Little bit of history in Delmar, IA. Local residents have restored the old Milwaukee Railroad…read moreDepot. The depot was a stop on the Orphan Train which traveled through the US from the 1850's to 1920's. Depot is near a little city park and close by an Ice Cream / Deli that has mini golf course. Nice destination for family activity day.

A cute rail car that has been used as a museum. I wish they had a docent there who was trained in…read morethe history more. You have to just rely on the one page sheet they have and peruse the displays. What is bizarre is the camera set up to show you the railway right behind the car - why? If the windows were open you could see it (but I understand the need to keep sunlight off the displays). The ladies lounge when you walk in is the coolest part of the train.

These folks are clearly doing what they can with limited resources. It was a treat getting to see…read morea preserved rail car. This museum also contains photographs, uniforms, and other memorabilia. The museum is staffed seasonally, weather permitting. We found it open on a Sunday morning in mid-September, but Colleen told us they'd probably be closing for the season a in a couple weeks. This museum was especially great because we were in Carroll County for the weekend to indulge my genealogical hobby. My ancestors on my mom's side came to the Salem Township area of what is now Carroll County in the 1840s from Darmstadt in the Grand Duchy of Hessen (Germany after 1871). My goal was to find resources to help in my research of the lives and times of my ancestors, and of living relatives whom I've never met. (Unlike the TV commercials, genealogical research is a LOT harder than subscribing to Ancestry.com, then downloading movies of your well-dressed, attractive ancestors.) Based on my late mother's comments from many years ago, I believed my grandfather, Charles. W. Schriner, had left the farm and taken work in town with the railroad. I had been able to verify her recollection to the extent that the 1910 and 1920 censuses listed a Charles Schriner with an occupation of Freight Clerk with the railroad. But that's all I had to work with. I still don't know what Grandpa Charles looked like, or how he lived in Carroll County after his wife and daughters left town around the time of WWI. I was hoping against hope to find an old photo at the Train Car Museum identifying Grandpa Charles. And there were quite a few group photos dating from the early 1900s. But while Grandpa Charles may have been in one of these photos, none named him. But I found the next best thing. Lying in a display case was an open Railroad Time Book which included an entry for "Chas Schriner" ("Chas" was a common abbreviation for "Charles," and "Schriner" is how my family spelled it (versus the far more common "Schreiner"). I'd found a first-hand record of Grandpa Charles! Sadly, however, 54-year-old Grandpa Charles wasn't working in September 1922 as a Freight Clerk, much less as something sexy like a Superintendent, Engineer or Fireman. No, Grandpa Charles was working at the age of 54 as a mere Laborer ... and not much at that either. Grandpa Charles apparently only worked one day in the first half of the month ... 8 hours on the 11th of September in 1922 ... and he seems to have been paid only $2.94 for the work. Yikes. What a life. Regardless, this is the way it usually goes in genealogical research ... even at its best. Ancestors found working at anonymous, lackluster jobs is the norm. Few of us actually have relatives who commanded armies, made great fortunes, or moved society. Fewer yet are related very closely to Cleopatra, Napoleon, or George Washington. But then, even my more successful farmer relatives didn't make it into any history books ... even though they came to northwest Illinois when there weren't even towns there yet, and even though the farms they scratched out of the wild prairie were the very foundation of all the wealth eventually generated in Carroll County. Nope. It was the self-promoting bankers, merchants, and politicians who got all the notoriety in the local histories, and whose names are now recorded on historical plaques in front of the grand old houses in places like Mt. Carroll. The ancient names "Schreiner" and "Schriner" are now mainly found inscribed on headstones in the Mt. Carroll, Chadwick, and Lanark cemeteries. Anyhoo ... thanks, Ron, Colleen, and all the other volunteers who devote their time and energy to preserving these little bits of our past. It's a rare devotion, and getting rarer all the time when the almighty buck seems to be all anyone cares much about. You folks are doing important work, and it's very much appreciated!

Three ladies just driving through savanna we decided to pop in. It was their first day open since…read morewinter. Amazing service and very friendly staff.

Iron Horse is awesome. Old town bar, motorcycle themed. Big inside, multiple floors. Cool…read moremerchandise.

This place was pretty cool! You see all these different cars that have been supped up to race. This…read moreday there were dragsters, motorcycles, funny cars, trucks, you name it. All were doing the 1/4 mile race. There are even juniors racing their cars. In the back there were trucks and jeeps racing through mud/dirt which was pretty cool. It is a BYOB so keep that in mind. If you get too close the starting line bring some ear protection!

One of the best experiences -if not best- that Clinton has to offer. I'm always amazed by the…read moretalent they bring in each year and this year was just as wonderful. It's so unique to see the different cast members swap rolls. The staff is always so friendly and I appreciate the cool air conditioning to bring comfort through each production!

Biggest Little Gem along the Mississippi River!!! If you have never seen a show, what have you been…read morewaiting for.

Love the $5.50 seats on Tuesdays! Love the reclining seating (although some renovation will be…read moreneeded soon as "pleather" is getting worn and torn at headrest area). Service is friendly and pretty fast although directing "flow" could be improved during busy hours-having to cross the concession line seems ridiculous. Overall a great theatre!!

I been in the movie theater since seating change. I like the seats great movie theater to watch…read moremovies. Everyone nice and frienxly upon entering theater and at concession stand

We are staying nearby in Clinton visiting our grandkids and we decided to bring them here as this…read morehas been on my list a couple of times when we've been through town. Please note that this is an actual working grain milling windmill and you can purchase the different types of flour that they mill as well as the brown mustard. Give yourself some time because there are guides who really wish to walk you through both the windmill itself and how it operates and then you go across the street to the cultural center where there is another Guide, who explains all of the different windmill models to you. Give yourself at least an hour and a half to two hours. I will say our grandkids were quite fascinated, especially with some of the working windmill models they could see in action. There was not a charge for a mission, but they do accept donations. Also, you are right on the Dyke so there are nice walking pads so give yourself some time to take a walk and enjoy the area. Note that they also have Stroopwaffles for sale for $1.25 each so we had to introduce our grandkids to this too!

Beautifully cared for grounds with great view of the river. The Dutch history of Fulton is evident.read more