Population: 11,233
Climb: 1,283 feet
Mileage: 62.6
Weather forecast: NNW wind 14MPH , High 83/low 56, clear
RAGBRAI history: Fifth overnight visit, previous ones were in 1979, 1990, 1999 and 2007
Climb: 1,283 feet
Mileage: 62.6
Weather forecast: NNW wind 14MPH , High 83/low 56, clear
RAGBRAI history: Fifth overnight visit, previous ones were in 1979, 1990, 1999 and 2007
Spencer Iowa is home of the Clay County Fair every September, averaging 300,000 visitors a year.
The campground was noisy last night, and I didn't get much sleep but felt somewhat rested. I was super achy from my 13 hour drive to Iowa, 6 hour bus ride across the state, and a night of camping on the ground. Ugh. I rose at 5AM, showered, packed and took down my tent. Then I grabbed some complimentary coffee and a cinnamon bun. I deposited my 2 duffels at the 18 wheelers, right next to my tent, that would transport my stuff to Spencer. They have two shiny new trucks this year, one red and one blue to divide the bags, piles and crowds in half at the campground.
I grabbed my water, helmet, gloves, maps, sunscreen and snacks and began my 62 mile ride at 6am as the sun rose. Big mistake! I have never ridden in a crowd before, and as the hard core Spandex crowd whizzed past me saying "on your left", I was white knuckling it for the first hour or so until the crowd thinned out and I found my rhythm. Today's pass through towns and mileage in between were as follows:
Orange City to Alton – 3.0 miles
Alton to Granville – 7.0 miles
Granville to Paullina – 9.6 miles
Paullina to Primghar – 10.0 miles
Primghar to Hartley – 14.0 miles
Hartley to Spencer – 19.0 miles
Alton was the first town after leaving Orange City, less than 4 miles down the road. Here you will find St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the oldest, neo-gothic church this west of the Mississippi. It features the largest square footage of stained glass in the nation. The Alton Library/Museum has a miniature replica of Alton from the 1880s to the 1930s. Alton has a population of 1,200 and was a great first stop for my RAGBRAI adventure. I took a look and kept on peddling... another 7 miles to be exact.
I then breezed through Granville, population 316, named for English explorer Richard Grenville. More food tents including... but I mostly just looked. It was crowded, so we had to get off our bikes and walk them through town. They’re known for what Will Whitmore calls “that black Iowa dirt,” the same fertile dirt that made Iowa the stop of choice for pioneering farmers back in the 1800s. Granville was founded in 1891 and just celebrated their 125th anniversary in June of 2016. Granville is also known for their annual softball tournament in July, and the annual St. Joseph Church picnic and car show in August. We had our second annual Mile of Silence between Granville and Paullina. This was a time to remember riders that RAGBRAI has lost over the years, not necessarily during the event!
Another 10 miles of peddling and I passed through Paullina, laid out in 1882 when the Chicago & Northwestern Railway was extended to that point. It was named for the Paullin brothers, who owned the town site. At some point in history, a Sioux City Journal dubbed Paullina the Gem of the Prairie. Things to do included searching for a giant glass diamond hidden along the route through town. John Deere tractors of every size and model were lined up on Main street. Note the huge silos!
Riders could explore the downtown area and learn first-hand about the theater and history display of Paullina’s greatest successes and most painful loss. Veterans are remembered and honored in Paullina. They were invited to sign a “wall” at the town's Veterans’ Memorial. In the heart of the food and drink there was a “Human foosball” table. A D.J. played music right in the middle of all of the activity and riders could rest in the shade in the park and listen to the music of Eli Dykstra, a 13-year-old musical phenom from Boyden. Other places to visit in Paullina included Old Market Antiques and Bock Suites with a variety of antiques in a 1903 renovated building. They had caramel pecan and cinnamon rolls for sale, as well as $1 dill pickles, fruit, muffins, breakfast burritos, ice cream, pie, smoothies, hot dogs, corn on the cob, chicken sandwiches, Gatorade and juice. Wonderland Movie Theatre is a renovated theater run by all volunteers.
