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Archiver > IOWA > 2001-03 > 0983797481


From: "Jim Neiers" <>
Subject: Re: [IOWA]
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001 07:04:41 -0600
References: <00ba01c0a540$a53b70c0$2d0a2918@charterpipeline.com>


List,

Here are my views on typical travel distances in eastern Iowa, Jones,
Dubuque, and Jackson Counties.
Before the automobile and good roads, Cascade was a commerce center for many
small setlements around the area (5 to 12 miles away). Folks in those
settlements would come to town once a week to do their main shopping. They
would come by horse and wagon. I think most social travel was to neaby
neighbors and family. (3 miles or less). A trip to Dubuque, 25 miles away,
was significant enough to be published in the local paper and ususally was
of two or more days duration.

Jim in Albama

----- Original Message -----
From: Deveron Shudic <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2001 12:51 AM
Subject: [IOWA]


> Sandy in soggy,
>
> You brought up an interesting point about the counties in your e-mail to
Clara. I thought I'd put this out to the list because I have been thinking
about the distances that my gp and ggp could travel in the late 1800's.
Especially in farm land. You mentioned the counties were small but a short
distance for me is probably different than for my gp who didn't have a car.
Well, I don't know when they got a car - they had one for sure circa 1927
because I saw a picture of it. But I don't know when they *first* got a
car. The train was running thru most major cities by 1880, I believe but
there were still many small cities that relied on horses. Some cities in
Iowa didn't get a train station until 1996 or later. So my question, for
anyone who knows is, how far was considered normal travel for those living
in 1898? Did they often saddle up the buggy and go to a friends house for
dinner 30 miles away? I know my family thinks nothing of traveling 30+
miles for evenings out.!
> My girlfriend drives 60 miles RT to work each day. When they went on
vacation, where did Iowans go in the mid-1890's? Actually, I know alot
about turn of the century vacation destinations in CA but what about IA?
>
> Deveron in drenched CA
>
>
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