*****ECRWSSEDDM*****PostalCustomer PRSRT STD U.S. Sterling,PermitPAIDPostageNo.440IL61081 MeetrockveryFulton’sownstarsA former lawmaker is at Peace with his decision to return home What’s the story behind the names of Clinton’s parks? It takes a “bus” to spell “business” and “miles” to spell “smiles”
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19 At Peace with his decision
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24 A journey of a thousand smiles
Hunting for their quarry
It took the supplier of a Fulton business thousands of years to come up with the shop’s inventory, but it was worth the wait.
4 Therein lies a tale
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Some people prefer elephants, some like donkeys, but a former lawmaker is rather partial to Lyons, and he’s happy to be back home doing what he loves: teaching.
You can’t spell “business” without “bus,” and you can’t spell “smiles” without “miles” ... Just ask a couple with a fleet on the street.
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While strolling through Clinton’s parks one day, did you ever wonder how they got their names?
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PARKS cont’d page 6
Whatever you did, you had fun — but did you ever wonder where the parks got their name? Who were these people: Chancy? Mayer? Emma Young? George O. Morris?
There were playgrounds to play on and trails to explore. Maybe you swung on the monkey bars and climbed the jungle gyms. Or you bounced back and forth on a spring-mounted duck, or spun ‘til you were dizzy on a merry-go-round. In the winter, there were hills to sled and snowmen to build.
5River City Living | fall/winter 2022 This is us... Morrison, IL • www.resthave.org815.772.4021
When you grew up, parks became a place to en joy the fresh air, take a break from the grind, relax and unwind. Maybe you caught up with cousins at a family reunion or flipped burgers at a cookout. Or you dropped a line and waited for the fish to bite. Some had places set aside for sports and games. Tennis, anyone? How about some hoops? Or even horseshoes?
By SaukCutterCodyValleyMedia
rowing up in Clinton, a trip to the park was a chance to get out of the house, run wild in the wide open spaces and have fun.
to
6 River City Living | fall/winter 2022
For some, what a park is called may be all that preserves its namesake’s memory in most people’s minds. But there are stories behind those names, and each park named after someone is a reminder of the people who contrib uted more than just their name; they contributed something to their com munity or their country.
Nearly 20 parks dot Clinton’s land scape. Some of the parks are named after people who hauled loads of logs up and down the river, others honor long-gone local luminaries who are no longer in the spotlight. Some parks are named for places instead of people — Riverfront and Eagle Point are two of the larger ones. Some parks are even long gone, such as Sino Park in Lyons, which now is where the former Horace Mann School sits. That park was named for H.A. Sino, owner of several local gro cery stores in the early 1900s and presi dent of the Clinton Public Library board of Anyonedirectors.oldenough to remember Root Park? That one, named after Lyons’ first banker and insurance salesman, A.C. Root, was where the former Schick General Hospital complex is today. Root actually was the property’s second name: it originally started as Shadduck Park, named after land owner Willis J. Shadduck.
In this issue of River City Living, we’ll take a look at some of Clinton’s parks and help answer the question ... What’s in a name?
PARKPHOTOSBYCODYCUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM PARKS cont’d from page 5
It’s not often that one person has a town — and two parks in it — named for them, but Clinton’s namesake is one of those people.Ina political career that spanned from 1802 to 1828, DeWitt Clinton (photo at right) was the governor of New York for two terms, mayor of New York City for three terms, a U.S. senator, and a presidential candidate in the 1812 election. Clinton also oversaw the construction of the Erie Canal during his political career, and it was that infrastructure accomplishment that led to places being named in his honor when more people moved westward. Not only does the city of Clinton bear his name, so do the county and the city of DeWitt.
Clinton (above left) and DeWitt (at right) parks are a pair of half-block parks just three blocks apart from each other. DeWitt Park has benches, trees and greenspace. Clinton Park has playground equipment, a small baseball diamond and the Vinson H. Jetter Basketball Courts.Jetter (inset at bottom right), nicknamed “Uncle Buddy,” was an Air Force veteran who founded the Youth for a Safe NonViolent Community in 1993; its building is across from Clinton Park, on Fourth Avenue. Jetter was a member of several community service programs in Clinton, such as the Clinton Substance Abuse Council, Voices of Diversity, Community Response Issues Task Force, Character Counts Program, Clinton Peace Coalition, Habitat for Humanity, New Directions Board, 4-H Club, 21st Century after school program, NAACP, Health Advisory Council, Clinton County Against Child Abuse, Youth Advisory Council, Bethel A.M.E. Steward Board.
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Primary treatment for fibromyalgia is medications. Pain relievers including over the counter Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Aleve; Antidepressants Dulxetine, Cymbalta, Savella; Muscle relaxant Amitriptyline; Sleep Promoter Cyclobenzaprine; Anti-seizure drugs Gabapentin, Neurontin and Lyrica are used and all of which come with side effects that create more symptoms. Although these drugs may provide some relief by decreasing the severity of the symptoms none of them seem to alleviate the symptoms permanently. Often the body acclimates to the drug and a fibro sufferer must move to the next drug in hopes of getting relief. This is a never-ending cycle.
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7River City Living | fall/winter 2022
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8 River City Living | fall/winter 2022
Also located in the park is the Ericksen Community Center (far right), home to the parks department headquarters and an auditorium. The venue is named for Helen Thompson Ericksen (right), who worked at the hospital as a nurse and served on the city’s recreation commission. Before her death, she set aside part of her estate for the construction of the facility that bears her name, which opened in 1971.
The daughter of lumber pioneer Chancy Lamb, Emma Lamb Young inherited a great deal of money through her family’s fortunes and graciously gave back to the community in several ways, including donating land in Clinton’s northwest side for a park that would be named in her honor.
