Historic Reconstruction of Stone Cloumns.

 Just got back from a week on the road with Marty.  Mart bid the reconstruction job on two of  the stone/log  entry portals  just off highway 30 as you enter the state park.


 Palisades-Kepler State Park lies along the beautiful Cedar River in Linn County. The 840-acre park has dramatic river bluffs, deep ravines, majestic hardwood trees, a large variety of wildflowers and an abundance of wildlife. Palisades-Kepler State Park is also important for its prehistoric past. A molar tooth of a mammoth was once found here and the exposed rocks along the Cedar River are laden with fossils of millions of years of history. The presence of Indian mounds reminds us that this was a favorite haunt of Native Americans hundreds of years ago.





 Last spring a car entering the park crashed into one of the stone columns and knocking off the logs.


 

 In July 1934, a Civilian Conservation Corps company was established at Palisades-Kepler. Three barracks and a mess hall were built; then, work started on the building of many park facilities. The roads, hiking trails, entry portals, lodge and other timber and stone structures remain to give the park much of its rustic character. The C.C.C. camp of 200 young men closed in 1941.











 So, we got right to work salvaging stone from the columns and doing some puzzle work trying to piece it back together.  After building the stone addition with random rock pieces this project was a piece of cake.  Working with cut stone was a real pleasure and I really enjoyed it.

 The end column all blocked and ready to tuck point.

Marty looks over the final stone work.   Anchor rods installed and lined up along with all the  tuck pointing.  We'll do the log work next week as just a one day project.