McGregor Heights Overlook Traditional Cache
McGregor Heights Overlook
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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 a small city park in the historical McGregor Heights area. (You may want to look at some maps before your visit as the drive isn't a very obvious route.) Not only does this area provide a very scenic view of the river, it has an interesting history as well.
McGregor Heights had been the home of the American School of Wildlife Protection from 1918 to 1941. It all started in July 1918 when the Iowa Conservation Association (ICA) decided to hold its first summer session in McGregor. The school was established in McGregor in August 1919 and continued each summer until 1941. The first few sessions lasted one week, but were later expanded to the first two weeks of every August. The school was also known as the MacGregor Wild Life School and the American Institute of Nature Studies.
One of the first of its kind in the United States, the school's purpose was to promote conservation values among the public. The school's sessions combined education with activism and included both lectures and field trips. Topics included Native American history and lore, botany, geology, forestry, entomology, and ornithology.
Open to all ages, most attendees stayed in small crude cabins or tents on McGregor Heights, but a few would stay in hotels or private homes in town. Faculty members were drawn from Midwestern colleges and state and federal agencies. Due to the significance of the school, the McGregor Heights area was listed as a National Register Historic District in 1991.
There had been 2 different observation towers built near this location. The first was constructed in 1899 and was removed four years later for lack of use. The second tower was errected in 1932 and was 100 feet tall with a 25 feet wide observation deck. A telescope was mounted so one could see for miles. Unfortunately it was dismantled in 1945 after sustaining great damage during a severe storm. I have attached photos of both towers in the picture gallery.
The cache: The cache is a small sealed container with a logbook, pencil, and starts with a few nice trade items. Note that gloves and/or a flashlight might help in retrieving the container. Please sign the log, trade fairly, and return the cache to its original location and state of concealment for others to enjoy.
Additional Hints
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Treasures
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