Amana Colonies - Iowa

The history of the Amana Colonies which was the longest living communal society in America, began in 1714 Germany. This National Historic Landmark continues today in Iowa. In 1714 JF Rock and EL Gruber founded a religious group called the Community of True Inspiration. Their belief is God speaks through prophets with emphases on bible study, reflection, and humility. The Inspirationist beliefs attracted many followers. In Germany they declined military duty and refused to send children to church-run schools. This caused severe conflict between church and government. Consequently, they were subject to fines, imprisonment, and public beatings.

With the threat of persecution and economic depression the community was forced to search for a new home. In September 1842 a committee led by Christian Metz travelled to America to search for land. They purchased 5,000 acres near Buffalo in western New York naming their community the Ebenezer Society. By1846, a constitution was adopted thereby establishing the community as a permanent communal society.

Due to a growing need for more land to feed the increasing community, they looked to Iowa where farmland was cheaper and more fertile. In 1855 the leaders purchased 26,000 acres, and chose the name Amana meaning "remain true". Six villages (Amana, East Amana, West Amana, South Amana, High Amana, and Middle Amana)were established within very close proximity of each other. Homestead village was added in 1861 thereby giving the colony access to the railroad.

All residents in the villages received a home, medical care, meals, household necessities, and schooling for children. The production of wool and farming supported the communities. All resources were shared, no wages were received. Men and women were assigned jobs by the village council. Communal kitchens which were operated by women provided 3 meals daily plus mid morning and mid afternoon snacks. Inspirationists attended church in quiet worship 11 times per week. Churches were located in the center of each village. Kids attended school year round 6 days per week until they were 14 years of age. Girls were then assigned to communal kitchens or gardens, boys to the fields or craft houses.

Faced with mounting debts and youth rebellion in 1932, Amana Colonies stepped away from communal living to seek a different way of life. The Amana Society Inc a for profit sharing corporation was established to manage the farmland, mills, and large businesses. The Amana Church Society continues as the religious foundation of the Amanas today.

Enticed by this amazing history we ventured out on a driving tour to see these villages. Yesterday we walked Amana and saw numerous old building with historic significance. The Amana Heritage Museum was our first stop. It provided an amazing film that documented history and life in the early Amana villages.

Amana

Amana Heritage Museum

Christian Metz House built in 1857

Middle Amana

Between 1885 and 1889 the colonists built a 7 mile long canal(race) to divert water from the Iowa River to water wheels. This race provided water power for two textile mills and a flour mill. Lily Lake was formed when there was a break at Mill Race Levy in 1880 causing flooding of over 170 acres. The lake served as a source of ice and recreational activities for the colonists. The lake gets its name from the yellow American Lotus Lilies that bloom July to end August. Today the lake is only 3 feet at it's deepest.

Lily Lake

Middle Amana Woolen Mill was built in 1867 and provided  a key source of revenue for the Amana Society. The mill operated until 1937 when it proved to be no longer viable. This factory later became home to Amana Refrigeration. Today the only recognizable part of the original Middle Amana Woolen Mill is the tall smoke stack.

Each village had it's own church but this one in Middle Amana was home for the Amana Church Society. Men and women are separated during the church service entering through different entrances. The church buildings had no steeples, no ornamentation, were very similar to other buildings in the village with the exception of size, and had plain scrubbed pine benches.

Today church services are held in English and German

This Copper Shop in Middle Amana is the only surviving cooper shop in all the Amana Colonies. They made all the tubs, barrels, and wagon wheels for the village.

Cooper Shop

High Amana

Each of the seven villages had their own General Store. The store provided extras for members of the community and some essentials for neighbouring farmers.

High Amana General Store

Each village has its own cemetery and members were buried in the village where they lived. It is believed in Amana faith that all people are equal, everyone received the same burial, a plain wooden casket, and a church funeral . The headstone had their name, age, and date of death.

High Amana Village Cemetery

South Amana

The farms in the Amana colonies produced oats, wheat, and rye for local consumption and sale on the market. This granary is the only one with brick exterior walls reflecting a large brickyard in the village. Today, the granary is a private residence.

South Amana Granary

West Amana

West Amana was laid out in 1856 as the second Amana village. Each village had a blacksmith and wagon shop. This blacksmith shop continued to operate until 1960's.

