~by Chuck Offenburger for the Greene County Historical Society
“Spring Lake, Then and Now” will be the topic on Friday, Oct. 7, at the monthly lunch and program of the Greene County Historical Society, meeting this time at the United Methodist Church in Rippey.
The free program at 12:45 pm will be presented by Greene County Conservation director Tanner Scheuermann and Spring Lake Park ranger Joe Allen.
They will talk about the 98-year history of the park, which has evolved from being a privately-owned summer resort and amusement park until 1949, to an Iowa State Park from 1949 to a ’69, to a county park from ’69 to the present.
It sits on 240 acres of land, including a 50-acre lake, asphalt trails and hiking paths through the woods. The park is located five miles northeast of Jefferson, or two miles northwest of Grand Junction.
The Jefferson Herald has reported that in the early years, many nationally known bands performed in the park’s old Crystal Ballroom, among them orchestras directed by Count Basie, Lawrence Welk and Guy Lombardo.
Since 1929, the classic indoor skating rink – with a wood floor and side windows propped up for an open-air feeling – has been a major attraction.
And it’s always had one of the state’s most popular campgrounds. Most summer weekends now, the crowd in the campground would make Spring Lake the second largest city in the county.
The 12 noon lunch in the Rippey church hall is $10. Historical Society members should RSVP with their community contacts by Tuesday, Oct. 4. Others can make lunch reservations by calling 515-386-4408. There’s no need to RSVP for those who would just like to attend the program.
