Out of the parking lot at 9:16 am and off to a real breakfast at Miller’s Landing. Eggs over medium, hashbrowns, sausage, wheat toast and coffee. We need a break from the continental breakfasts every few days.
A short drive north took us to Livermore, Iowa. This is a small town of about 430 in the middle of...corn fields. Downtown is less than a block long and at 11:30 am there were no cars other than ours and no one other than us in sight. No one. Really kinda of eerie.
A nice lady at the city hall gave us directions to the Union Cemetery. Pretty simple really. Turn right before you cross the bridge. Barb was skeptical. How did she know I would get lost? After exploring (that’s what I call being lost) for a short time we followed well worn ruts into a pretty little cemetery surrounded by...corn fields.
With a general idea of where the graves might be found we headed out on the search. Today was my turn and after about 20 minutes I called Barb over the McCauley graves (great great grandfather.) After a few photos we headed back for a last drive through Livermore and then out to Renwick.
Even with a smaller population, Renwick seemed larger than Livermore. We drove around town several times and actually saw some residents. Anyway, just like all the other little towns we have passed through in Iowa it was really fun to see. Really kinda nice to see towns that are clean and well kept. And just how do they get along without graffiti? Too bad it’s so hot and humid in the summer and cold in the winter.
Next it was back to Humboldt and the Carnegie Library, which Barb discovered was home to the Humboldt County Historical Society. Actually it was just a small corner of the library, but there was a wealth of information. We spent a lot of time going through the obituaries and an 800+ page book on the history of Humboldt County. Turns out my great great grandfather George C. McCauley was, according to the book, one of the most influential citizens in the north part of the county. He not only farmed 600 acres, but also served two terms as County Sheriff, built the roller-skating rink in Livermore, laid out the 30 acre McCauley addition, owned business in Livermore and produced a daughter Rachel Belle McCauley. Perhaps it is more than just coincidence that my middle name is McCauley.
After all that heavy reading it was back to Miller’s Landing for a beer. Later we had a quick dinner and got ready to drive to Algonquin, Illinois. Do they have corn in Illinois? 75 miles today.
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