Next town, after 10 miles, was Primghar, population 890, and named from the first letter of eight people who had a major part in platting the town: Pumphrey, Roberts, Inman, McCormack, Green, Hayes, Albright and Rerick. One historian wrote, "Probably the only case in Iowa, perhaps anywhere, where a bare spot of raw prairie was actually voted to be the county seat. I was starting to feel really tired here and decided to rest in the shade and eat. It has been 28 years since RAGBRAI visited the town of Primghar. This is the only Primghar in the world and it is the seat of O’Brien County. Primghar is also located in the exact center of O’Brien County. Interesting Sites include O’Brien County Courthouse celebratingits 100th year, Historic Downtown Square, Bill’s Cabin, Thompson Arms, Primghar Golf Course – voted best 9 hole course in Iowa, Jaycee’s Figure 8 Races, Home of O’Brien County Fair, Veteran’s Memorial, and a Skating Rink. I lay in the grass in the shade for 10 minutes, ate a banana and energy bar and took off.
Slightly revitalized, I climbed back on my bike for the 1.5 hour ride to Hartley, population 1700, established around 1880 and named for a Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway official. I was on remote control at this point, just peddling, but doing well on hills and not out of breath. On the way, I got a glass of pickle juice from a vendor in a corn field. Allegedly, it prevents muscle cramps, so I sucked down a 2nd glass for good measure.
This is the fourth time that Hartley has hosted RAGBRAI, and it has been 10 years since the last RAGBRAI visit.Hartley had about 16 vendors comprised of locals and veteran
RAGBRAI vendors like Tender Tom’s Turkey and 3 Blind Pigs BBQ. I aye a rurkey bratwurst. The town also featured three big beverage
gardens including the Volunteer Fire Department’s garden at the station,
the Legion’s garden and the StopLight’s garden.
The campground was noisy last night, and I didn't get much sleep but felt somewhat rested. I was super achy from my 13 hour drive to Iowa, 6 hour bus ride across the state, and a night of camping on the ground. Ugh. I rose at 5AM, showered, packed and took down my tent. Then I grabbed some complimentary coffee and a cinnamon bun. I deposited my 2 duffels at the 18 wheelers, right next to my tent, that would transport my stuff to Spencer. They have two shiny new trucks this year, one red and one blue to divide the bags, piles and crowds in half at the campground.
I grabbed my water, helmet, gloves, maps, sunscreen and snacks and began my 62 mile ride at 6am as the sun rose. Big mistake! I have never ridden in a crowd before, and as the hard core Spandex crowd whizzed past me saying "on your left", I was white knuckling it for the first hour or so until the crowd thinned out and I found my rhythm. Today's pass through towns and mileage in between were as follows:
Orange City to Alton – 3.0 miles
Alton to Granville – 7.0 miles
Granville to Paullina – 9.6 miles
Paullina to Primghar – 10.0 miles
Primghar to Hartley – 14.0 miles
Hartley to Spencer – 19.0 miles
Alton was the first town after leaving Orange City, less than 4 miles down the road. Here you will find St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the oldest, neo-gothic church this west of the Mississippi. It features the largest square footage of stained glass in the nation. The Alton Library/Museum has a miniature replica of Alton from the 1880s to the 1930s. Alton has a population of 1,200 and was a great first stop for my RAGBRAI adventure. I took a look and kept on peddling... another 7 miles to be exact.
I then breezed through Granville, population 316, named for English explorer Richard Grenville. More food tents including... but I mostly just looked. It was crowded, so we had to get off our bikes and walk them through town. They’re known for what Will Whitmore calls “that black Iowa dirt,” the same fertile dirt that made Iowa the stop of choice for pioneering farmers back in the 1800s. Granville was founded in 1891 and just celebrated their 125th anniversary in June of 2016. Granville is also known for their annual softball tournament in July, and the annual St. Joseph Church picnic and car show in August. We had our second annual Mile of Silence between Granville and Paullina. This was a time to remember riders that RAGBRAI has lost over the years, not necessarily during the event!
Another 10 miles of peddling and I passed through Paullina, laid out in 1882 when the Chicago & Northwestern Railway was extended to that point. It was named for the Paullin brothers, who owned the town site. At some point in history, a Sioux City Journal dubbed Paullina the Gem of the Prairie. Things to do included searching for a giant glass diamond hidden along the route through town. John Deere tractors of every size and model were lined up on Main street. Note the huge silos!