West Amana Blacksmith Shop

Homestead

The Homestead hotel was originally built in 1862  to serve the needs of travelers on the Rock Island Railroad. Following a fire in 1890 it was rebuilt and was one of four hotels located in the Amanas. It remained a hotel until it was purchased from the Amana Society. 

Homestead Hotel

The entire driving tour took us most of the morning and some of the early afternoon. I had no idea this community was here and the history is amazing. Well worth the visit to Amana Iowa. Here are few more pics of local Amana buildings.

Thirteen Stripped Ground Squirrel

Frogtoberfest - Amana, Iowa

Since becoming Forest River product owners, we have tried to take advantage of events they sponsor. This time it's Frogtoberfest, in Amana Iowa from 3-6 October 2024. The prices are usually very reasonable plus you meet new people all who belong to the Forest River Owners Group hence FROG. This event coincides with the town of Amana's Oktoberfest so there should be no shortage of fun and exciting things to see and do. We arrived in Amana on Thursday. After setting up a meet and greet was held. This is where we picked up our packet which detailed the weekend events.  

The original Oktoberfest started in Munich, Germany as a wedding celebration for King Ludwig 1 and Princess Therese in 1810. The event consisted of food, beer, music, and dancing which continued for several weeks. The Amana Oktoberfest came to fruition in 1965 when the idea was proposed for a fun raising event. The event was so successful they held it again the next year, this time it included a parade. Fast forward to 2024 and once again the town has gone all out for a massive Oktoberfest celebration. 

Friday morning we started the weekend celebrations in town, seeing and listening to all the sights and sounds. Warned about limited parking we opted for the free shuttle leaving the truck parked at the campsite. 

Tickets are $15 for one day or $20 for the two day event

Festhalle Barn is where all the bands, music, drinking, and dancing happens

Getting into the spirit of Oktoberfest...we had a great time

Later that evening some FROG events took place including a potluck dinner, camper crawl, and bonfire .

Saturday was another free day to travel into town for more Oktoberfest celebrations. We opted to sightsee the surrounding area but more on that in my next blog. Later that evening the catered dinner, cake cutting, raffle draw, and cornhole tournament took place. 

All in all it was a great time. We met some amazing people who we shared great conversations and stories with. When we decided to make the trip to Amana we had no idea the area was so rich in history. It definitely did not disappoint. Another great event in the books.

Indiana Dunes National & State Park, Chesterton Indiana

Visited: 1 - 3 October 2024

Nights Stayed: 2 nights

We left home on route to Amana, Iowa but our first stop was Indiana, an area known for it's 45 miles of pristine shoreline along Lake Michigan. Also well known in the area is Indiana Dunes State Park (which is where we are camping) and Indiana Dunes National Park.

Firstly, Indiana Dunes State Park is surrounded by Indiana Dunes National Park. The state park consists of over 2,100 acres of beautiful pristine and historic landscape. In the early 1900 the area was recognized for its potential thereby being established as a state park in 1925. Large sand dunes located beyond the shoreline have taken thousands for years to form.

The state park which is open year round has a campground with 140 campsites offering both primitive or sites with power. The visitors center has natural and historic displays, an area for observing birds and other critters. The park also offers more than 16 miles of hiking and biking trails.

Our campsite #36

Visitors Center

Large sand dunes

Beautiful Lake Michigan

Beautiful Lake Michigan sunsets

Indiana Dunes National Park, a federally administered park consists of over 15,170 acres and spans across 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. The NP is located about 50 miles southeast of Chicago. It was established as a national lakeshore in 1966 but renamed as a national park in 2019.

The NP campground consists of 66 unserviced campsites and modern restrooms with hot and cold showers. It is open from 1 April to 1 November and closed during winter months. With over 50 miles of trails there is an opportunity to explore this ever changing landscape. In many area the huge living or moving dunes are slowly being blown inland burying the forests as they go.

Mount Baldy Beach Trail

Hike Time: .75 miles, 75 feet of elevation gain, about 1 hour

Mount Baldy is 126 feet above the water level of Lake Michigan and is moving inland at a rate of between 4-7 feet per year. The beach sand on the dunes moves when the prevailing northwest wind exceeds 11 km per hour. Because there is no sand collecting on the waters edge this worsens the movement of Mount Baldy. Beach erosion takes away more sand from Mount Baldy than the waves are bringing in. Much of this is caused due to the breakwall built for Michigan City Harbour. The Army Corp of Engineers began feeding the beach in 1974 to try and correct the effects of the breakwall.

