West Okoboji's Des Moines Beach boasts rich past
By Greg Drees, Journal correspondent | Posted: Sunday, August 10, 2003
Cristy Clarke Hedgpeth, left, and Wendy Poston stand at the historical tressle bridge in front of one of the oldest cottages on West Lake Okoboji's Des Moines Beach. The two women have recorded the history of the lakeside neighborhood in a new book, "The History and Memories of Des Moines Beach." (Photo by Greg Drees)
OKOBOJI, Iowa -- History is in their hearts. And in their blood. And soon to be in their own book.
Fourteen months ago Cristy Clarke Hedgpeth and Wendy Louis Poston, both longtime residents of the authentic lakeside neighborhood of Des Moines Beach on West Lake Okoboji, challenged each other to record the archival veracity of the area for posterity, and the fruits of their labor will soon come to fruition.
"The History and Memories of Des Moines Beach" is in the hands of a printer and will be ready for distribution in November.
It all started at the annual Des Moines Beach Fourth of July party in 2001. Hedgpeth and Poston, both third-generation residents, began a discourse about the rich past of the fifty-odd lot neighborhood and summoned the resolve to write a book about it. Last summer, the two began the daunting task of unearthing the history of each property to its origins. After an exhaustive and exhilarating odyssey, including literally thousands of hours of research and interviews, the pair's work has made them authors.
The duo undertook their mission driven by a deep regard for genealogy. Both had recently lost their mothers, and a mutual quest to not let any more history pass from their lives became their obsession.
"We discovered how similar our interests were," Hedgpeth said, "and we bonded on the project."
Hedgpeth and Poston interviewed hundreds of current and past residents of Des Moines Beach for the project, as well as many longtime area residents. They poured over diaries written in the early 1900s and newsletters from the Okoboji Protective Association from the '20s, '30s and '40s, searching for interesting documentation about the early cottages and their occupants.
They became regulars at the Okoboji City Hall and Dickinson County Asssessor's Office, scrutinizing abstracts, deeds and records. Scrapbooks with keepsake photographs from as far back as the late 1800s were reviewed, and the Internet was used for historical information.
"It was literally a daily task," Hedgpeth said of the project. "I think we took Christmas day off, but otherwise we were at our computers every morning."
Hedgpeth's own research was so dogged that she discovered a relative she didn't know she had living in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
The authors' own family histories at Des Moines Beach endeared them to the project.
"Both of our families bought properties here in the 1940s," Hedgpeth explained, "and our ancestors predated that at other West Lake sites."
Hedpeth's great-grandfather's nephew was the first trustee on Omaha Beach, and her ancestors also owned property on Sunset Beach.
Family trees are nothing new to Poston.
"I've been working on the genealogy of both my husband's family and my family for quite some time," she said. "I enjoy the research and the history."
Some intriguing photos revealed early architecture on Des Moines Beach -- the oldest inhabited neighborhood on the lake -- that had been long forgotten. One such jewel was the ominous and stately John Q. Adams home at 1603 Lakeshore Drive that towered above the tree line and featured white columns on the lakeside architecture. The discovery of the Adams photo spawned a cavalcade of contributions from past and present beach residents, including a disc of shots from Martha Green Porter -- whose family owned a cottage in the neighborhood for more than a century -- that showed the Adams residence dominating the landscape.
The 51 lots on Des Moines Beach -- each of which is represented by a chapter in the book -- was researched back to the 1880s, and in some cases even earlier. The authors began at the legendary "chateau" residence on Givens Point (not far from the East -- West Okoboji Highway 71 bridge in Smith's Bay) that was built by Judge Givens and worked their way down the beach to the last property (Hakes) on the south side of Ft. Dodge Point. Each chapter shows what the current residence looks like, and in most cases what earlier cottages on the properties looked like as well. Photos of current and past owners are also included.
The book, Hedgpeth said, is fashioned to preserve history for future generations.
"In fact," she said, "there is a chapter called 'Future Memories: Continue Your Family,' which contains blank pages for memories and photographs. Who knows, maybe 50 years from now there will be enough keepsakes for a supplement."
"The History and Memories of Des Moines Beach" is a labor of love that may spawn other similar projects.
"There are residents of Dixon Beach who are talking about writing a book," Hedgpeth said, "and there are rich histories at Omaha and Sunset Beaches and other venues as well," she said. "Our hope is that other beaches will follow our lead and preserve the history of their neighborhoods for future generations," Poston added.