Once upon a time, Clinton was four separate communities: Lyons, Clinton, Ringwood and Chancy. Lyons was founded in 1835 by Elijah Buell, who was one of the first White settlers in the area. One of his first notable endeavors after laying out Lyons was establishing a ferry service between his town and Fulton, across the Mississippi River. The crossing later led to the first motor bridge in the area, the old LyonsFulton Bridge, carrying the Lincoln Highway. The Iowa end of the bridge landed in front of what is now the Elijah Buell Terrace.
Emma married William E. Young, a grocer and son of former mayor Joseph C. Young, in 1869. She also donated the land where the Clinton Public Library sits, as it was adjacent to her and her husband’s home. She also donated money for expansions to the Jane Lamb Memorial Hospital, named after her mother (now part of MercyOne Medical Center). The park, which opened in 1970, has playground equipment, three ball diamonds, tennis courts and a man-made lake.
Lyons eventually merged with Clinton in 1895. The old downtown buildings close to the terrace have been lost to time and natural disaster, but the park on a levee provides a view of the river and the Fulton business district across the river.
Like DeWitt Clinton, Chancy Lamb not only had a park named after him, but also an entire community at one time.Lamb came to Clinton in 1856 and was instrumental in making the river city a lumber hub for Mississippi River traffic as owner and operator of the C. Lamb Lumber Yard and Saw Mills. The operation was renamed C. Lamb and Sons when Artemus and Lafayette Lamb came into the business. Lamb pioneered the use of the bandsaw to cut wood, as well as using steam boats to transport logs downstream on the Mississippi River.
The southwest end of Clinton, in the area north of Archer Daniels Midland, was a settlement called Chancy in Lamb’s honor. The town was annexed into Clinton in 1892. Today, the park has playground equipment, a ball diamond, basketball hoops and a picnic shelter. The Chancy Little House brick pavilion also is on the site, but has since closed.
Clinton Parks office manager Sheri Loeffelholz shared a story with River City Living magazine about Chancy Park, whose land once was owned by her ancestors:
“The original land was owned by my great-great-grandparents, William and Phillipa Koons, who came to Clinton in 1856 from Lockport, New York. When William first came here he built the first hotel in Clinton and then became a wealthy business man in real estate. After my great-grandparents passed away they sold their land and the mansion to the City of Clinton for $5 with the understanding that the land will always be used as a park and never divided up into plots. Their mansion was used for many things, such as the first library in the part of town called Chancy. Several denominations of churches held services there, and the USO also used the mansion during World War II.”
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10 River City Living | fall/winter 2022
What also was known as Southside Park for many years in the old South Clinton neighborhood is almost completely gone now, due to the expansion of Archer Daniels Midland. Few reminders are left of what was the only park in the now-shrinking neighborhood south of the railroadCourtlandtracks.Young was the
Young also started the Great Western Copper Mining Company with his brother, William. Like DeWitt Clinton and Chancy Lamb, Courtland Young also had a town named after him: Courtland, Ariz., a mining community started by Great Western. Courtland now is a ghost town in southeastern Arizona, long before a park back home would also carry on his legacy — and become a ghost of its own.
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son of lumber baron William J. Young. He not only worked for the family business, but served as the president of the Clinton Herald Publishing Company.
11River City Living | fall/winter 2022
Mayer also served as a Clinton alderman in the 1920s, and was actively involved with the Freemasonry, having been a worthy grand patron in the Grand Chapter of Iowa.
The park consists of a pair of ball diamonds and some greenspace. Across Garfield Street is the Rainbow Playground park — which came after the opening of Mayer Park — with playground equipment, a basketball hoop and picnic shelter.
Mayer (left) was general manager of the Clinton Lock Company, which was located five blocks north of the park on Garfield Street. The company produced a line of locks that were sold to millwork companies and hardware wholesalers.
Lucille D. “Sally” Findlay taught at Clinton schools before opening up an arts and crafts store, Sally’s Yarns and Crafts, on the corner of Fifth Avenue South and South Third Street in the early 1970s. The store lasted a little more than a decade, but Findlay’s passion for promoting Clinton’s downtown didn’t end with the store. She served as the Coordinator of the Downtown Business and Professional Association for the Clinton Chamber of Commerce for several years.
Findlay died in 2002, and nearly 5 years later, a vacant downtown space was turned into a small park in her honor, with benches and bushes for both people and animals to sit back, relax and take in the hustle and bustle of the downtown she loved.
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Reynold P. Jurgensen wore many hats in Clinton during his life. He was president and director of Clinton National Bank, a Clinton County supervisor, senior Vice President of the Clinton Corn Processing Plant, and once president of the Gateway Chamber of Commerce, Clinton Development Corporation, and the Jane Lamb Memorial Hospital Board of Directors, where he led charitable fund drives for the local United Way chapters, two YMCA building fund drives and the Boy Scouts. Jurgensen also was active in alumni association leadership at his alma mater, the University of Iowa.
The park is on its third name: It was formerly Highway Park (after the Lincoln Highway, which once was on Bluff Boulevard). Prior to 1922 it was called Hospital Park after the hospital across the street.
Neubauer Park has playground equipment, greenspace, benches, picnic tables and a gazebo whose red, white and blue colors are reminiscent of the signs along the Lincoln Highway.
George O. Morris Park has playing areas for baseball, rugby, football and soccer, as well as picnic tables. The Muddy River Rugby Club plays its home games at the park and has its offices there.
12 River City Living | fall/winter 2022
Like Edwin Neubauer, George O. Morris also served as commissioner of Clinton’s park board. During his leadership, Morris oversaw the development of Emma Young Park and the Ericksen Center, as well as the Nature Society at Eagle Point Park, all during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The park is home to the city’s soccer complex with several pitches on the east end of the park, and a newer set of pitches, completed in the last couple of years, on the south end.
