Route Inspection Ride: Day 4 – Indianola to Chariton

What a gorgeous day!  It was 70 degrees, sunny and a nice tailwind straight out of the north.  What else could one ask for?  It was the antithesis of yesterday. 

The Route Inspection Riders were joined by a police escort courtesy of the Indianola Police Department and Tim Mulcahy, who is the lead mentor for the Dream Team.  Tim is from Ottumwa and plans to ride tomorrow as well to his hometown.  If you haven’t heard of the Dream Team, they are a group of 13-18 year olds from Des Moines who train for RAGBRAI and life.  To learn more about the Dream Team, visit their web site at www.dreamteamdsm.org.

The ride from Indianola to Chariton should be one of the easier days of the week.  On paper, it is one of the shortest and easiest days in RAGBRAI history.  It is just 44.6 miles and just over 2,000 feet of climb.  Of course a stiff southern wind could change that “gimme” day into a tough one.  

The ride travels through some small towns and unincorporated hamlets producing some spectacular scenery.

Here are some facts and points of interest from each town. 

Ackworth, Iowa

This Warren County community with a population of 85 people will be the first town you hit after leaving Indianola.  The Ackworth Friends Church will be serving tasty breakfast treats and beverages. The historic Bundy’s Mill marker is located across the street from the church.  The original burrs from the Sawmill and Gristmill from 1855 lay at the marker.

Ackworth has hosted RAGBRAI just once before, the last time was during RAGBRAI XXV on the ride from Des Moines to Chariton.

Sandyville, Iowa

Located in Warren County, Sandyville has a population of 61 people and is the smallest incorporated town on the RAGBRAI route this year.  The community was once a booming town with several businesses, a post office, court house and three churches.

Sandyville put into effect the oldest ordinance on record today.  In April of 1920, an ordinance was enacted making it a misdemeanor and fine for any who rolls dice in the town.  The fine was $1.

The RAGBRAI festivities will take place at the Community Center.

Sandyville has never hosted RAGBRAI before.

Milo, Iowa (Meeting Town)

The coming of a railroad was known to make a town succeed. In the case of Milo, the railroad gave it life and at the same time dealt a death blow to two neighboring towns, Schonberg and Hammondsburg.

This town of 839 people has a beautiful park with a bandshell, pavilion and plenty of shade trees. Milo also boasts one of the most memorable downtowns in Iowa as a large gazebo sits in the center of the main streets of their downtown.  There are plenty of restaurants and taverns to enjoy.

Milo has hosted RAGBRAI just once before, the last time was during RAGBRAI XXV on the ride from Des Moines to Chariton.

Lacona, Iowa

Lacona, a small town of 360 people, was founded in 1856 by Willis Clevenger and Samuel Myers.  Lacona was incorporated in 1881 and is one of the oldest towns in Warren County.  The town has always been a farming community and the rolling hills and land surrounding Lacona still provide food, employment, and a way of life for many people.

The Willis Log Cabin was built by William and Martin Willis in 1846 in White Breast Township, two miles east of Lacona.  The cabin, uncovered in 1980 when the house built around it was being torn down, was dismantled and numbered, log by log, and stored in a shed. 

In 1995, the Lacona Development Corporation began plans to re-erect the cabin in town as an historical site.  Land was donated, plans were drawn up, fund raisers were held, and grants were applied for.  Work on the cabin began in 1996, starting with pouring the footings and a block foundation, and continues today with plans to finish the second floor and add protective shutters for the windows.  Most of the original and on-going work has been done by local volunteers.

The Willis Log Cabin has been furnished with donated vintage pieces and will be open for visitors to enjoy on the day RAGBRAI comes to visit.

Rudy’s Rendezvous restaurant, originally built in 1888 as a general store, is the oldest business building still being used today.  Rudy and Jan Wadle, owners, have filled the building with Lacona memorabilia and antiques. 

Many homes in Lacona were built in 1900-1910, and some are still occupied by descendants of the original owners.  Also several farms surrounding the community have been designated by the State of Iowa as Century Farms, meaning they have been owned by the same family for over 100 years. 

Lacona has hosted RAGBRAI three previous times, the last was during RAGBRAI XXXI on the ride from Osceola to Oskaloosa.

Oakley, Iowa

Located in Lucas County, Oakley is an unincorporated town between Lacona and Chariton.  The good folks in Oakley, in conjunction with the Grace Baptist Church of Chariton, will be handing out free slices of watermelon and free water bottles filled with ice-cold water while supplies last.  Stop by and say hello.

Oakley has never hosted RAGBRAI before.

Chariton, Iowa

From the time the first covered wagons filled with Mormon settlers rolled across Lucas County in the 1840s, transportation has played an important role in Chariton’s growth and development. That’s why the town selected “Got Wheels!” as the theme of this year’s RAGBRAI celebration. From railroad cars to Amish buggies, from motorcycle rides to the Cinder Path bike trail (Iowa’s first rails-to-trails conversion), from Hy-Vee semi trucks to Old Betsy, our historic steam fire engine … if it involves wheels, it has a place in the fabric of life here in Chariton.

This town of 4,573 people will have RAGBRAI activities spread out all over town.  Most of the camping will be on the north side of town with the main campground at Northwest Park, many of the clubs and teams will be at the Middle School and the hospital grounds will serve as the quiet campground. 

Hairball, a Minneapolis-based rock band, will headline the evening entertainment on the Johnson Machine Works Mainstage.  Billed as the “ultimate ’80s rock impersonation act,” Hairball is new to the RAGBRAI stage, but is no stranger to playing to large crowds in Iowa.

“From the outset, we knew Hairball would provide the type of fun, high-energy show we wanted for RAGBRAI,” said Shantel Dow, Chariton RAGBRAI entertainment chair.  Hairball’s show has been described as “twenty concerts rolled into one non-stop performance.”

The band’s frontmen, Rockstar Bob and Kris Voxx, impersonate the rock legends of the 1980s, donning wigs and elaborate costumes and bringing new characters to the stage every five to 10 minutes. Fans of ’80s rock will be treated to recreations of Kiss, Bon Jovi, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, AC/DC, Journey, Ozzy Osbourne and a dozen more of the era’s most popular bands.

During the afternoon hours, the Youth Stage at the Chariton Vredenburg Aquatic Center will rock to the sounds of local band Unsilenced and performers Alyssa Bittner, Kaylee Jones, Leah Dow, Elissa Black, Autumn Storm and Alexis Curran. The Youth Stage and other activities at the aquatic center are being sponsored by Lucas County Health Center.

A number of other acts are scheduled to perform on the square during the afternoon and early evening hours as Hairball sets up its elaborate stage for the 8 p.m. show.  Among those tentatively slated to appear are the Chariton Drill Team, In Motion Dance, Dale Blue and One Lone Car.

Chariton has hosted RAGBRAI once before during RAGBRAI XXV.

Day 5 – Thursday, June 4

We hope for another beautiful day. We look forward to seeing a few riders from Chariton including Dave Hendricks from the Connecticut Yankee Pedaller bike shop. Tune in tomorrow for another report from the Route Inspection Ride!

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