Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Sunday, 27 March 2011
A Sunday drive to the southern part of eastern Iowa confirms no more snow, abundant drying farmland and the annual migration of field equipment from storage to staging areas near agriculture production centers. Southwest of Washington, Iowa rising prominently above flat fields, the eagle-eye 42N team came upon this interesting structure (above.)
The tower and building look to be of military origin or avionic related. FAA mid-continental navigation aids are or formerly were located just of few miles north of this location near Hills, Iowa. On sunny days east and west bound commercial flights can be seen nearly overhead. Was this structure something related to that? If military in origin, what was the function of this fenced facility?
Turns out this now defunct tower's function was far more important than what appears to be a radio antenna. During the Cold War, the responsibility for the defense of the US skies was with the US Air Force. About sixty years ago the USAF began building a series of installations to form a permanent radar network. The main function of the Washington, Iowa site was to fill the northern gap of radar coverage emanating from the Kirksville, Missouri Air Force Station.Radar stations like the Washington, Iowa facility, like this USAF image (left) served as part of the Cold War defense program. Washington's mission as a warning station was to provide ground control intercept data to Kirksville. Washington, Iowa radar provided aircraft direction, speed, altitude information and whether the craft was deemed friendly or hostile.
Once the information was analyzed and a decision made, military aircraft scrambled to investigate unidentified or hostile craft. In the early part of the 1950s I imagine the go-to USAF interceptor was the F-86 Sabre, like this one from Ellsworth AFB in Rapids City, South Dakota. Sabres based around the Iowa-Missouri-Illinois region had the capability to zoom at a 687 mph maximum speed up to a 50,000 ft ceiling to find and engage hostile craft that dared enter Washington, Iowa airspace.
Today this rural situated tower may be a private radio operation. But more importantly, no passing Soviet MiGs were spotted over the Washington skies today either. Know that.
Today this rural situated tower may be a private radio operation. But more importantly, no passing Soviet MiGs were spotted over the Washington skies today either. Know that.
Sunday, 20 March 2011
During the past year or so the fate of Belle Plaine, Iowa's Lincoln Cafe was on hold pending a new owner and a top to bottom remodeling effort. The diner re-opened in November 2010.
This restaurant originally opened in 1925 catering to motorists on the famous transcontinental Lincoln Highway. In the above photo the highway can be seen on the right side running west and east. On Saturday the restaurant was full of folks eating their midday meal while a large private birthday party for a 92 year old town resident took place in a back room. It would be interesting to ask the party girl what she remembered of the diner and historic highway. But that had to wait, she was busy eating a red velvet cupcake. Know that.
Monday, 14 March 2011
Today's warm weather pulled the 42N team over a few counties to the east. In Jones County, Iowa the rural livestock residents took time from their mid-afternoon feeding to gaze upon us as we looked at them.
Other observations included these telltale signs of Spring - large new inventory at local John Deere dealers, muddy tire tracks on hard road surfaces, and the smell of wet earth. With one week before Spring begins the world observed here along the 42nd parallel corresponds to the calendar. Know that.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Monday, 7 March 2011
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Before Des Moines was the capital of Iowa there was Iowa City, which served as the second territorial capital and later the first state capital of Iowa. Before Iowa City there was Burlington which served as Iowa territory's first capital site in 1837. Part of the reason for the city's location is the Mississippi River. On this warm late winter day the river is free of ice, the barge traffic was seen moving empties upriver and a few bald eagles flew overhead.
Near the Port of Burlington building is a view of the Great River Bridge. The asymmetrical stayed bridge opened in April 1990 at a construction cost of $49 million. In the foreground is the Lady Liberty of Burlington statue which is very similar to the same statue (size, composition, color) located in Cedar Rapids. Both statues are connected to the efforts of the Boy Scouts. In 2008 flood waters reached the black line above the plaque on the base of the statue. Similarly in Cedar Rapids the flood of 2008 reached the statue's body. Coincidence? Know that.
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