Sports were a part of Jurgensen’s life, having been the Iowa Alumni Association’s representative to the university’s Athletic Board of Control, and he also owned the former Clinton Recreational Lanes bowling alley.
Morris was involved with the local Red Cross, 4-H, United Way and Rotary. He also was one of the founders of the annual Riverboat Days festival, and served as its first commodore. His name would be lent to the park on Clinton’s west side when he retired from the park board in 1985.
Edwin P. Neubauer was the president of the Neubauer-Darr-Redman Insurance Agency until his death in 1979. He also was president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Clinton, chairman of the Clinton County Cancer Society and a commissioner on Clinton’s parks board. The insurance agency he founded continues to this day, after nearly 75 years.
13River City Living | fall/winter 2022
The park is named after the school that sat there for nearly 90 years, itself named for author Nathaniel Hawthorne (photo at left), who penned such works as “The Scarlet Letter,” “The House of the 1800sforIt“Twice-ToldGables”SevenandTales.”wascommonschoolsinthelatetobenamed after popular literary and educational pioneers of the century.TheHawthorne grade school (inset at right) served the students of the Ringwood neighborhood until the 1980s. The former school’s location now is open greenspace, and the rest of the one-block park has basketball courts, picnic tables and horseshoes pits.
Honeywell Park, also called Honeywell Field, on Clinton’s southwest side, has been the home of Clinton Junior Baseball since 1962, with ball diamonds and batting cages. When it opened, 95 boys between ages 8 and 12 were involved with the program. The park is named for Robert Honeywell, who was the president of the youth baseball association when the park opened. The property was owned by the public school district when the field was built, and it was purchased by the city in 1983.
The 1.5-acre park on Clinton’s north side is open greenspace with a slope going downward from 13th Avenue North, which once was called Elvira Road and was originally routed where 13th Avenue Northwest is today. In 1976, Zora (Cleppe) Allison sold the land to the City for $1, and it is named for her family. Zora owned the Vogue Beauty Shop, was married to three-term mayor Donald Allison, and was one of six children of Peter and Ida Cleppe.
14 River City Living | fall/winter 2022
CODY CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COMCUTTER/
Different colors, different models, different accessories — 3D Golf Carts and Trailer Rental has been adding to its inventory to meet a growing demand for the electric ve hicles. "We wanted to expand [and] we thought golf carts would be a good fit. ... Nobody [locally] is selling golf carts in large quantities besides us,” said owner Dominic Chase.
The “3D Brothers” — Dominic, Drake and Dillon Chase — recently expand ed the trailer and auto business they’ve owned for almost a decade and gotten into the electric golf cart market. 3D Golf Carts and Trailer Rentals opened in January as a spinoff of 3D Trailer and Auto in the Fulton Industrial Park.
Sure, they can be a godsend on the greens when you’re hauling around golf clubs, but these days, more and more people are hopping into golf carts off the links too, tooling around their own greens — the green green grass of home — and even on city streets. That’s something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by a Fulton family.
The new endeavor is a continuation of booming business for the broth ers, who were the industrial park’s first tenants two years ago. A large stock of Epic and Icon carts — about 50 in all so far — are on the lot, in a rainbow of colors and with a range of features. Icon makes both its flagship model and the Epics, which come loaded with a bit more luxury.
BY CODY CUTTER | SAUK VALLEY MEDIA
CARTS cont’d to page 16 15River City Living | fall/winter 2022
ho says you have to play golf to have a golf cart?
“We wanted to expand into trailers, and then wanted to ex pand into something else,” Domi nic said. “We thought golf carts would be a good fit. There wasn’t a need met for golf carts around the area, and nobody [locally] is selling golf carts in large quanti ties besides us, from the Quad City area pretty much to Dubuque and southern Wisconsin. It was a really big thing for us because we saw a need in the market, and we thought we could build on that with the electric golf carts.”
Dominic runs the golf cart side of the brothers’ operation, and the family business isn’t done grow ing. Plans are in store for later this year and early next year: Trailer rental will begin later this year, and a full-service golf cart repair shop will open with mechanics to be hired in the coming months.
CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM
CARTS cont’d from page 15 CARTS cont’d to page 17
Dominic Chase, owner of 3D Golf Carts and Trailer Rental in Fulton, opened up shop in January. He's one of the three D's in the family business, along with brothers Drake and Dillon, who run 3D Trailer and Auto next door at the Fulton Industrial Park.
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CARTS cont’d to page 18
Golf carts have come a long way since the days of a bouncy little ride that just zipped around the golf course. They offer smoother rides and come with features found in their bigger brothers on road, like backup cameras, turn signals and mirrors, hydraulic disc brakes, audio systems and more. They can also be cheaper to buy than ATVs and cheaper to operate than bigger, gas-powered rides all you need is a 110-volt outlet to charge the 6- or 8-volt battery. And depending on where you live, they’re street legal, like they are in nearby Clinton and Fulton.
“This markets to more than just golf, it markets to families, it markets to a variety of different people,” Dominic said. “People who want to cruise around the neighborhood, people who want to get around town or on the golf course or on the farm, or from a friend’s house to another friend’s house. It’s really easy to navigate in these, and the cities are mak ing it legal for golf carts to now be on city roads by just getting a registration sticker. It’s made the pro cess easier; they don’t have to buy a $30,000 ATV, they can buy a $10,000 golf cart and they can still do the same things they had been doing before.”
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Golf carts have been around since the 1930s, but they’ve come a long way since then. These days, they can come with LCD screens for the backup camera, sound systems and other options. And if they don’t come with what you want, 3D Golf Carts and Trailer Rental offers accessories that can be installed.
CARTS cont’d from page 16
Carts come in two primary types: lifted and non-lifted. The latter is the more common of the two, built to a standard height. Lifted models al low for greater flexibility when entering and exit ing the cart, based on a person’s size or mobility.
