IAGenWeb ~ Decatur County IA ~ Nine Eagles State Park,

 

 

Decatur County, Iowa

Part of the IAGenWeb Project

          

Homes
Contact Us
Decatur Co. Files:
Biographies
Cemeteries
Census Records
Churches
Courthouse Records
Family Pages
History Pages
Maps
Military Pages
Obituaries
Photographs
Queries
Schools
Surnames
Vital Records
This site is supported by
Friends of IAGenWeb

Search Decatur County's Site
site search by freefind advanced

 

Nine Eagles State Park

The first postoffice kept [in Hamilton Township] was established in 1849 and was named Nine Eagles. The first postmaster was Allen Scott. Allen Scott, one of the first settlers in Decatur County, was an Indian agent and operated a trading post, post office and mill near what is now Nine Eagles State Park. The mail was brought by way of Princeton, Missouri. . . .When the postoffice was moved from Allen Scott's place to Pleasanton in 1858 the old name Nine Eagles was retained for several years.

SOURCE: Howell, Prof. J.M. & Smith, Heman C., Supervising Editors. "History of Decatur County and Its People" Volume I. Chapt. IV. Hamilton Twp Before the War. Pp. 37-8. S. J. Clarke Pub. Co. Chicago IL. 1915.

Oral legend that has been handed down through the generations was that the name Nine Eagles derived from the first white settlers observing nine eagles roosting in the trees within the area. ~ SRB

The second branch [of the RLDS Church] to be organized [in Iowa] was in the Nine Eagles area that was settled by many "Mormons" or Latter Day Saints who choose not to follow any of the factions of the church after the death of the founder, Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1844 at Nauvoo, IL. Two missionaries of what came to be known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, W. W. Blair and E. C. Briggs, came across southern Iowa in 1859 contacting LDS members and telling them of the "New Organization" that was forming.

The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) was formally organized April 6, 1860 under the leadership of the son of the founder, Joseph Smith, III.

NOTE: The RLDS Church is now known as Community of Christ.

SOURCE: Community of Christ Archives

The Lamoni Chronicle
Lamoni, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, September 01k 1941, Page 1

WORK AT LAKE AWAITS A CCC CAMP IN AREA
Decatur County Has First Priority On CCC Camp for Nine Eagles -
All Preliminary Work Done

A request has been entered by the State Conservation Commission for a CCC camp in the area of the proposed state lake and park "Nine Eagles" in Decatur county but due to recent cuts in CCC camps it will not be possible to have a camp available for any development work in the Nine Eagles area at this time, according to V. W. Flickinger, chief of the lands and waters division.

Mr. Flickinger says, "Under present conditions it is doubtful whether a camp will be available for some time to do any work at Nine Eagles, however, the development of that area is on first priority so far as work is concerned. The first available camp, if CCC continues, will be scheduled for the Decatur county area."

"Due to the serious emergency facing the country it is difficult to get materials for any construction work at this time," he continues.

However, there has been an appropriation made for the lake and park and a crew of men has been at work at the lake site drilling to the rock for purpose of locating proper footing for the dam. All preliminary work is being done so that when a camp is assigned there will be no delay in work.

NOTE: Dr. Scott and Harold Rush were the prime movers for getting "Nine Eagles Park" underway. In the 1960's there was an organization called "Friends of Nine Eagles" which promoted the park and raised funding for it's construction.

Rugged wooded hills and valleys abundant with oak trees makes Nine Eagles one of southern Iowa's most scenic parks. The park has some trees which are more than 300 years old. Visitors enjoy six miles of bridle and nine miles of hiking trails, swimming at the sandy beach, pleasant camping areas and shaded picnic spots with tables and fireplaces scattered throughout the 1,100-acre park.

Plants native to the area flourish and provide excellent cover for birds and wildlife. White-tailed deer can be seen almost every morning and evening along the park roads. Waterfowl are a common sight along the lakeshore.

There are 3 campgrounds with 68 campsites (28 with electrical hookups), modern showers, rest rooms and a trailer dump station. Seven primitive equestrian campsites are offered and include fire rings and pit toilets. Starting February 13, 2006 advance campsite reservations can be booked through the park reservation system. Half of the campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

In the 1960's, Harry Graves and Milt Henderson used to hold 4-H Day Camp for the younger kids. Many Decatur County kids have fond memories of taking a pedal-boat out on the lake.

 

Transcriptions & compilation by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2017