Hickory Hills Park
Resource Inventory
Adapted from the original document by Michele Kreidler, written in 1979
Hickory Hills is an upland ridge and floodplain of approximately 160 acres located west of Medora, Iowa on US Highway 69. The Warren County Conservation Board purchased the tract in December, 1976 for preservation, conservation, education and recreation purposes.
In order to adequately develop the park for public use without destroying its natural state, a resource inventory has been conducted to gain knowledge of the site’s natural cultural features and to guide the Conservation Board in decisions regarding development and land use.
Over a six month period from April to September 1979, the site was studied. The inventory involved data collection, field observation and reference review. The results of this inventory were presented to the Warren County Conservation Board for use a planning guide for further development of a land use plan for Hickory Hills.
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Geology
The present landform of Hickory Hills was developed many millions of years ago when shallow seas covered Iowa. Sediment layers, accumulated from sand, clay, marine organisms and chemical precipitates, were compressed into sandstone, shale, limestone and dolostone. These sedimentary rock layers formed the bedrock beneath the park which is of Pennsylvanian age in the Des Moines series.
The Nebraskan (1,500,000 to 2,000,000 years before present) and Kansan (1,200,000 years B.P.P glaciers of the Pleistocene Epoch deposited till (ice transported sediment or boulder-clay) on this bedrock surface. The interglacial stages which occurred as the glaciers melted and the climate returned to conditions more like those of the present exposed the glacial sediments to weathering, erosion, and soil formation. The interglacial Aftonian (1,200,000 BP) and Yarmouth-Sangamon (600,000 BP) paleosols are covered by Wisconsin-age loess, a sediment deposited by the wind between 14,000 and 29,000 years ago.
The major geologic contrast within Hickory Hills is the alluvial (stream-deposited) floodplain and the loess soils of the upland ridges. Erosion and deposition has occurred on both landforms. Wind and water has eroded the floodplain and the uplands. At the same time, wind deposited alluvium on the floodplain and loess on the ridges.
The surface elevation of Hickory Hills ranges from 880 feet above sea level on the floodplain to 1020 on the upland. This 140 foot gradient rises from the Old Squaw Creek bed tot he ridge at the southern section of the park near the well.
An old coal shaft existed on the west bank of Skinaway Creek. It contained a 14" vein and was mined until the late 1930s by residents of Medora. At present there is little indication of the site and the only disturbance noted is small shale and coal fragments.
Squaw Creek is a primary intermittent stream with a general water quality designation of class "B". Class "B" waters are to be protected for wildlife, fish, aquatic and semi-aquatic life and secondary contact water uses.
A major limitation to the use of Hickory Hills along Squaw Creek (and to some extend Skinaway Creek) is the occurrence of flooding which is often erratic and cannot be predicted accurately. The western floodplain (at elevation 880) is subject to flooding periodically. The western one-half of the 1979 prairie may be flooded several times within a 10 year period.
Skinaway Creek is a secondary intermittent stream on the northeastern park boundary. The estimated 100 year flood elevation of 900 may be too high for both creeks but should be considered for land use decisions. Any major improvements should be located above 880 on the Skinaway Creek floodplain and above 900 on Squaw Creek.
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Soils
The thirteen types of soil present on Hickory Hills are members of two associations. The Gara-Gosprot-Pershing association occurs on the upland ridges and consists of strongly sloping to very steep soils that formed in shale and glacial till on upland side slopes and gently sloping to strongly sloping soils on loess covered ridge tops.
Gara soils are found on the convex side slopes of the southeastern uplands draining into Skinaway Creek. The solum (the upper part of a soil profile above the C horizon) ranges from 40 inches to 70 inches thick. Since the major hazard for Gara soils is erosion, they should be used mainly for grassland and woodlands.
Pershing soils occur on the park’s highest ridge and the upper part of side slopes. The solum ranges from 50" to 80" in thickness and is comprised of wind-blown loess. They are susceptible to erosion and should have a permanent cover crop of grassland or woodland. Weller soils are similar to Pershing soils, but have a thinner surface layer.
Lindley soils consist of deep, strongly sloping to very steep upland side slopes. They are well drained loam but have a thinner surface layer than Gara soils. Due to the very steep slope (25 to 40%) they are unsuitable for building sites or trails of vertical inclination.
The other distinctive pattern of soils is the Zook-Wabash-Nodaway association consists mostly of nearly level, poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium on first and second bottoms of major streams.