Many parks and camp sites are changing golf cart rules to transition from gas to electric motors, cutting down on the noise — which is a big benefit in areas where people go for some peace and quiet — and eliminating emissions.
Financing is available, as well as delivery (at $3 per mile). Need a quick repair on a cart? 3D Trailer and Auto’s crew are servicing Icons and Epics until Dominic’s repair bays open. He plans to service all makes, models and types of golf carts — electric or gas. Cart sales typically slow down as the weather gets colder, but that will give Dominic more time to get the repair operation and trailer rentals up and running.
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Customers can test drive any cart to get a feel for how it rides. Dominic has met a num ber of new customers who had never been on a cart before, but once they try them out, they’re hooked.
The carts can also be customized.
“Whatever you’re looking for in a golf cart, we can offer it to you,” Dominic said.
For now, Dominic is going to enjoy the ride, and he looks forward to seeing where it takes him.“It’s gone well,” he said. “We’ve seen a real need for it. With the word of mouth and being on the website, we really got a lot of customers from the area buying these golf carts and different models, and we don’t see it slowing down.” n
going to take good care of, and they can enjoy that ride around town or their property,” Domi nic said. “Something that they can enjoy and be proud of is something that, I think, you can really tell when they get to take it home or when we’re making a delivery to them. You really do see the joy and excitement on their faces.”
“I just like seeing the joy on people’s faces and the surprise they get, whether they’re get ting it for their wife or family, or are getting something new that they’re going to use and are
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Plans are in the works to offer a golf cart repair shop at 3D Golf Carts and Trailer Rentals in the coming months. For now, 3D Trailer and Auto’s crew are servicing Icons and Epics until the repair bays are open. The plan is to service all makes, models and types of golf carts — electric or gas.
CODY CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COMCUTTER/
After 51 years away from his hometown, Brown, 71, has come back to live in the Lyons neigh borhood where he first learned his ABC’s, 123’s and the three R’s at St. Irenaeus Elementa ry, where he later spent years as the school’s administrator.
linton will always be home to JosephMakeBrown.thatLyons, actually.
19River City Living | fall/winter 2022
It’s a journey that’s taken Brown to schools in three states, and two terms as a Democrat in the Iowa State Senate. The adventure came full-circle this year when he began serving as the new principal of Prince of Peace Catholic School. In fact, he lives just 2 blocks from the house he grew up in on McKinley Street, which is next to the former site of Paaske’s Furniture Store.
BROWN cont’d to page 20 Catholictory,avidtowncentlydidn’tRetirementByCodyCutter|SaukValleyMedialastlongforJosephBrown.HerereturnedtohishomeofClinton,andhisoldneighborhoodofLyons,after51yearsaway—butonlyafewmonthslatertheone-timeretiree,andcollectorofbooksonU.S.PresidentsandAmericanhisreturnedtowork,thistimeasprincipalofPrinceofPeaceSchool. JOSEPHelephants,Somepeopleprefersomelikedonkeys,butBROWNisratherpartialtoLyons,andtheformerstatesenator—andformerretiree—ishappytobebackhomedoingwhatheloves:TEACHINGCODYCUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM
tory among his collection, such as Charles Lindbergh, Al Gore, Tom Brokaw and Benjamin Franklin to name a few. Give Brown a call and he’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.
Brown moved back to town on Jan. 5, and lives in the upper floor of the former IOOF Hall on Garfield Street; the ground floor is the Clinton County Democratic Party Headquarters and also his den and library.
You’ll find more than just presidents in the pages of his books. He’s also got works on other influential people in American his
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“It’s funny, because when people ask me where I’m from, I say I’m from Clinton, Iowa, but I’m really from Lyons,” Brown said.
While many teachers retire early in their 60s, Brown’s life experiences have helped him bring a seasoned perspective to a new generation. He was in high school during another turbu lent time in American history: The 1960s. That period also was a rough time for Clinton, too, with arsons striking the area in late 1967 and early 1968 that included, among other places, Clinton High School.
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“I don’t hunt, I don’t fish, I don’t play golf, I don’t have a boat — I read, and I collect books,” Brown said. “I collect books from both political parties. I’ve met every president, every senator, ev ery congressman, every gubernatorial candidate — anyone who’s running for office, I’ve personally met them before voting.”
Brown has spent 30 nonconsecutive years in education and two consecutive terms as a Democratic state senator. His pas sion for teaching and politics has combined at Prince of Peace — a small Catholic school of 197 students from kindergarten to high school — where he also teaches a government class with 15 seniors, each of whom he noticed from Day One were con cerned about the major issues of today. In today’s world, where the political climate has heated up, Brown uses his experience as both educator and politician to give his students a look at gov ernment’s nuts and bolts, as well as views from both sides of the political aisle of how government works for the people.
“I knew I was going to come back home eventually,” Brown said. “I retired from serving as an administrator for 8 weeks, and then Prince of Peace was looking for a principal. I interviewed, they offered, I accepted, and here I am. It’s been a real pleasure to be able to teach and to be able to serve a small school.”
When Brown, a 1969 Clinton High graduate, returned home, he didn’t come alone. He brought some U.S. Presidents with him. Among the three semi-truck loads of possessions and ar chived material from his Senate service were books — and lots of them, books on every president from Washington to Biden. He’s got a few thousands books on the Presidents in his per sonal library, and wants to share them with fellow bibliophiles or those just curious about the nation’s highest office and the men who’ve held it.
Brown never forgot where his roots were, and he was glad to retire back home — but retirement only lasted 8 weeks before his passion for education led him back to school, as principal at Prince of Peace, whose historical lineage includes St. Irenaeus
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Brown’s residence at 2319 Roosevelt St. in Clinton’s Lyons neighborhood once was an IOOF Hall, but now is the Clinton County Democratic Party headquarters, and home to Brown’s vast collection of books on American politics and history.
