Okoboji: Connections to the Past

I will be submitting the following essay for the BBC's History Magazine Inspiring History Writing competition (sans pictures).

Comments and suggestions are appreciated!

Here are the competition's guidelines:

Where in the world do you feel most connected to the past? Be it a battlefield, a castle, a church or a city, we’re asking would-be authors to write about their favourite historical place – and inspire us to visit.

In 400 words or less, we want you to tell us why your chosen location is so special. This is no tour guide – we’re looking for creative, inspiring writing that communicates the reasons for your enthusiasm.

Your choice of place can be anywhere that you deem to be historic, and it can be in the UK or anywhere in the world. It does not need to be a famous heritage site, nor somewhere where something momentous happened, but if it is such a place, that’s fine. Wherever you choose, you need to tell us why the place in question matters to you, and how and why it has inspired you to enjoy or study the past.

Entrants will be judged on the quality of their writing, and on the originality of their approach. Historical accuracy will considered.

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The place I feel most connected to the past is a spot in Smith’s Bay on West Lake Okoboji, Iowa, USA.  I can tuck the boat near the shore to protect it from the prevailing southwest winds of Iowa summers, throw out the anchor, and enjoy a beautiful summer afternoon.  It is a phenomenal spot for boating, but it is the history that has happened and can be observed from that spot that make me feel most connected to the past.

I feel most connected to this place because I have spent nearly twenty summers there with family and friends.  There have been many smiles and laughs as we eat, drink, talk, laugh, swim, and tan in the warm summer sun.  From my little corner of Smith’s Bay, if I look to the southeast, I can see and hear the ferris wheel, roller coaster, and other rides and games at Arnold’s Park Amusement Park, which is celebrating its quasquicentennial this year.  I can see other boaters going to the amusement park, concert green space, food stands, or restaurants.  Occasionally, we’ll spot someone we know and they’ll wave, chat for a few minutes, or even tie up their boat and join us. 

Smith’s Bay is also rich in  three distinct eras of Okoboji’s history.  While sitting in the boat, directly to the south is Gardner Cabin, a site in which Sioux Indians killed white settlers in 1857 in what became known as the Spirit Lake Massacre.  From the water one cannot see Gardner Cabin because directly between it stands the starkest juxtaposition of Okoboji’s next two historical eras.  Pick’s Resort, which is now a half dozen small cottages, represents the development of Okoboji at the turn of the Twentieth Century when the lake was ringed by seasonal cottages or cabins.  Directly to the east of Pick’s Resort, where a few of its cottages used to stand, is a multi-million dollar mansion that is currently under construction.  As Okoboji has become more and more popular, lakeshore property has become more and more valuable.  As that property increases in value, cabins and cottages have given way to condos and mansions.  

From that place in the southwest corner of Smith’s Bay, I enjoy the water and weather, recall fond memories, observe significant changes over the last hundred years, and look forward to many more years of creating connections on Okoboji.