Wabash soils have a deep surface layer of black, silty clay loam which is 36" thick. These soils are aback from the stream channels near the base of uplands. Due to their excessive wetness and flooding, plant materials tolerant of these conditions should be considered. Sand spots and small areas of marshy ground occur on the north bottom land of the park.
Nodaway silt loams are near the stream channel of Skinaway Creek. They formed in silty alluvium under a native vegetation of trees. Sand and wet spots occur and the soils are susceptible to flooding. These areas should be considered a part of the permanent floodplain.
Colo soils are located on the broad bottom lands of Hickory Hills. Organic matter content is high, making the soils very well-suited for cropland. However, periodic inundation may occur and these soils often contain sand and wet spots which preclude permanent structures.
Olmitz soils are found on alluvial fans and foot slopes. Small areas of glacial till outcrop and sand spots are also included. Erosion and overflow from adjacent slopes are major hazards.
Amana silt loams are on first bottoms near the original stream channel of Squaw Creek. Wet spots and ponding water after rain is common. Trails and other recreational development would be susceptible to periodic flooding. Although the organic matter content is high, plants are more quickly affected by moisture stress in dry periods in this soil than on surrounding soils.
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History of Medora Area
James Hackney, the first settler in Squaw Township, arrived in the fall of 1847. He settled 1/4 mile west of Highway 69, approximately 2 miles north of Jefferson Heights. Others soon followed and by 1870 Charity D. Rice laid out and named the small village of Madora (old spelling) near the creeks of Skinaway and Toad Run.
Businesses of the time were a general store, blacksmith ship, stock buyer, hotel keeper, justice of the peace and notary public and two physicians.
In the early days there was a stagecoach line from Indianola to Osceola. This old line zigzagged along the ridges and down through the hollows and entered Medora from the south. The halfway house where horses were changed and meals were served was located on the farm west of Hickory Hills, now owned be Loren Loomis. Later, this old road was used by the Jefferson bus line. During a snowstorm in the 1940s, one of the large buses turned over while descending the steep hill east of the old schoolhouse, There were no injuries despite the seriousness of the accident. Medora has always been a good trading point. At one time there were four general stores here, H. Himstreet, Burgess and Son, C.C. Taggart, and J.W. Taggart who as father and son, were in competition with each other on opposite corners of the main street. A blacksmith shop, grist mill, hotel, coal mine, sorghum mill two restaurants, garage, barber ship and central office also provided services to the bustling community.
On the west side of Skinaway creek on gravel road 201 (now paved to New Virginia) everyone gathered for the 4th of July celebration. Folks came by road wagons, carriages, top buggies and surreys bringing with them heaping picnic baskets and blankets for the day’s festivities.
Barrels and boards were set up to make a platform and school children gave poetry recitations and plays. Families and groups of friends played their fiddles and banjos (and even a piano) and sang old favorites. There were sack and foot races and, of course, baseball games. J. Taggart had a stand where he sold fireworks and ice cream. These grounds were also used for traveling Toby shows and some folks saw their first motion picture show set up in a big tenet on this site.
The first Medora school was located on the west side of the road just south of town between Skinaway and Toad Run. It was subject to flooding and occasionally the creeks would rise so quickly the school house would be stranded before the wagons could drive in to take the children and teacher home.
In 1906 a new one room school was built on the hill to the west. Children use to call the new school “high school” because they had to climb the steep hill to get to it. One teacher arrived before daylight to fire up the coal stove and prepare lessons for the 30 to 50 students who attended at one time. Spelling bees and arithmetic quizzes social events for all. Medora school had reputation for good students around the area.
In 1894, while the Rev. C.H. Flesher was serving the Medora Community, enough money was raised to by the Methodist church in the Ohio community in Madison county. It was torn down and hauled to Medora by team and wagon where it was set upon the site where it stands today.
The Epworth League and Ladies Aid were organized in 1897 and 1907 respectively. The church has remained active throughout the years due to the efforts of these ladies. To raise money for needed church improvements, they have sewn, gathered corn, given plays, served at sales, cooked for threshers and made ice cream for suppers. When no mend were available for work, tow of the ladies aid drove a team and wagon into town and hauled lumber for a much needed new floor.
Today, Medora has a general store, [Ed. note: now closed] owned by Joe Ranker He carries a complete line of goods in the tradition of rural storekeepers and his business is a social gathering place for all in the community.