“It’s funny, because when people ask me where I’m from, I say I’m from Clinton, Iowa, but I’m really from Lyons.” McKinley Street in Clinton’s Lyons neighborhood (below) was Joseph Brown’s old stomp ing grounds. Growing up, he also was a drummer for The Union Jacks — a band that would go on to be inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — and the gigs helped pay for his college education. He still gets behind the drum kit every once in a while.
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“I told [Bill], ‘In 1968, we were much more divided then.’ He said, ‘I don’t remember that.’ I said. ‘That’s because you weren’t in the nation. You were on a ship. You spent 30 years in the Navy.’ He joined in 1965 and had six tours off the coast of Vietnam. ... ‘You weren’t in our nation,’ [I told him], but 1968 was violent. We had race riots in almost every major city. Lots of buildings were destroyed. When the George Floyd case happened up in Minneapolis, it kind of reminded me of that, but 1968 was like that: My high school burned down in January, Bobby Kennedy gets assas sinated in June, Martin Luther King gets assassinated in April; my brother Tom is a Marine in Vietnam and my brother Bill is on a ship in Vietnam. Our country was divided between the hardhats and the hippies.”
“Our country’s divided right now, but our country was divided in 1968,” Brown said. “My brother Bill lives in Bloomington, Illinois, and is retired from the Navy and is 75 years old. We talk at least once a week. About a month ago, Bill was like, ‘Geez, Joe, our country is so divided right now, it’s never been this divided.’ I said, ‘Well Bill, I don’t know if you remember your history, but we did overthrow our government once, we used to be part of England and had a Revolutionary War.’ Not everybody was in favor of that. And then we had a thing called the Civil War, and we lost a lot of people.”
Sarah Harding WE ARE READY FOR ANOTHER 70 YEARS INDEPENDENT SENIOR LIVING • 308 S BLUFF BLVD., Clinton, IA • 563-243-1341 • www.sarahardingofclinton.com CODY toncollectionAmongCUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COMJosephBrown’soffamilyitemsisthishand-poweredbuttonmakerusedbyhisfather,Lewis,attheformerBrownButCo.inClinton.Thecompany made buttons for political campaigns and special event from the 1970s to the 1990s. Joseph is still pressing buttons today — the blanks laid out above will have the logo for Prince of Peace School on them. BROWN cont’d from page 21 BROWN cont’d to page 23
When he started teaching again, Brown found that the textbooks in his high school government class didn’t cover the events of 1968 — but today’s genera tion isn’t the only one in the dark about those days. Brown said that as those events were unfolding, his brothers were nearly oblivious to them, too. Bill and their other brother, Tom, both are Vietnam War veterans who didn’t see what was going on in America as much as young Joseph did.
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“I never thought I would be an administrator,” Brown said. “I just view administration as another way to teach. You’re teach ing the community, you’re teaching parents, students, faculty and support staff. Education is very important.” n
“One of the first things I did when I came to town was I bought a bicycle, and I ride two nights a week. I ride from the top of the dike all the way to downtown, and then I ride it all the way back. Going north up to Eagle Point, I’ve only tried that once — there’s some really big hills. I can’t pedal that yet, I have to get off the bike and walk.”
BROWN cont’d from page 22
More info
Joseph Brown makes his library of presidential books available to those who are interested in learning more about them. Call him at 507438-9083 to arrange a meeting.
When Brown isn’t reading or riding his bike, he’ll sometimes get behind his drum set and relive his time as a drummer for The Union Jacks, a regional band he was in back in the 1960s and 1970s. He once worked at the L&L Music Studio in town to help pay for his college education. The drum sticks, however, were put away for a career in education that took him to Des Moines for a few years and behind several desks at different schools, including the one he sits at now at Prince of Peace.
Brown decided upon a career in education, and spent 2 years at Mount St. Claire College before earning his associate degree in 1971 — the year he left Clinton. He then earned his bachelor’s degree at William Penn College in Oskaloosa in 1973 and landed his first teaching job at Montezuma High School in 1975. After 3 years of teaching government, he was influenced to run for the Iowa State Senate and won his first term in 1978. His career landed him a seat on the Senate’s education com mittee, where he became ranking member, and then chairman when the Democrats took the majority after the 1982 state elec tions. He did not seek reelection in 1986, choosing instead to work in the private sector, marketing for Unisys Corp. in Chicago.Education
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and park and that’s one of the widest points of the Mississippi River. To live right next to a major river like this, and living in Minnesota for 29 years, it’s nothing compared to down here. This is the real river.
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Brown, who is single, has three adult children, Jeb Brown of Tacoma, Washington; Bristen Brown Geimer of Montezuma; and Madison Brown Rahm of Mason City, who gave Joseph his first grandchild on Aug. 24. He also has a puppy, Bailey.
Although Brown hadn’t lived in Clinton for nearly 50 years, he came back at least three times a year to visit his parents. His mother, Elizabeth, died in 1990, and his father, Lewis — a World War II veteran — died in 2004. Lewis owned the Brown Button Company in Clinton for 30 years, and among his work were political buttons from presidential visits in Iowa. He even hand-cranked some campaign buttons for Joseph. The collection of the many buttons Lewis made is in Joseph’s possession, near his bookshelves. In fact, he still has a working button ma chine that he recently used to make buttons for Prince of Peace with its logo and the year’s motto: “E pluribus unum” –or, “The one, the many.”
