The Ford Rogue River Complex and Greenville Village
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| Inside the Ford Rouge Complex where F150's are built |
The Ford Rogue River Complex is 1.5 miles wide by 1 mile long, including 93 buildings with 16 million square feet of floor space. The roof is the largest living roof in the world. It is planted with sedge to help filter the runoff and insulate the building.
However, on the same day, we also visited Greenfield Village, and we have lots of pictures. Greenfield Village, the assembly line tour, an IMAX theater and the Henry Ford Museum make up the “The Henry Ford”, the largest indoor-outdoor museum complex in America.
The Village was a project of Henry Ford. He felt Americans were not preserving historic structures, so he began purchasing structures, dismantling them, and reassembling them in the 90 acre village setting.
He started with the home in which he was born. He dismantled the home which originally sat about three miles from its present location and then reconstructing it in the Village. He continued these efforts with nearly 100 additional buildings. His original intent for the Village was a private school to teach children in grades 4-6. The school eventually encompassed all grades, K-12, using all of the reconstructed buildings as classrooms until 1967. Today, a foundation continues the work to accumulate structures to share them with visitors to the Village.The Village includes buildings from the 17th century to the present, and is manned by costumed
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| Wright Brothers Cycle Shop from Dayton, Ohio |
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| George Washington Carver's house from Missouri |
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| Noah Websters Home 1823, from New Haven, Ct. |
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| Luther Burbanks Home from Lancaster, Ma. |
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| Edison's Laboratory |
In some cases where structures were too deteriorated to be moved, Ford had reproductions built, and on many occasions the soil on which the original structures sat was also collected. It is a fabulous collection of artifacts. In a discussion with one docent we were told that only a small portion of the collection is on view at any time.
While there, you can also ride in many of Fords original cars, Model T's or Model AA Bus, ride a  |
| Riding in 1923 Model T |
It is hard to understand why this site is not more well known. It is a true treasure! Since we left the Northwest a year ago, we have experienced so much American history. It has made us even more curious to learn what, where, when, why and who.
Bicycle Capital of America
Two days after we left Dearborn Mich., we pulled into Sparta, Wisconsin, the Bicycle Capital of America to visit Tom and Lynn Moriarty. We met Tom and Lynn last winter when we all worked at Alafia River State Park in Florida. They are visiting their son Chad here in Sparta, and he was gracious enough to offer us a space on his property to park for the night.
Next stop was at a small cheese factory. We could not go through Wisconsin
without buying cheese after all! Next we were off to see the Mississippi. Tom and Lynn took us to a beautiful overlook called Grandad's Bluff in Lacrosse Wi. The Mississippi River is very different from what I imagined. Around the Lacrosse Wisc. area and north of that, the river is full of little islands with only one part of the river being deep enough to accommodate shipping barges. |
| view of Mississippi from Grandad Bluff |
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| Deane, Lynn and Tom |
Continuing on, next point of interest was one of the 27 sets of locks on the Mississippi from Minnesota to St. Louis. This was #6. The river is actually quite shallow for large boats, so a shipping lane has been dredged. But the rest of the river is wonderful for recreation boating and kayaking. From there, we headed to a little town called Trempealeau and had dinner at an old historic hotel right on the river. Have you ever had Walnut Balls? Not bad as an appetizer.
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| Looking at the Mississippi from the deck of the hotel |
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| Sunset on the Mississippi |
Great fun day seeing Tom and Lynn again and meeting their son Chad and his dog Arlo!
Spam Museum
Next day, we are off again and heading west towards Welcome, Minnesota where we were to spend a night. On the way, we spotted a signed inviting us to visit the Spam Museum in Austin Minnesota.We stopped and spent about 1 1/2 hours, learning more about Spam that I thought there was to learn. Did you know back in the 1940's Jay Hormel created a marching band of women? In order to be part of it, you had to have a military background. Hormel also had the 'Hormel Girls' who danced and sang and traveled the country putting on shows.
Back on the road, as we continue west, we are loosing our wonderful summer weather. We drive through a wind advisory on I-90 with projected gusts to be up to 45mph.
Corn Palace
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| Exterior is all corn and other agriculture |
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| Arena inside, back and side walls are done in corn |
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| Mural on side of building done in corn |
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| Mural |
Parked in a Wal-Mart parking lot for the night here in Mitchell. Continuing our way to Mt. Rushmore and hoping it is open when we get there. The government is still shut down as of today!