On a cold winter day in January of 2007 the high line that crosses Milford Township looks much the same as it did when it was constructed in 1948. One of the few differences is the obvious lack of fences. This view is looking west from the north-south road (S-14) on the east border of Milford Twp. The Loren Book farm is to the immediate left of the line and is two miles away. Milford Twp School is barely visible, three miles away, in the left side of the photo. When news of the possible construction of this highline was announced in 1946 or early 1947, there was speculation that the line would be placed with one pole north and one south of the half section fence line and thereby causing less trouble for the farmer to farm around the poles. However, when the leases were presented, it was soon discovered the intention was to place both poles on the south side of the half section line that included Secs 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 across Milford Twp. The leases, which provided Iowa Light and Power Company with a 36 foot wide strip of land, were signed in the fall and early winter of 1947 and the construction was in 1948. The line crosses Milford Twp in straight east west direction a half mile north of the Milford School and, at the time, was to connect Marshalltown to Boone. Update on page 339.
The north south pipeline was installed in the summer of 1931. Picture and story in Chapter VII, page 281.