“I remember as a kid playing at Eagle Point Park, a beautiful park that was built during the Great Depression and a Civil ian Conservation Corps project,” Brown said. “The castle, I remember, as a kid, I thought that castle was the biggest thing in the world. When you get there, there’s a place to turn off
Coming back to Clinton and the Lyons district brought back a lot of memories for Brown, and he’s revisiting old haunts and traversing the same streets he knew long ago. Some places remain, while others are long gone in a city that’s lost about one-third of its population since Brown first left town. The 8 weeks spent in retirement gave him time to reconnect to his hometown in many ways — when he wasn’t sorting through his vast book catalog.
called Brown back in 1995, as principal for a year in Barnum, Min nesota, before he moved on to LeSueurHenderson Schools, also in Minnesota, for 3 years. He returned to Chicago for a year as superintendent and principal at the Chicago International Charter School in the city’s south side, before returning to Minnesota for 5 years as principal in Austin, superintendent in Grand Meadow and superintendent in Fairmount. Brown’s most recent administrative post before returning to Clinton was as the interim superintendent at Clear Creek-Amana Schools in Oxford, Iowa.
sMilesPerHour 000003 24 River City Living | fall/winter 2022
From basic shuttle busses to tricked out rides, Jason and Sta cie pull out all the stops for their customers, and they do it in style. Some of the rides in their fleet come with all the bells and whistles: comfortable seating perfect for social settings, trendy decor, LEDs, Bluetooth audio and TV, and more. If you want your seats to come with a lap of luxury the Farrells have what you’re looking for.
Planning a trip? Jason and Stacie Farrell can help. The couple behind 3 Guys and a Bus a fleet rides to their destination. They offer charter buses where you’re going, will there the
hen Jason and Stacie Farrell look back on their time together, there’s one thing they can say for sure: It’s really been a trip. Actually, it’s been a whole lot of trips, with a whole lot of people. That’s because for the Farrells, every day on the job is like taking a trip down memory lane. The Elvira couple are in the busi ness of turning miles into memories through their livery business, 3 Guys and a Bus.
of
and more luxurious rides that, no matter
make getting
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fun. 3 GUYS cont’d to page 26 25River City Living | fall/winter 2022
offers
The husband and wife are the partners in the drivers seat of a business that boasts a fleet of buses that take customers where they want to go. From bus trip brewery tours to exploring winer ies on winding roads, prom parties to wedding parties, or just a trip to the airport, the Farrells know the way and they know the way to make your day, too. The trip is yours to plan, and the Farrells and their staff of 12 do the driving.
half
PHOTO: CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM YOURDRIVER FOR KUASTHETRIP•CODYCUTTER|AIDEMYELLAV•
that will get groups large or small
3 GUYS cont’d to pages 27 28
&
3 GUYS cont’d from page 25
facing?’ They’re like. ‘We love this for the atmosphere.’”
“You have to have a real specific type of personality,” Stacie said about handling crowd while driving. “You can’t let them get away with everything, but yet you have to let them have a good time, too, without breaking stuff.”
The Farrells have converted buses ranging from mid-sized shuttles to large coaches into a more inviting and interactive at mosphere, and some of the buses even have their own special add-ons.Thelargest vehicles in the fleet are two coaches, a black one named “Maybelline,” and a white one named “Maude.” Maybel line can fit 40 passengers, has two TVs and a DVD player, a sink, and curved bench seating. “Maude” fits 45 people and comes equipped with its own amenities, including a Bluetooth system. Both coaches also have restrooms and air conditioning. Other buses can fit 25 to 35 passengers.
Sometimes, the new faces they meet introduce them to new places. A recent shuttle trip to Oak Hill for a wedding had the couple “in awe,” according to a post on their Facebook page. They learned about the history of the setting and the story behind it. “This is why we love what we do,” the post went on to say.
“We’ve seen a lot of stuff,” she said.
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Stacie said customers often ask about all the different places she and Jason have seen during their travels.
The operation has been a labor of love for the couple who’ve been together for a decade. They enjoy meeting customers and making new friends — “We have a good, quality clientele, and we appreciate that,” Stacie said — and they also enjoy getting to see all the different places where their clients’ trips take them.
As for the busses, these aren’t the kind that took you to school. No teeth-rattling rides and cramped quarters in rows of forward-facing rigid seats. Among their fleet are buses with comfortable bench seating lining the length of the bus. You don’t have to crank your head around or crane your neck to talk to fellow passengers. Heck, someone can even play a tune or give a speech from the front or back of the bus and still be in full view of everyone.
Once they board the bus, clients can let the fun begin, with safety in mind, of course.
Rates are determined by a combination of hours, either day or night, and the business and fleet is licensed and insured.
Customers can even put their own personal touch on the party ride — adding some decor inside to suit the occasion birthday banners or balloons, for example; as long as it doesn’t damage the vehicle or interfere with the driver’s job. People can also bring their own food on the buses, except “Maybelline” — she’s a little special, with carpeted floors.
“People love it for being able to have conversations with more than just the person next to you,” Stacie said. “A lot of people reserve them just for the social setting. I’ll ask people, ‘Did you like this, or would you rather have something forward-
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Customers can sit back, relax and enjoy the ride when they rent a bus from 3 Guys and a Bus. With eight rides to choose from, you’re sure to find one that’ll fit your needs, whether you’re looking for something a little more basic, or an upscale ride that fea tures atmosphere lights, TVs, Bluetooth audio, comfortable perimeter seating, bathrooms and more. The Farrells have even named some of their rides. There’s Maybel line, and then there’s Maude. Here are a few family photos of the fleet ...
PHOTOS COURTESY OF 3 GUYS AND A BUS
The business has grown and evolved a lot since Jason “decided it would be cool,” he said, to buy his first bus in 2004. The names has evolved, too. It’s still called 3 Guys and a Bus, but these days it’s a guy and his wife and eight busses.
