Gem of the Prairie Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This cache is hidden in the “Prairie Winds” flower garden in Garnavillo. Garnavillo’s nickname is “Gem of the Prairie”. The “Prairie Winds” garden is a public garden located on a lot owned by the Garnavillo Historical Society. It was established and is maintained by a local gardening club.
Garnavillo (often called "Garny" for short by the locals) is located on the southeast corner of an area known as the Garnavillo Prairie. This prairie has been compared to some of the richest farm ground in Iowa and the country. The town of Garnavillo was originally called Jacksonville. In 1846, it was renamed Garnavillo after a village in Ireland, at which time a poem titled “Gem of the Prairie” was written about it.
Next to the garden is a Masonic Lodge museum. Across the street is a nice city park with playground equipment, picnic areas, and an authentic log cabin also owned by the town’s historical society. The cabin was moved from nearby Frenchtown, Iowa in 1977 and is believed to date back to 1831 which would make it a potential contender for Iowa’s oldest building. (See the “Iowa’s Oldest Building” cache located in Dubuque which makes the same claim though only dated to 1833.)
Adjacent to the city park is the Garnavillo Historical Museum. The log cabin and the museums are open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4pm during the months of June, July, and August and during the town’s famous July 4th celebration. Admission is free. Donations accepted. With the garden, playground, and museums all in this area, seeking this cache on a nice afternoon will offer something fun, interesting, and exciting for everyone in the family.
The cache: The flowers and other plantings do not need to be disturbed to find the cache. This cache contains a logbook, pencil, and starts with a few Garnavillo themed trinkets. (Note that the "Gem of the Prairie" emblem attached to the inside of the lid is NOT a trade item. Please leave it in the cache.) Please sign the log, trade fairly, and return the container to its original location and state of concealment for others’ enjoyment.
Additional hint (must be manually decoded):
Fg. Svnper
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[See above in the description. (Sorry, but you will have to decrypt this one manually.)]
Treasures
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