Osceola County Inks Deal to Buy Hawkeye Point


Osceola County has signed an agreement to buy 5 acres around the Hawkeye Point Iowa State highpoint.

Mrs. Sterler had earlier announced plans to donate 1.6 acres around the highpoint to the county. The new agreement will encompass the the house and grounds which will be used Ag Extension office, and possibly the Soil Conservation Board.

The Sterlers have long been among the most gracious of the private highpoint owners welcoming highpointers seemingly at all hours. This is yet another tribute to their stewardship of the highpoint.

The plan is to close on the property by February, and begin to make improvements shortly thereafter. These would include paving 130th Street eastward to the entrance from US 60, creating a Driveway into the property along the East edge of the tree hedgerow to the E of the water tower, creating a Parking area in the vicinity of the current small sweet corn patch between the water tower and the silo, creating a small Path over to the Hog Feed Trough (“Bunker” per Mark Sterler) from there, erect an informational Kiosk, Memorialize the Sterler family with something appropriate at the highpoint, provide Amenities such as a Picnic Table, mini-Shelter associated with that, and possibly a Restroom facility. Longer term plans include a Barn-type structure to house an Interpretive Center, with better restroom facilities, and renovate the silo such that visitors could safely ascend inside of it to an Observation Tower atop it.

There is a small Wooded Lot on the N side of 130th Street, which is owned by the state, and the County would like to procure it and turn it into a Camping Area for tents and RVs.

This entry was posted in General and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.