“We used to go to Wrigley Field for Cubs games, and I had this group on there that only needed half of the bus,” Jason said. “They partied on the way over, went to the game, or dered some pizza for the ride home, and within 10 minutes of leaving the city limits, they’re all sleeping either on the floor or on the seats” — a testament to the comfort and smooth ride the bus delivered.
The same thing has happened to Stacie on trips she’s gone on: “They were so out, I turned the TVs off halfway home and nobody said a word,” Stacie said.
In the couple’s nearly two decades of business, the good has definitely outweighed the bad, though lately the road has been a little bumpier.
The livery business has faced its share of challenges in re cent years: First, due to travel restrictions and social distanc ing from the COVID-19 pandemic, and then with the soaring cost of fuel prices. On top of that, insurance premiums have more than doubled and licensing fees have increased. Keep ing the bus doors open hasn’t come without sacrifices — lim ousine service ceased in April — but there are still enough people out there who want to hit the open road with someone else in the driver’s seat that the Farrells and their staff have kept moving forward.
A scheduling conflict helped double the fleet when a second set of wheels was added after they realized they had double-booked a weekend. Things just kept on rolling from there. The adventures continued and the fleet got bigger, and more luxurious.
3 GUYS cont’d from page 27 3 GUYS cont’d to page 29
The Farrells like to keep their smaller buses closer to home, with trips to Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, but the charters can pretty much go anywhere in the lower 48 states. They’ve “seen it all,” both said, with trips to concerts, sports events, state parks, historic sites, businesses, you name it. It’s hard for them to pick any one favorite place they’ve gone to, but like the people they serve, they’ve made a lot of memories
When Stacie came aboard, she took over much of the paperwork and scheduling, on top of being behind the wheel. Jason, along with driving, also tends to the maintenance of the vehicles. With weekends being the prime travel days of the week, Saturday mornings can get pretty hectic, getting the staff lined up and the buses ready for the road.
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along the Sometimes,way.
The first bus was quite a bargain — $100 at a public auction. He and a couple of friends (the other two Guys, who have since left the business) helped him convert it into an adven ture bus with orange flames painted on the exterior. The fol lowing year they started booking their first rides.
customers have a real ball on their trip, but wind down on their way back.
Whether it’s on a coach or shuttle, the traveling experience the Farrells provide is the kind that keeps customers coming back, sometimes as pas sengers, and sometimes as planners. It’s not unusual for the couple to see some of their passengers go on to become trip planners.
“We get a lot of repeat business, through referrals or being on a bus for some thing,” Jason said. “We’ve had pretty much anything that can bring a group together and put them on a bus” — and as long as peo ple keep coming together to get where they’re going, the Farrells will be happy to go along for the ride. n
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Find 3 Guys and a Bus online at 3guysandabus.com, where ride packages and rates are posted, or on Facebook. Emailtions@gmail.com3guysreservaorcall563-559-0265toarrangeatravelplanorformoreinformation.Officehoursare 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to noon on Friday. All drivers have Class B CDL or above licensing and necessary passenger endorsements.
CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COMCODY
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“We meet really great people, and that’s what makes it fun,” Stacie said. “You’ll have them for cer tain trips, and then they’ll re-book and after that they’re like, ‘We’ll see you again.’ That’s cool. That’s what we “There’swant.”really not too many groups where we’ve had events for where we only see them once or twice a year anymore,” Jason said of the customers who keep coming back for more.
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Rocks have interested Jaime since he was a young boy, and it’s a passion he still carries with him. He even got Charity involved in the fun when they were dating. Unlike pursuing some mass-produced collectible, the pieces this pair collects are all one of a kind, com ing in different shapes, sizes and colors — each one a treasure waiting to be discovered.
The Moogs own J&C’s Rocks and More, a home-based business located along Fulton’s busiest street, where they share the what they’ve found and what they’ve learned on the journeys they take during their rock hunting adventures, educating curious customers on the myriad minerals found in Mother Earth.
Over time the Earth’s movement creates geodes and buries them deep underground, but sometimes they work their way back up, either in creeks or other low-lying surfaces, waiting for rock hunting enthusiasts such as the Moogs to discover the beauty inside.
By Cody Cutter
“I’ve always liked rocks,” Jaime said. “Rocks fasci nate me, especially rainbow fluorite; it’s an easy stone to work with, and it’s pretty. You can turn a big rock into several stones that look Thepretty.”biggest part of the shop’s stocks are geodes, those round ish rocks that reveal nature’s beauty when they’re cracked open, the mass of minerals inside — some times sparkling — telling tales from millennia past.
“You can get all kinds of different types of crystals and minerals inside a geode, anything from quartz to calcite to pyrite cubes, galena cubes; sometimes you’ll get iron dolomite or pink dolomite,” Charity said. “Whatever mineral was in the area when these things were forming, and was seeped in to the water, created them. No two geodes are alike.”
aime and Charity Moog are Fulton’s rock stars.Youingevencouldsaythatthey’rethecity’sveryownRollStones—with
| J&C cont’d to page 32 River City Living | fall/winter 2022
31
one difference: They managed to get their satisfaction, and they’ve done it by letting their rocks play a role in not only helping them start a business, but teaching people about our planet’s hidden beauties.
Jaime and Charity Moog, owners of J&C's Rocks and More in Fulton.
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Sometimes their customers are simply looking for something special to decorate their home or garden with, while some buy in to the belief that crystals have metaphysical healing benefits.
and time work together to create truly unique pieces, like this rainbow bismuth (top), and these pyrite cubes from Spain (below), some of the more colorful and fasci nating pieces found at J&C’s Rocks and More.
“We have people coming in here from all walks of life,” Charity said. “People from rock col lectors, people who are all about metaphysicals and energies, and everyone in between. We don’t judge here. We let them do their thing.”
