A Hometown in the Heartland

I had a great opportunity to reconnect with my Grandpa Martin on his birthday back on January 17, 2024, when celebrating 100 years since his birth.  Writing a blog post about the occasion, and reaching out to my Mom and her siblings for what they had to share was a wonderful time getting to know him better.

In light of his milestone birthday, I felt I could get to know him even more by putting myself in the context of the place where he grew up, in Ottumwa, IA.

Over and over I've heard so much about Ottumwa from my Mom and her siblings as they fondly recall their visits to this small city.

I was eager to experience the place myself and 2024 felt like a suitable time.

In the wake of celebrating US independence during the first few days of July 2024, I set my sights westward into the heart of the Great Plains on the evening of Friday, July 5.  I left homebase in Oak Park around 7 PM.  (Please note that all times in this post are CDT.  And as usual, all photos are mine unless otherwise stated.)

I drove to Peru, IL, where I spent the night at the Quality Inn there. I really liked the hotel. My windows looked out onto I-80.

The following morning, on Saturday, July 6, after my morning routine with breakfast and then some, I was on my way by 9 AM continuing west on I-80 to the Quad Cities.  After the momentous crossing of the Mississippi River into Iowa, I got on US 61 and headed in a generally southwesterly direction, passing through wide open fields filled with corn, the kind of scene that contributes to why I admire Iowa so much.  At Wapello, I headed west on a county road until I reached US 218.  From there, I drove to Mount Pleasant, at which point I got on US 34, which took me all the way west to Ottumwa.

I arrived around 12:20. First, I went to the Ottumwa Amtrak station--please see photo directly below.  The eastbound train was running late, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to wave at it, since I had missed out on my eastbound journey last summer on the California Zephyr.  I also have a sense of the railroad's importance in Ottumwa.

Next, in the spirit of National Fried Chicken Day, I drove south, crossing the Des Moines River, and went to a gas station to get Chester's fried chicken lunch with a biscuit.  I brought it back to Central Park--in the photo below--to eat picnic-style.

Once I finished, I went inside the Ottumwa Public Library to look around.  It's a Carnegie library building, and looks so splendid inside and out.

Looking up into the dome of the library

The main area of the library under the dome

A close-up of the artwork in the library

Exterior of the Ottumwa Public Library

Next, I went to check in at the Hotel Ottumwa, a historic hotel dating back to 1917.  The furnishings were plain, yet it still had a nice historic feel.  

My room in the hotel

Exterior of the Hotel Ottumwa

Then I walked around the downtown streets and browsed a couple of thrift stores.  

A US Navy uniform for sale inside a thrift store

Looking east along Main Street

Artwork along Main Street

Walking along, I ended up by the Bridge View Center, where I took a closer look at the Wapello County Freedom Rock, as is shown in the 5 photos directly below.  Every county in Iowa has a Freedom Rock to commemorate those who have served.

Back on the other side of the Des Moines River, getting back to the Central Park area, I walked through Canteen Alley, as is shown below.

Between 3-4 PM, I returned to the library to look at materials in the genealogy section.  I found my great-grandparents in phone directories from the 1930s.  I also bought an Ottumwa Public Library tote bag as a souvenir.

I stopped back at my hotel room to rest for a bit before heading out again.  First, I stopped at the Canteen Lunch in the Alley to get a root beer float, which is an esteemed Ottumwa eatery.  

Then, I drove to McKinley Avenue, and saw the house where my great-grandmother Cecile and my Great Aunt Jean lived for many years.  The lady of the house stepped out because two people came by to see her.  I greeted her, and when it became apparent that her primary language was Spanish, I switched to talking in Spanish as I explained the family's connection to the house.

The house on McKinley Avenue

Looking south along McKinley Avenue

I left the block on McKinley and drove a short distance to a part along the Des Moines River and walked on a path for a few minutes.

In a westerly direction

In an easterly direction

Looking north across the Des Moines River

A little later, I went to the Ottumwa Amtrak station to greet the westbound train.

Around 7 PM, I went to dinner.  I was in the mood for Mexican food, so I ate at the Tequila Bar and Grill.  I had carnitas tacos.  Apparently, 10% of Ottumwa's population is Hispanic, and there are other ethnicities present.  I enjoyed my dinner and the decor in the restaurant.

Carnitas meal

Above is inside Tequila Grill and below is outside.