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History of Hickory Hills
Hickory Hills lies to the west of Medora. Courthouse records show the first owners to be J.C. Watson. In 1868 he sold to William Coffman. Around 1875, a local blacksmith, C.C. Taggart, purchase the property. U. Grant Evans’ father bought the southern 80 acres before 1900. P.F. Parker acquired the north section in 1912 and live in a crude log cabin on the north slope (near the new prairie) until he built a better house on the east slope property line south the old Jefferson highway.
In 1918 Harry Himstreet south the northwest section of what is now Hickory Hills along Squaw Creek extending east to Skinaway Creek. He had a large feedlot near the old grist mill and coal mine. The coal mine is on the eastern property fence of the park, approximately 1/4 mile south of Highway G76.
Glen and Dorothy Kilgore and Albert Wilwerding were the last owners before it was acquired by the Warren County Conservation Board in December 1976.
Many other people have owned sections of this land for short periods of time. Before gas and electricity it was a common practice for people to own a small tract of timberland. Tow to five acre plots provided enough wood to cook with and heat their homes. Families and friends of Neil Morrison, Ira Taylor, Lee Keller, Alex Sander and Everett Grant used Hickory Hills for their wood source. These plots were located on the west slopes and extended around to the north slope above Squaw Creek. Once a fire got away while they were burning off brush and there was much scrambling around to save the wood piles. The fire got very close but the winter’s precious supply was saved.
Timer cutting and clearing also took place in the 1920s and ‘30s. During the depression Harry Himstreet let folks work out their grocer bills by clearing the undergrowth on the north slope above the road to New Virginia. A day’s work with a crosscut saw took 75¢ off the store’s ledgers. Huge walnut trees on the west slopes were removed about this same time.
During the years that Glen Kilgore owned this property, in the 1960s the eastern slopes were cleared of hickory and oak by Emmett Conrad. He hauled the wood to Des Moines to sell for firewood.
The section of Squaw Creek that adjoins Hickory Hills on the northwest boundary line was dredged between 1917 and 1919. The new channel was approximately 19 inches high sloping down to water level. 8 to 12 feet of silt was removed from the creek bottom.
The dredge was pulled through Indianola on a railroad flat car. It started a the present farm of Darrell Eshelman in Virginia Township and stopped 3 to 4 miles west of Highway; 69 where Squaw Creek runs into South River.
The dredge was a flat bottom boat that pulled a second boat in which the cook lived and prepared meals. Coal was heaped along the spoil banks to fire the flat bottom.
The first farmers on Hickory Hills were the Evans, before 1900. They had a square 80 acres which is now divided by Highway 69. The first house was built some time before the turn of the century. It had a kitchen, dining room and bedroom. In 1918 a bedroom and living room was added. The house had three porches; tow on the front side which faced the old road to the west and a back porch off the kitchen and pantry leading to the cave which was dug in 1916.
The barn was build around 1914 along with the water system. A windmill, now south of Highway 69, pumped water to a cistern northwest of the house. Three hydrants provided water to the family and their livestock.
The farmstead also included a corncrib, granary, cattle shed, hog house, chicken house two gardens east and southeast of the house and the privy to the north of the east garden.
After purchasing 150 acres from H. Himstreet in 1928, Grant and Effie Evans and their sons Lester and Warnie cleared the ridge north to the Indian mound. They broke ground with a single bottom breaking plow with four horses. Corn was the first crop which they cultivated with a spring trip cultivator to kill out brush and tee roots.
In 1930 the Evans moved and other families lived here for short periods. Dave and Daisy Timothy, Fred Swisher, the McCormicks, Charlie Hines, Lewis and Lucille Schee and finally the Bill Fry family, who lost all their possessions when the house burned in the winter of 1942.
During the time the Timothys lived there “Nigger Dave” was known for the best home brew for miles around. There were many parties and dances in the old house and later in the barn after a new haymow was built. Most Saturday nights Murray Davis and the Chumbley brothers, John, Namer and Poet played and called here or at other barn dances around the countryside. Folks still remember the good times of dancing and music.
The last person to live at Hickory Hills was John Crisman, who lived in the old cave for about a year.
Since acquiring the property the Warren County Conservation Board has restored the barn and planted the old house foundation to an old fashioned perennial flower bed. Other improvements have made the old farmstead a popular spot for picnics and family reunions.
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Transect Procedures
The woody and herbaceous plant list was obtained by the line transect method. Three transects were plotted across the park. Their orientation was chosen to be representative of different slope aspects and vegetation types on the ridge, side slopes and floodplain. Stakes were set at 50 meter intervals. The southern transect had 18 stations, the SW-NE transect had 12 stations, and the NW-SE had 16 station.