Riders could explore the downtown area and learn first-hand about the theater and history display of Paullina’s greatest successes and most painful loss. Veterans are remembered and honored in Paullina. They were invited to sign a “wall” at the town's Veterans’ Memorial. In the heart of the food and drink there was a “Human foosball” table. A D.J. played music right in the middle of all of the activity and riders could rest in the shade in the park and listen to the music of Eli Dykstra, a 13-year-old musical phenom from Boyden. Other places to visit in Paullina included Old Market Antiques and Bock Suites with a variety of antiques in a 1903 renovated building. They had caramel pecan and cinnamon rolls for sale, as well as $1 dill pickles, fruit, muffins, breakfast burritos, ice cream, pie, smoothies, hot dogs, corn on the cob, chicken sandwiches, Gatorade and juice. Wonderland Movie Theatre is a renovated theater run by all volunteers.
Next town, after 10 miles, was Primghar, population 890, and named from the first letter of eight people who had a major part in platting the town: Pumphrey, Roberts, Inman, McCormack, Green, Hayes, Albright and Rerick. One historian wrote, "Probably the only case in Iowa, perhaps anywhere, where a bare spot of raw prairie was actually voted to be the county seat. I was starting to feel really tired here and decided to rest in the shade and eat. It has been 28 years since RAGBRAI visited the town of Primghar. This is the only Primghar in the world and it is the seat of O’Brien County. Primghar is also located in the exact center of O’Brien County. Interesting Sites include O’Brien County Courthouse celebratingits 100th year, Historic Downtown Square, Bill’s Cabin, Thompson Arms, Primghar Golf Course – voted best 9 hole course in Iowa, Jaycee’s Figure 8 Races, Home of O’Brien County Fair, Veteran’s Memorial, and a Skating Rink. I lay in the grass in the shade for 10 minutes, ate a banana and energy bar and took off.
Some of the entertainment in Hartley included JamTime DJ and a three piece acoustic band. Things to see included the Soldier’s Monument, an 1891 monument constructed honoring veterans of the Civil War and the Cigar factory. In 1897, had two expert cigar makers and made well-known brands of cigars; License, Cuban Star, Virginia, and Defender. They were well known along the Milwaukee railroad. For years, the city held Corn Husking Contests with thousands of people in attendance. In 1941, the city won the state Corn Husking Championship with 30,000 attendees. The Patch Eeten Museum was constructed in 1896. The house has been completely restored on the interior and exterior. It has three floors with many antiques, Veterans Museum and Hand Hospital artifacts. The Pleasant View Cemetery has an American Gothic Style Chapel that has been completely restored with antiques within the building. Veterans Memorial is located on IA Highway 18 honoring many veterans.
With 20 miles and 2 hours to go on my first day of RAGBRAI, I was beat but holding strong to my amazement. I can do this! Along the way, I got sone fresh squeezed lemonade from a roadside stand and got the obligatory corn photo. I also stopped at Beekman's Farm to see them churn ice cream using old gas powered tractor engines. Very cool but the line to order was long, and I was exhausted, so I kept peddling.
My final leg ended in the overnight town of Spencer. I was a zombie after 9 hours of peddling! I'll include a bit more info on this town...
Interesting sites included the Adam-Higgens House – also referred to as the Higgen’s Mansion. This historic home in Spencer, is located at 1215 Grand Avenue and was built by J.Q. Adams, a local farmer, banker, and mayor. The house is architecturally unusual because it was built in 1884 as a late Victorian Style home and then in 1912 it was renovated with the addition of new-classical porches and roofline. The Adam-Higgen’s House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and is now a private residence.
The Parker House, located at 300 East Third St. is a 1916 Arts and Crafts period house containing artifacts from life in Clay County 100 years ago. The collection primarily dates from 1860-1950 and includes a rosewood piano, Victorian organ, Observatory time clock, and much more. Clay County Heritage Center is operated by the Parker Historical Society and has two galleries, archives, meeting rooms, a visitor’s center and museum offices.
Spencer was platted as a town in 1871. In 1859, George E. Spencer gave his name to the city of Spencer. Growth came with the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway was built in 1878. This cause the town to grow from a community of 300 people to a bustling town of 1,000. In 1871, Spencer was officially settled as the county seat of Clay County. The courthouse, built in 1901, still stands today.