Once I finished, I went to Polar Express for a sweet treat of self-service ice cream and sorbet, which is in the photo directly below.  I liked mixing the flavors and toppings.

Here I am with my treat outside Polar Xpress on Main Street, in a photo taken by a fellow customer.

Polar Xpress appears near the center of this photo.

Subsequently, I walked more of the paths along the Des Moines River.  Near the Market Street Bridge, as it started to get dark, the Jefferson Street Viaduct lit up in blue.

Looking in a northerly direction across the bicycle/pedestrian bridge from the south side of the Des Moines River

Above and below are views of the Jefferson Street Bridge lit up in blue, above just after 9 PM and below, closer to 10 PM.

A little later, I went shopping at Hy-Vee, a place that Mom recalls fondly, which, even as an average grocery store chain, makes it special shopping there.  Then I returned to the hotel to retire for the night.

The Hy-Vee Store as it appears the following morning

I was up around 7 AM the next morning on Sunday, July 7.  I went downstairs to the lobby, where there was a restaurant area serving breakfast.  I got pancakes with sausage, a meal that was included in my hotel stay--please see photo below.

Shortly after 8:30, I drove a short distance south to attend 9 AM Mass at St. Patrick Parish.  There was a telling detail in the Gospel reading, in which Jesus returned to His native place, and there I was, visiting my grandfather's childhood hometown.  There was a new priest who recently started his assignment as parochial vicar for the Roman Catholic parishes in Ottumwa and vicinity.

Exterior of St. Patrick's Church

The altar area inside St. Patrick

Looking from the baptismal font through the nave toward the altar

Looking toward the back of St. Patrick

Following Mass, I returned to the hotel to gather everything together and check out.  I eventually ended up at the Quincy Place Mall for lunch at Bubba Q's.  I had a nice turkey sandwich with fine thickly-sliced turkey with broccoli on the side, which is in this photo below.

By 12:30, after I had finished a little bit of shopping, I set my sights headed east back to Oak Park.  For the return trip, I followed a different route, driving on US Route 34 into Illinois.  Upon reaching Burlington, IA, I made a stop for gas. Then I went to the nearby visitors' center where I bought a postcard.  I walked down by the Mississippi River.  

The Great River Bridge carrying US Route 34 over the Mississippi River

On my way following a detour back to US 34, I stopped by Snake Alley, a street that predates and that's more crooked than Lombard Street.  At this point, advancing storm let down a downpour, so I got back in Avila and got on US 34, and then crossed teh Mississippi River back into Illinois.  At a reasonable speed, I eventually drove past teh storm.

Later, though, I entered another storm, but it eventually cleared, and I had largely smooth driving along I-80 all the way back ot Chicagoland until I arrived back at homebase around 7 PM.

Reflecting on this trip, I think one moment that stands out was when I sent Mom a photo of the house on McKinley Avenue: She said it brought back so many memories, and described to me some of its features.  I may not have the same connection to that place as Mom and her siblings, but it gladdened my heart that I could look at the place and recognize its nostalgic power.

In light of the Gospel reading at Mass on Sunday, when Jesus went to his hometown, I feel a sense of significance in connecting with my family by experiencing the context of place, and adding it to my grandpa's life.  

Ottumwa fits the picture of a typical Iowa small city in the heartland of the United States.  I can tell it has entered a period of decline with all the empty storefronts, but I still sense it has potential with all the nice artwork along Main Street and even businesses like Polar Xpress.

There were other nice American touches in the town, like the presence of the BNSF Railroad and the California Zephyr route.  I was also glad to see the posters on the streetlights recognizing those from Ottumwa who have served in the US armed forces.

Perhaps the combination of these elements speaks to what I learned about the setting of where my Grandpa Martin grew up.  His story is truly an American story.  He went from the heartland of the USA to live a life full of heart in raising a family and making an impact in education.

There's something I greatly admire about the state of Iowa, with its Fields of Opportunity.  Perhaps Ottumwa's character speaks to why, and now I know it just a little bit more.  This road trip was an opportunity to honor my family by connecting with a significant part of its past.

When I stopped for after-dinner dessert on Saturday evening, I saw this artwork near Polar Xpress, which reads, "There is another alphabet/Whispering from every leaf/Singing from every river/Shimmering from every sky".

Indeed, from the Des Moines River rises a city called Ottumwa with places that tell a story about my family.

I was intrigued by the O! on the Ottumwa signs like this one.