- City:
- West Union, IA
- Site Type:
- Parks and Recreation, Shelters
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
- Started:
- 1934
- Completed:
- 1936
- Contractor:
- Finch & Ernest Morgan Engineer
- Quality of Information:
- Moderate
- Marked:
- Yes
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
Echo Valley State Park is a 100-acre natural area, originally built by the CCC.
On December 12, 1935 the Park was named Echo Valley. A stone and log shelter 35 ft X 27 Ft. with a stone fireplace and 945 square foot porch were built in 1936 and are extant. The shelter house overlooked the man made lake. The CCC also planted 310 shrubs and 75 trees. In April 1939 1,500 trees were planted by Echo Valley Chapter of FFA.
In 1962 a CCC lime kiln was destroyed. The park was abandoned from 1970 to 1984 due to lack of state funds. In 1984 the Iowa DNR and Fayette County Conservation Board stepped in to manage the park.
Source notes
Conrad, Rebecca The Legacy of Hope from an era of Despair: The CCC and Iowa State Parks, from Books at Iowa 64, April 1996, The University of Iowa. Available online here https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/bai/conard.htm Fayette County Union Newspapers from 1934 to 1984 available at the Fayette County Historical society, West Union, Iowa. Notified about web site by Paula Mohr, Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.Site originally submitted by Donna Story on December 5, 2015.
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