The herbaceous plants were recorded in 1 square meter plots. The understory and shrub species within 3 meters of the station were recorded. The overstory trees were recorded to 10 meters from the station. The diameter at breast height (dbh) was also recorded.
The largest tree in the park is a silver maple with a diameter of 41.5" (dbh). It is growing on the east bank of the old Squaw Creek bed. The largest recorded red oak is 27.6", the largest willow is 25.0", the largest linden is 22.7", the largest white oak is 26.0" and the largest walnut is 14.5".
With the exception of the silver maple these diameters do not indicate the largest or oldest trees in the park; merely samples of the larger specimens of each species.
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Vegetation
Hickory Hills is comprised of several community vegetation types. Open areas of grasses and forbs occur on the upland ridge near the barn and pond area and extend north and east to the [last Indian mound on the northeast ridge].
The ridges is covered by a mixture of brome, rye, fescue, timothy, orchard grass, blue grass, clover and alfalfa. Prior to plowing in the 1930s the ridge was combination of prairie grasses and small trees and shrubs, forming a savanna between the forest and open prairie. This transition zone occurred naturally since fires periodically swept across the prairie, preventing the forest from covering the entire ridge. The open ridge has not been farmed since the 1950s and is currently mowed once each summer to maintain the quality of the grass and legume species. The hay provides a source of food in winter for deer.
The floodplain is characterized by mixed moist woods and several open fields along the park’s west and north boundaries. Two small open areas located on the western foot slopes are no longer in crop production and are in a savanna like state of transition. Honey locust and elm are pioneer species extending from the timber edges into the open, sunny meadows.
Two larger fields are used for row crops on a corn-soybean rotation. Silver maple, black walnut, hackberry and elm surround these floodplain sites.
On the north boundary of the park the recently planted (July) prairie is currently an almost pure stand of foxtail until the prairie grasses of bluestems, switchgrass and Indian grass become established. Along the prairie edges on the north slope cottonwood, locust, elm, hackberry, walnut, red oak mulberry and ash are interspersed with grasses and forbs.
The effects of [settlement] have greatly influenced the character of the timber land on Hickory Hills. Several fences throughout the park indicate past grazing by livestock. This has affected the timber by destroying much of its original vegetation. Timber harvesting has occurred in nearly all sections of the site. A few mature trees remain on steep slopes due to the fact they were almost physically impossible or economically infeasible to remove. Only one small section at the start of the foot trail by the well is relatively undisturbed. It contains mature oak, hickory, basswood and hackberry. Though considered mature, it is not a climax community due to the relatively recent disturbances of wood cutting and grazing.
The forest sections of the park comprise approximately 55% of the total land area. The forest can be divided into three broad habitats according to slope aspect and geologic formations. Dry woods, moist woods and floodplain are categories used to describe the location of associated plant communities.
Dry woods contain the dominant cover type of Hickory Hills. The oak-hickory association of the eastern deciduous forest is located on the upland side slopes along the ridge. The dominant species of this association are white oak (Quercus alba), bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), and shagbark hickory (Carya ovata). Dominant understory species are prickly as (Zanthoxylum americanum), pasture gooseberry (Ribes cynosbati), and buckbrush (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus). Dry woods comprise approximately 30% of the site.
Moist woods are located on the foot slopes and steep draws of the upland ridge. Dominant overstory species include white oak (Q. alba), red oak (Q. rubra), bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis), and shagbark hickory (C. ovata). Dominant understory species of moist woods are buckbrush (S. orbiculatus), gooseberry (R. cynosbati), and raspberry (Rubus sp.). Approximately 15% of the park is moist woods.
Floodplain vegetation accounts for the remainder of the timber land (10%). The silty level soils contain the dominant overstory species of basswood (Tilia americana), red oak (Q. rubra), elm (Ulmus sp.), black walnut (Juglans nigra) and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis). Common understory species are Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra), buckbrush (S. orbiculatus) and greenbrier (Smilax sp.). Ohio buckeye is the dominant understory species throughout the moist woods and floodplain.
The vegetation of Hickory Hills is most dens on the floodplain and foot slopes. Understory vegetation is more predominant. Greenbrier and raspberry occur in stands that hinder passage through areas on the north slopes and the south slopes below the [last Indian mound on the northeast ridge].
An herbaceous plant list was compiled from field observations during the transect data collection process. It contains the most frequently observed forbs but is not a complete listing. This suggests a more thorough study be made as the seral stages of the woody plants are recorded over the next five years.