Note: Due to its large size, estimated to be more than 300 pages with well over 300 photos, Hedgpeth and Poston were unable to find a publisher. For this reason, the book is being self-published. Those interested in obtaining a copy of the book have until Aug. 15 to place their order pre-paid. The cost is $50 per book, including shipping and handling. "The History and Memories of Des Moines Beach" will be ready for distribution in November. Send your check along with a "ship to" address to: History of DMB, P.O. Box 107, Okoboji, Iowa, 51355.
Fourteen months ago Cristy Clarke Hedgpeth and Wendy Louis Poston, both longtime residents of the authentic lakeside neighborhood of Des Moines Beach on West Lake Okoboji, challenged each other to record the archival veracity of the area for posterity, and the fruits of their labor will soon come to fruition.
"The History and Memories of Des Moines Beach" is in the hands of a printer and will be ready for distribution in November.
It all started at the annual Des Moines Beach Fourth of July party in 2001. Hedgpeth and Poston, both third-generation residents, began a discourse about the rich past of the fifty-odd lot neighborhood and summoned the resolve to write a book about it. Last summer, the two began the daunting task of unearthing the history of each property to its origins. After an exhaustive and exhilarating odyssey, including literally thousands of hours of research and interviews, the pair's work has made them authors.
The duo undertook their mission driven by a deep regard for genealogy. Both had recently lost their mothers, and a mutual quest to not let any more history pass from their lives became their obsession.
"We discovered how similar our interests were," Hedgpeth said, "and we bonded on the project."
Hedgpeth and Poston interviewed hundreds of current and past residents of Des Moines Beach for the project, as well as many longtime area residents. They poured over diaries written in the early 1900s and newsletters from the Okoboji Protective Association from the '20s, '30s and '40s, searching for interesting documentation about the early cottages and their occupants.
They became regulars at the Okoboji City Hall and Dickinson County Asssessor's Office, scrutinizing abstracts, deeds and records. Scrapbooks with keepsake photographs from as far back as the late 1800s were reviewed, and the Internet was used for historical information.
"It was literally a daily task," Hedgpeth said of the project. "I think we took Christmas day off, but otherwise we were at our computers every morning."
Hedgpeth's own research was so dogged that she discovered a relative she didn't know she had living in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
The authors' own family histories at Des Moines Beach endeared them to the project.
"Both of our families bought properties here in the 1940s," Hedgpeth explained, "and our ancestors predated that at other West Lake sites."
Hedpeth's great-grandfather's nephew was the first trustee on Omaha Beach, and her ancestors also owned property on Sunset Beach.
Family trees are nothing new to Poston.
"I've been working on the genealogy of both my husband's family and my family for quite some time," she said. "I enjoy the research and the history."
Some intriguing photos revealed early architecture on Des Moines Beach -- the oldest inhabited neighborhood on the lake -- that had been long forgotten. One such jewel was the ominous and stately John Q. Adams home at 1603 Lakeshore Drive that towered above the tree line and featured white columns on the lakeside architecture. The discovery of the Adams photo spawned a cavalcade of contributions from past and present beach residents, including a disc of shots from Martha Green Porter -- whose family owned a cottage in the neighborhood for more than a century -- that showed the Adams residence dominating the landscape.
The 51 lots on Des Moines Beach -- each of which is represented by a chapter in the book -- was researched back to the 1880s, and in some cases even earlier. The authors began at the legendary "chateau" residence on Givens Point (not far from the East -- West Okoboji Highway 71 bridge in Smith's Bay) that was built by Judge Givens and worked their way down the beach to the last property (Hakes) on the south side of Ft. Dodge Point. Each chapter shows what the current residence looks like, and in most cases what earlier cottages on the properties looked like as well. Photos of current and past owners are also included.
The book, Hedgpeth said, is fashioned to preserve history for future generations.
"In fact," she said, "there is a chapter called 'Future Memories: Continue Your Family,' which contains blank pages for memories and photographs. Who knows, maybe 50 years from now there will be enough keepsakes for a supplement."
"The History and Memories of Des Moines Beach" is a labor of love that may spawn other similar projects.
"There are residents of Dixon Beach who are talking about writing a book," Hedgpeth said, "and there are rich histories at Omaha and Sunset Beaches and other venues as well," she said. "Our hope is that other beaches will follow our lead and preserve the history of their neighborhoods for future generations," Poston added.
Note: Due to its large size, estimated to be more than 300 pages with well over 300 photos, Hedgpeth and Poston were unable to find a publisher. For this reason, the book is being self-published. Those interested in obtaining a copy of the book have until Aug. 15 to place their order pre-paid. The cost is $50 per book, including shipping and handling. "The History and Memories of Des Moines Beach" will be ready for distribution in November. Send your check along with a "ship to" address to: History of DMB, P.O. Box 107, Okoboji, Iowa, 51355.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
