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Information provided by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources _ Standing on a vista overlooking the expansive Cayler Prairie, it’s easy to imagine bison – the icon of the open prairie – at home on this historic area. The 1,200-acre rolling prairie complex in Dickinson County, a short three miles west of West Okoboji Lake,…

The oldest YMCA camp in Iowa Camp Foster YMCA is the oldest YMCA camp in Iowa. Under the name Iowa YMCA Camp, Camp Foster was started in 1912 in Iowa Falls by Leonard Paulson. Paulson, Secretary of the Iowa YMCA, enlisted the help of Thomas Foster in finding a permanent site for the camp. In…

Historical information provided by Daughters of the American Revolution _ The family of Joel Howe and his wife and six children were murdered by the Spirit Lake massacre marauders. The cabin was located on the east shore of East Okoboji Lake, about four miles distance from the Gardner site. The marker is placed on the…

Wetland complexes of this size and diversity give us an idea of how the prairie pothole region may have looked and functioned when Euro-American settlers first came to Northwest Iowa. This site is one of the largest Waterfowl Production Areas in the state. This vast complex has lake, marsh and upland areas that are home…

Historical information provided by Jonathan Reed. _ OKOBOJI’S FORGOTTEN TRAPSHOOTING MASTER Trapshooters Fred ‘Dood’ Gilbert and Johnny Jahn…those are familiar names in the area, and deservedly so. But did you know there was another? Charles W. Budd of Des Moines is now largely forgotten, but he was once an unstoppable force among trapshooters in the…