The Moogs own a Wheeler Rex hydraulic cast iron pipe cutter to split the geodes open to discover what’s inside. Some crystals and miner als haven’t lost their shine over time, and they’re good at catching a customer’s eye.
32 River City Living | fall/winter 2022 A lot alike.nocollectible,somethingcreatingchargeEarthMotherbutproduced,andpressedarecollectiblesofprinted,masswhenisinoftwoareNature
While geodes are a big part of their business, the Moogs come across other interesting rocks on their travels too, some they discover themselves and others they buy. In addition to some of the more basic crystals and gems, the Moogs also of fer colorful minerals such as rainbow chalcopyrite — also called peacock ore — and colorful bismuth crystals that look like a pile of square tiles. The bismuth crystals originally are a white-silver metal with a reddish-pinkish hue, but acquire more of a rainbow pattern when oxidized.
J&C cont’d from page 32
“We like sharing our knowledge with people and edu cating them, and not just go, ‘Here’s a geode, it’s pretty, you can take it home,’” Charity said. “We can tell you exactly what’s in it.”
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“Geodes really are anywhere, but some areas have more of them than others,” Char ity said. “In Keokuk, a glacier there deposited a bunch on the way down to the river. You can find them in the fields every once in a while around here, too, either when they get pushed up with frost, or come washing down the river — you just don’t know.”
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CODY Sheholderscessories,sellsstones,InSAUKVALLEY.COMCUTTER/CCUTTER@additiontorocksandCharityMoogalsohand-madefabricacsuchasplasticbagandclothespinbags.alsodoesclothingrepairs.
To
Through the years, the Moogs have gotten pretty good at knowing the best places to root out rocks. Sometimes they use existing geological research, or check out an area’s topography, while other times they can tell where a good cache might be by simply seeing how high or low a stream is. If it’s on private property, they’ll always ask for the owner’s permission before they dig through their ground or wade in their water.
Above this cover: Page 4
J&C cont’d to page 34
One of the most popular, and plentiful places to find geodes is the area near Keokuk, and across the Mississippi River near Hamilton. Every September, geode and rock enthusiasts from around the country flock to the rocks in the area to see what they can find. The Moogs have been regular visitors for more than a decade, and much of their geode inventory comes from the Keokuk area.
When the Moogs want to take a break from the busi ness and take a vacation, they don’t leave their passion for rocks behind. In fact, the two spent their honeymoon in Arkansas digging around to see what they could find.
crystalQuartzcan be found throughout the United States — or you could just stop by JC’s and pick one up. This one came from a trip
pincloths,lowcases,—aresewnMoremanningwhiletheshopwhenitsopen6daysaweek.That’swherethe“More”inJC’sRocksandcomesin.Charity’sowncreationsondisplayclothing,pilwashclothesbags,plasticbagholdersandmore.Shetakesorders
Moving their business into their own home has proven to be a blessing for the Moogs: It’s given them a chance to chat with customers and fellow rock hounds, and Charity has more time to work on her own passion project, clothing design and repair,
This looks more like a fungus you’d see growing on a tree, actuallybut’sadesertrockfromMorocco.
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to geodes — you have to crack ‘em open to see the beauty inside. The Moogs use a hydraulic cast iron pipe cutter to break them open. That thrill of the rock hunt is what keeps Jaime and Charity excited. The couple finds many of them during their travels, including ones they’ve found in the Keokuk area at Iowa’s southeastern tip, where the glaciers of millenia ago formed low-lying land.
J&C’s Rocks and More, 928 14th Ave., Fulton, is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, or by appointment. Find it on Facebook, gidget732001@gmail.comemailorcall563-613-2873formoreinformation.
“We love what we do,” Charity said. They aren’t just custom ers, they’re our friends.” n
for sewn, cro cheted or hand-crafted items, and will also do some light mending, altering, hemming and small em broidery projects. Charity also can whip up a new set of clothes for old dolls, even mimicking their original outfits. Just drop off the doll and an old picture and she can have something old look like something new again.
J&C cont’d from page 33 34 River City Living | fall/winter 2022
Not only have the Moogs managed to turn their hobbies into a home business, they’ve found some new friends along the way.
and fluorite
Chunks of fluorite from mines in southern Illi nois are among the minerals sold at J&C’s Rocks. Some people believe that crystals have metaphysical healing benefits. “We have people coming in here ... who are all about metaphysicals and energies ... We don’t judge here. We let them do their thing.”
The couple got their start turning rocks into revenue in 2013 when they sold some of their finds at a flea market. They found that shoppers were amazed at what they were seeing at the couple’s table, fascinated that things like geodes even existed, Charity said. They soon took their finds to a resale booth at a DeWitt antique shop, and after a while moved all of their items into their own home a couple of years ago.
35River City Living | fall/winter 2022 SM-ST2012748 1701 13th Ave. N, Clinton, IA 52732 ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE | RESPITE CARE (563) 243-6870 | www.PrairieHillsC.com Set on a campus surrounded by beautiful fields, our community gives you or your loved one the means to make your golden years truly golden.
W H A
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" I f e e l g r e a t a n d l o o k g r e a t t o o ! M y c l o t h e s a r e a l l l o o s e a n d I ' m g o i n g t o n e e d t o r e p l a c e a l l m y w o r k s c r u b s s o o n ! ! ! W a i t i n g u n t i l I l o s e t h e r e m a i n i n g w e i g h t b e f o r e I i n v e s t I h a v e w a y m o r e e n e r g y a n d a m o r e p o s i t i v e o u t l o o k a b o u t m y l i f e F e e l l i k e I ' m s l o w l y g e t t i n g b a c k t o m y o l d , y e t n e w l y t r a n s f o r m e d a n d e v o l v e d s e l f T h a n k y o u f o r a l l t h e w o r k a n d c o m m i t m
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TRUTH ABOUT EXCESS FAT
