Central States, Lawman and Outlaws Historic Association

Thursday, June 25, 2026

CSL&OH.A. Editorial July 2026 By the Editor G.C. Stevens

Photo courtesy of the state of Iowa

Greetings from the Dragoon Trail in central Iowa. As we travel down the historic trail, we approach July of 2026, a month which not only marks my 68th birthday, it also marks the 250th birthday of the United States of America. These milestones also mark my return to civil war reenacting after a very long hiatus from living history. Adding to this is the success of this blog. The number of visitors to this blog has surpassed 10,000 visitors this last month. I have to personally thank the many people who have supported what I do and those who have contributed to this blog. If you view this blog on your laptop or desktop computer, you will see the folks that support this blog on the right side of the page, and you will also see the people that I have supported as well. It's been quite a journey thus far, I have a couple of books coming out, one is called "The Scoundrels of Iowa" which is being published by Arcadia publishing. This book has been in the publishing phase for about seven months, and there is no visibility on when it will be published. The other book is called "Trains Trails and & Outlaws" this book was originally published through a hybrid publisher called USA Book Promoters, and unfortunately the process of publishing through this hybrid publisher has been a literal nightmare, and I will not be using their services again. I removed the book from Amazon to be reedited by another book company called Jones Book store and I'm praying for a good result.

So... Writing seems to be a struggle against many dark forces, and trying to tell the story of American history isn't very popular right now. But there are many of us who are willing to take risks to be story tellers, and even those who take the risk, find themselves in different strata of emotionally charged opinion and social status. Not to mention that there are clear hierarchies within the western genre community. The days western magazines are coming to a close and very few opportunities exist for western writers to get their work published. That's where blogs like this one and social media comes in. It's up to us to keep telling the story anyway that we can.

See on the dusty trail!

Editor

G.C. Stevens

Bonebright Park Historic Site Webster City Iowa By G.C. Stevens

The inscription on the monument reads:

Bonebright Park 185-1860

homesite of the Wilson Brewer first white settler in Webster City

a sanctuary for pioneer travelers.

Park given in his memory by his heirs.

Monument placed by Women's Patriotic Orders

Bonebright Park in Webster City, Iowa, is another hidden gem in Iowa that isn't advertised as tourist spot, but it most certainly should be on the list of places to see for local history buffs. This site is significant local history. It is also called the Wilson Brewer Historic Park Village (located at 220 Ohio Street).
The park's story is deeply tied to the pioneer families who founded Webster City. Originally, and according to online resources the land was donated to the city by the family of Frank Bonebright, a grandson of Wilson Brewer—the very first pioneer settler to stake a claim and build a cabin in the area in 1850–1851. Because of this family donation, the grounds were historically and colloquially referred to by locals as Bonebright Park, though its official modern designation heavily highlights the Wilson Brewer Historic Park Village name.
Today, the 9-acre site functions as an open-air living history museum that preserves Hamilton County's 19th-century frontier, prairie, and railroad heritage. The key historic structures and artifacts preserved at the park include: The Pioneer Log Cabins

The Wilson Brewer / Alexander Groves Cabin: This structure includes the original log cabin erected by pioneer Wilson Brewer, which was the first building constructed in what became Webster City. It was later meticulously restored by Frank Bonebright.
The Jameson Log Cabin: Another authentic early pioneer cabin that was moved to the site to represent the hardscrabble living conditions of early westward expansion.

The 1866 Hamilton County Courthouse

This is the second-oldest original county courthouse building still standing in the state of Iowa. The two-story timber structure features a restored second-floor courtroom and first-floor exhibits dedicated to early county governance and pioneer legal history.

The Illinois Central Railroad Depot & Caboose
**1901 Wooden Depot: This classic turn-of-the-century timber depot was moved to the park to preserve the community's rich rail history. Today, the depot interior serves as a local history museum, packing a diverse assortment of Hamilton County artifacts, pioneer tools, and an extensive collection of Native American relics.
IC Railroad Caboose: Parked right alongside the depot is an authentic, preserved Illinois Central caboose.

Historic Country Buildings
**Harmony Center School (1914): A fully restored one-room country schoolhouse that offers an immersive look at early 20th-century rural education, complete with period desks and blackboards.
Mulberry Center Church (1890s): The oldest standing country church in Hamilton County, moved to the park grounds to preserve its classic late-19th-century frontier church architecture. It features a simple, elegant interior and is still utilized for special community events and weddings.

Early Industrial Artifacts
The park grounds house massive remnants of early frontier industry, notably a giant turbine wheel salvaged from Lyman Perry’s Mill (often connected to the historic Bell's Mill and Bone's Mill history along the Boone River). When these river mills ceased operation, one wheel went to Bell's Mill Park and the other was moved here to Bonebright Park.
Other Information:
The historical village site is well maintained and connected by smooth, hard-surfaced walking trails making it easy to stroll between buildings. The outdoor grounds and park areas are open year-round, while the historic interiors and museum spaces are typically open for guided tours and educational programs from May through October. The park also hosts community heritage gatherings, such as the annual Wilson Brewer Park Fall Fest.

*Unless otherwise stated all photos are by the author

Sunday, June 21, 2026

G C. Stevens U.S. Photographer

RECREATING EARLY PHOTOGRAPHY

FROM THE LATE

1800'S TO THE

EARLY 20TH CENTURY

(right click to copy email)

PHOTO GALLERIES

Trains, Trails & Outlaws, Father's Day Boone & Scenic Railroad: By G.C. Stevens

And of course, Jesse James was on display at the Railway Museum too!

A train depot, inside the museum, It is well stocked with many artifacts

The consist

It was a rainy, cool June 2026 Fathers day in Boone Iowa, at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad (BSVRR). We caught the 1:30 "Fraser" (or in honor of the train that once went to Fraser). We arrived at about 12:30 checked in, viewed the extensive railroadania collection at the James H. Andrew Railroad Museum. Please check out the photos and video here on the post. For those who haven't visited the BSVRR, it is well worth the visit. This rail museum and the City of Boone is a railfans dream, with many train spotting opportunities. It also along the famed Lincoln Highway route 30, which parallels the Union Pacific Rail line, and this stretch of historic roadway is a very scenic by-way that connected the east coast to west coast. There many places along this route with opportunities to see and photograph railroad operations at work.

* Unless otherwise stated, all the photos here were taken by the author

Video

My sons Asa and Aaron two more railfans

Rock Island Caboose in its "swept colors"

The BSVRR has more railroad lanterns than I do. I saw that as a challenge.

The Switcher that pushed and pulled the rather large consist of rolling stock that was assembled for the Fathers day Fraser train. An EMD NW2 Diesel-Electric Switcher.

The last two cars in the consist. a double decker Chicago and Northwestern

Passenger car and a CNW caboose. We rode in the CNW passenger car on the second level for a

short while, the car rocked side to side on the rural tracks.

A model of a CNW steam train

Exhibit honoring the beloved interurban electric rail line, the Fort Dodge and Des Moines & Southern Railroad (FDDM&S) system that served the area faithfully for many years carrying passengers and much needed freight to rural towns around Iowa between Fort Dodge and Des Moines Iowa.