Savers’ history. Wander the shop where you can buy seeds, garden tools and books, among other products. Hike the trails or fish in the trout stream. Best of all, linger in the gorgeous display gardens and orchard with more than 900 varieties of apple trees.
Don’t miss the library which houses 6,000 volumes on agriculture, horticulture and biodiversity, some dating back to the 16th century. If you can’t make the trip, shop for seeds online or learn how to save your own at seedsavers.org. You’ll find a handy list of events, classes and hours of operation there, too.
About 8 miles north of Seed Savers Exchange is Laura Ingalls Wilder Park and Museum. When the author was 9, her family moved there to help a friend manage the Masters Hotel. This is her only childhood home still on its original site.
Stop in the visitors center across the street, the restored Burr Oak Savings Bank, to register for the guided tour (lasting about an hour) of the hotel where her family lived and worked from 1876 to 1877. While at the center, walk through the bank’s original vault, hear stories of the county’s first robbery, read Laura’s letters to fans and browse in the gift shop.
You may want to join the Laura Days Celebration in June (check online at lauraingallswilder.us for dates) for children’s pioneer games, food, a parade and crafts. Or dress up in pioneer costumes for a coveredwagon photo as a souvenir of your trip.
Wherever you wander in Iowa, through prairie grasslands or sites that honor the past, you’ll be walking in the footsteps of those pioneers who paved the way for the thriving agriculture and traditions thoughtfully preserved by the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area.