The only plant found in Hickory Hills of a rather scarce nature is purple clematis (Clematis verticillaris). It is located on the west side of the burial mound near the trail.
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Overstory trees:
Boxelder (Acer negundo)
Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)
Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis)
Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata)
Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)
Honey locust (Gleditsia tricanthos)
Black walnut (Juglans nigra)
Osage orange (Maculara pomifera)
Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Black cherry (Prunus serotina)
Whit oak (Quercus alba)
Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
Red oak (Quercus rubra)
Sandbar willow (Salix interior)
Black willow (Salix nigra)
Basswood (Tilia americana)
American elm (Ulmus americana)
Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra)
Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila)
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Understory trees and large shrubs:
Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra)
Gray dogwood (Cornus recemosa)
Hazelnut (Corylus americana)
Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.)
Eastern wahoo (Euonyus atropurpureus)
Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Prairie crabapple (Malus ioensis)
Red mulberry (Morus rubra)
Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana)
American plum (Prunus americana)
Common chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra)
American elder (Sambucus canadensis)
Common prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum)
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Vines and low shrubs:
American bittersweet (Cleastrus scandens)
Moonseed (Minispermum canadense)
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Common poison ivy (Rhus radicans)
Pasture gooseberry (Ribes cynosbati)
Virginia Rose (Rosa virginiana)
Rose (Rosa sp.)
Raspberry and blackberry (Rubus sp.)
Greenbrier (Smilax sp.)
American bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia)
Buckbrush (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus)
Grape (Vitis sp.)
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Wildlife
The diversity of the vegetation species and landforms offer a very favorable habitat for wildlife at Hickory Hills. Their requirements for food, cover and space (or territory) are adequately provided for by the variety of plant materials growing in the park. The public’s relative inaccessibility to a few remaining natural habitats allow many animal species to nest and care for their young in protected solitude.
During the inventory period several species of animals were observed. White tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), hawks (Buteo sp.), turkey vultures (Cathartes aura), eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), eastern conttontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) and many species of woodpeckers, sparrow, warblers and thrushes have been noted.
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References
Anderson, Paul. F., Bruce R. Brown and J. Craig Taggart, 1973. Brown’s Woods: Resource Analysis. Department of landscape Architecture, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Delisle, Donald G. 1966. The Vascular Plants of Berry’s Woods. Iowa Academy of Science, Vol. 73, Iowa City.
Eilers, Lawrence J. 1971. Studies in Natural History. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, Iowa.
Evans, Lester. 1979 Personal communications. Former owner of Hickory Hills. Osceola, Iowa.
Field Survey. 1979. On site investigations by author.
Fry, Lela. 1979. Personal communication. Lifelong resident of Medora area. Medora, Iowa.
Gibney, Dave. 1979. Personal communication. District Soil Conservationist, Soil Conservation Service, Indianola, Iowa.
Giles, Robert H., Ed. 1971. Wildlife Management Techniques. The Wildlife Society. Washington, DC.
Hines, Blanche. 1979. Personal communications. Former neighbor on west property adjoining Hickory Hills. Indianola, Iowa.
Kuchenreuther, Margaret. 1979 Personal communication. Naturalist, Warren County Conservation Board, Indianola, Iowa.
Land Abstracts. 1979. Auditor’s Office. Warren County Courthouse, Indianola, Iowa.
Lyman, Betsy. 1979. Personal communication. Executive Director, Warren County Conservation Board, Indianola, Iowa.
Peterson, Roger Tory and Margaret McKenny. 1968. A Field Guide to Wildflowers. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts.
Prior, Jean C. 1976. Iowa Landforms. Iowa Geological Survey, Des Moines, Iowa.
Project PLUM, Iowa and Nebraska State Departments of Education. 1979. Gifford Pint Forest Management Plan. Bellevue, Nebraska.
Robbins, Vernon. 1979. Fence Report. Park worker, Warren County Conservation Board, Indianola, Iowa.
Runkle, Sylvan T. and Alvin F. Bull. 1979. Wildflowers of Iowa Woodlands. Wallace Homestead Company. Des Moines, Iowa.
Shee, Lewis and Lucille. 1979 Personal communication. Farmers and former tenants of Hickory Hills. Indianola, Iowa.
Soil Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. 1973 Soil Survey of Warren County, Iowa. SCS, U.S.D.A., Ames, Iowa.
Water Quality Commission. 1977. Water Quality Standards. State of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa.
Department of Agronomy. 1965. Principal Soils of Iowa. Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
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