Spencer's Famous Citizens:
General Michelle Johnson – 1977 Spencer High School graduate, became the first female superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Robert Suderburg – Composer, conductor, and pianist born in Spencer, January 28, 1936.
Richard L. Tierney – author and poet born in Spencer August 7, 1936.
Infamous Events:Fire of 1931 – On June 27, 1931, two small boys lit a sparkler in the Otto Bjornstad Drug Store, dropping it into a pile of sky rockets, firecrackers, Roman candles, Cherry bombs, and pin wheels. The resulting fire and blast moved from the Drug Store to buildings to the north and within minutes the flames, pushed by strong winds, sent embers to the east side of Main Street wiping out many businesses. The can-do spirit of Spencer flourished following the disaster and within months the downtown area was rebuilt in an architectural style known as “Art Deco”.
Strange Happenings:
According to Iowa Haunted Places, the story is told of a boy ice fishing on Moose Pond, south of Spencer, a very long time ago. As it was getting late, the boy started to pack up and as he was packing up, the ice broke and he fell into the 40 feet deep pond and drowned. The tale is, if you go down to the pond at 8:47pm on December 23rd, you can hear the thumping on the ice and the screams of a young child.
Interesting Buildings:
Clay County Agriculture Society – organized in 1879 and was significant to Spencer’s history. From this came the Clay County Fair Association in 1917 and since that time, the Clay County Fair has grown to one of the largest county fairs in the country. Over 320,000 attendees enjoy the fair during its nine day run each September, making it the largest tourism event in western Iowa and the second largest tourism event in the state of Iowa, behind the Iowa State Fair. Today, the Clay County Fair is not only one of the largest in the country, but is also billed as the largest agri-business fair in the U.S. and Canada, with over 30 acres of agriculture displays.
Spencer Notoriety:
On January 18, 1988 a kitten was dropped into the outdoor book return slot at the Spencer Public Library. The next morning, library staff and Librarian Vicky Myron found the kitten and quickly warmed him up and adopted him as the Library cat, naming him “Dewey”, after the Dewey decimal system. After many years of residence and pampering at the Spencer Public Library, Dewey died on November 26, 2006. Following his death, Vicki sat down and co-authored a book entitled “Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World,” in September of 2008. The book spent eight months in the top 10 of the New York Times best seller list, including a time at number one.
I lucked out and was assigned a last minute host in town, a nice woman named Dani, single mom and banker with a cute little house about a mile from the main campground. She's also hosting a group of 8 tent campers in her yard and an RV group! The campers were allowed to use her shower. I really was fortunate as a solo rider to be offered a bedroom and shower inside for the night! Wow. She was volunteering at the Fairground ALL day and evening, so I didn't even meet her. Welcome to Iowa where people give you their address and leave the door open for you, sight unseen! After locating my bags at the Ragbrai trucks at the County Fairground campground, I grabbed a few things for the night, got a BBQ sandwich from a vendor, and biked to my host's house a mile away. Once I showered I finished my blog and hit the sack at 8pm. Tomorrow is my hardest day at 72 miles!
The other Ragbrai campers slept in their tents at the World’s Greatest County Fairgrounds. Some took selfies in front of the iconic fairground towers at the entrance. Spencer Main Street is on the Register for Historic Districts, and on the route to the Riverfront District where some riders relaxed with nine holes of Frisbee golf. Riders looking for a few extra miles (no thanks!!) could make a loop on Spencer’s beautiful bike trails before stopping for wine and appetizers at the church turned restaurant, the Bear Wine Bar and Gary’s on the River. Riders could also stop at the Clay County Heritage Center and learn more about the history of the Spencer area, or go to the Spencer Aquatic Center and take a dip. Food vendors of all types were lined up along the fair’s “food row”. There was also a Giant Slide. Evening entertainment in town included 3 or 4 bands and a beer garden inside the fairgrounds. My tired bones didn't mind missing it.
After successfully completing my first day of RAGBRAI. I had to remind myself to take it all in and enjoy the scenery, people, town and food since I will likely never pass this way again. The small charter groups like Pork Belly Ventures where bags, beer gatfens entertainment, showers and tents with air mattresses await riders after a long day had nothing on my in-home accommodations! I felt lame and fatigued as I turned in this evening...day one of RAGBRAI was in the books and I rode every mile! Many newbies and people who didn't bother to train can't say that.
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