Aerial View of Mount Baldy courtesy of NPS

The Mount Baldy Trail Hike in an out and back trail considered to be a moderately challenging route. The trail features a staircase at the start and sweeping views of Lake Michigan near the end. Walking down to the beach on loose sand was a test but coming back up was where the challenge was.

Bailly Homestead, Chellberg Farm, and Cemetery Trail Loop

Hike time:1.6 miles, 2.5 kms 1.5 hours

The Chellberg Farm was established by Anders and Johanna Chellberg whom moved from Sweden to this area in 1863. In 1869 they purchased 40 acres of land thereby creating the homestead. In 1874 an additional 40 acres was added. The brick farmhouse was built in 1885 after the wood framed house was destroyed by fire 1884. They were the first of 3 generations to live on this land. 

Continuing along the trail we found the Bailly Homestead which was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962. This was the home of French Canadian fur trader Joseph Bailly from 1774-1835 who was one of the earliest settlers in northern Indiana. Bailly was an independent fur-trader who's business spread from Montreal to Louisiana. 

The Bailly Cemetery is located 3/4 miles away from the homestead on the edge of a sandy ridge. In 1827 Joseph Bailly chose this area for the resting place of his young son. The entire Bailly family is interred in this cemetery.

A Century of Progress - 1933 World's Fair Homes

I bet you are wondering what Indiana Dunes National Park and the 1933 World's Fair has in common...well let me tell you the story. In 1933 the World's Fair which was held in Chicago was called the Century of Progress. It was meant to offer people who were in midst of the Great Depression hope through futuristic changes. The houses were built in such a way they demonstrated modern architectural design, experimental materials, and new technologies such as central air conditioning and dishwashers. In 1935 real estate developer Robert Bartlett bought 5 homes from the homes and industrial arts exhibit at the world's fair. Four of these homes were transported via barge to their new location across Lake Michigan to Beverly Shores, a resort community he was developing. The fifth house was dismantled, trucked to Beverly Shores where it was reassembled. Today, the structures are leased by Indiana Landmarks from the National Park Service, then subleased to people who have restored them in exchange for long-term leases.

The Florida Tropical House was the only state sponsored Century of Progress home, it was commissioned by the state of Florida to lure tourists to "the Sunshine State". The centerpiece of the house is the two-storey living room with an overhanging balcony. The original residence cost $15,000 to build.

The Armco-Ferro House was manufactured for $4,500 by Insulated Steel Inc for American Rolling Mill Company(ARMCO) and the Ferro Enamel Corporation. This was the first to be constructed using frameless steel construction and an exterior of vitreous enamel. It only took five days to construct the 2,400 square foot from prefabricated panels. This home could be mass produced and also be affordable for an American family.

The Wieboldt-Rostone House showcased an exciting new building material that "never needed repairs". The material composed of limestone, shale, and alkali. However, the lake effects of snow, wind, and rain proved to be to much for the Rostone causing severe deterioration by the 1950's. The Rostone has subsequently been covered with Perma-stone, a popular concrete stucco.

The Cypress Log Cabin was unlike the other ultra-modern homes made of steel, stone, and glass, it showcased cypress logs which are resistance to water and decay. The architect  showed the wood's versatility and durability by incorporating cypress siding, shakes, structural timbers, walls, flooring, and furniture.

The House of Tomorrow's first floor was designed as a service area, originally containing the garage and an airplane hangar. The second and third floors clad in glass contained the main living spaces and a solarium. Because of the floor to ceiling windows the heat loss during the winter months was negated by the solar heat gain reducing the need for mechanical heating. However, the heat gain during the summer months was too great for the air-conditioning and it failed. When Bartlett moved the building he replaced the windows with operating ones to allow air-flow.   

Indiana Dunes State Park and National Park did not disappoint. With the copious trails to hike, the beautiful beach to walk, the numerous historic buildings to explore, and to end the days with gorgeous sunsets to enjoy, we will make this place a regular stop.

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