Fort Madison has a different feel to it
Taylor was in town for a couple of days and she loves walking through the leaves. She neither hears the crunch of crispy leaves under her boots nor the smell of autumn in Manhattan.
She said on our walk on Wednesday that she rarely sees a vast expanse of sky, only blue and white peaks when she walks through the megalopolis of New York City.
I was there. You’re not wrong, but there are other things that are wonderful about New York City. I call it that even though the residents there know you’re in Queens or the Bronx or Manhattan or Brooklyn – whatever. For me it’s New York City.
I love the architecture of urban America. And I love how they try to capture their story with different types of architecture. The art is fully on display there. Yes, it smells a bit like trash, but I can handle that. I like to say “hello” to people I pass on the sidewalk. It feels a little out of place, and my daughter says that too.
I enjoy the parks and the independent grocers and restaurants. You get a full feel for the East Coast melting pot.
In fact, to a certain extent, I like the subways and the people watching. You have to be a little careful with that in New York City, but somehow they’re used to it.
But I walked downtown during the Wine Walk and again during the Lighted Christmas Parade and got a feel for something else.
I mentioned to Mayor Matt Mohrfeld that downtown feels different – especially when you see the new section of motorway and the new Amtrak train station.
It just has a completely different feeling and that is the best way to describe it at this point, as it is not complete.
The lighting along the new passenger platform in the new depot is extremely inviting and warm.
Now add the lights that were reinstalled along the new three-lane section of Avenue H from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Bridge to 10th Street and we’re going somewhere. Our daughter smiled when she saw it and then was blown away by Riverview Park.
When I was explaining what was going on, this girl who almost grew up in Fort Madison after third grade said simply, “Good.”
It’s not such a simple feeling, but encapsulates the atmosphere around the plant.
“Good.”
I think former Mayor Steve Ireland would be proud of what is happening, and to that end, former Mayor Brad Randolph who supported the project in honor of the late Ireland.
We are literally weeks away from the first passenger train stopping at the new Riverview Park depot. The only thing it holds is an Amtrak platform sign that simply says “Fort Madison.” Amtrak will not allow trains to stop there until this sign is in place.
I hope to get on the train from Galesburg with a VIP route. I think it will be interesting to get a wide range of stakeholder perspectives as the train meanders through the Ag fields of Illinois before traveling along Dallas City and Pontoosuc with the coast of Fort Madison over the Mississippi River.
We’re bringing the railroad’s historic significance and value back to the Fort Madison riverside. It might be beneficial to see how the story continues in our downtown businesses. Black and white and color photographs, both of which bring our downtown history to life, would be another way to benefit from the depot relocation.
Many skeptics point out that too little Amtrak traffic and short stop times make moving investments a poor taxpayer investment.
But if the city and county seize the chance and make it something that rail fans appreciate, it could be a bigger economic factor than we think.
If that’s not the place to go, just check out the Kingsley Inn Railcam. People are very interested in Fort Madison railroad activities. I lived in Rochelle, Illinois, where there was something called a Diamond Crossing. This is where the Union Pacific and BNSF lines crossed, right in town.
The city built a park around the intersection and designed it so that it looked like the trains were coming down a hill, almost like they were coming up from the ground. A shelter house was also built at the intersection and speakers were added so that enthusiasts could hear the communications from the engineers at the intersection.
Then they created a “Hobo Days” and held a Saturday event around the facility.
I’m not advocating or saying we have to be an old fashioned train stop, but how cool that would be. They already have a lemonade in downtown Shug. They have coffee, art, history, shopping, even a movie theater.
And now the councilor and mayor want serious talks about the sidewalks and curbs that can come with new streets along Avenue G.
I do not know. It feels different. But it also feels pretty good.
Thanksgiving has come and gone, but I received a gift from the city and I’m grateful for the removal of the “no parking” signs and stop signs in my neighborhood – but that’s Beside the Point.
Chuck Vandenberg is the editor and co-owner of Pen City Current and can be reached at charles.v@pencitycurrent.com.
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