bluffparkmontroseia.html

Bluff Park in Montrose holds colorful history, now private residences

True to its name, the area once known as Bluff Park sits atop the river bluffs just south of Montrose. Driving out of town on Middle Road, the now residential neighborhood is along a gravel road toward the river at the top of the hill. Houses of various vintage and size take advantage of the panoramic river view of the Mississippi River and Nauvoo, Ill., on the opposite shore. We've been doing some research, said Chatfield, who with her husband, Roger, spends countless hours finding and collecting Montrose history, photos, news clippings and stories. Montrose once was served by its own train depot and steamboat landing. Bluff Park was full of trees and caught the breezes. The Methodist Church of Iowa bought the land and there is mention of a tabernacle in 1884, said Chatfield. The church sponsored camp meetings or revivals, Chautauqua and the main meeting building (or tabernacle) looked similar to a large gazebo or carousel with a permanent roof but open-air sides. The roads around the bluff were named after biblical places and personalities, such as Jerico Road.

People would come for a Chautauqua and stay overnight in tents.

In 1897 Charlie Grigg bought the land with the intent of making it a resort and amusement park.

The resort really never took off, said Roger Chatfield. But it did serve as an amusement park for a number of years. There was a large dance hall that later became a skating rink. I remember as a small child watching my older brothers skate there. It must have lasted until the 1940s sometime. One fellow we've talked to said his favorite memories were going to Bluff Park for the day. Admission was 10 cents. There was a centrally-located tub of lemonade with a dipper. Folks could drink all the lemonade they wanted for free. The Chatfields are still in the early stages of finding the history of Bluff Park and its various uses. They have compiled a loose-leaf notebook with copies of articles written throughout the past century. They have copies of dozens of photos, a pamphlet completed in 1919, Facts About Bluff Park, A Mississippi River Summer Resort, and a 1915 Chautauqua program. The Montrose Library has been a good source, said Mary Sue. As with other historical research, the Chatfields and MRI welcome any contributions of memorabilia and memories about Bluff Park. There have been GAR (Grand Army of the Republic - the northerners in the U.S. Civil War) reunions, cottage rentals during the (Keokuk) dam construction and rodeos held at Bluff Park,� said Mary Sue Chatfield. It has a breathtaking view,� added Roger. �There was a good water supply. An artesian well was up there. We've found different references to its depth, one going as deep as 1,800 feet. During its time as an amusement park and before the dam was built, there were excursion boats to take people out to small islands offshore. Snag Lake was on one of the islands and people could rent boats to go on the lake. The train ran through Keokuk, stopped at Montrose and went on to Fort Madison and beyond. Of course, the train also ran south, too. Articles housed at the MRI museum in Montrose refer to gypsies traveling through near the end of summer and groceries and ice were delivered to residents on the bluffs. Sheaffer Pen held its annual employee picnic at Bluff Park for a number of years. The park had croquet and tennis courts.

A footbridge used to connect Bluff Park with Lookout Camp across a ravine.

At one time Bluff Park was a very popular resort. People would come from Illinois, Missouri, and other parts of Iowa to visit this resort. Some families would come for a one or two week vacation with others spending a whole summer. This resort was not only for vacationers, but was also a site for many important meetings. There were restaurants, a dining hall, and dance hall. Bluff Park also had its own railroad station on the narrow flat beside the river where special trains discharged crowds of delegates and visitors.To get up to the park you could either walk up the steep hill or you could pay 25 cents to be hauled up by a hack. Admission to the park was a dime. With the admission there was a barrel of cold lemonade with tin cups hanging beside it for visitors to drink till they were full.

CREDITS: Montrose Library--Photocopies submitted by Postal Mail. I know not furthur credits. This site is educational-non-commercial. I see one note of : Diane Vance--Gate City Staff Writer