Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On July 9, 1854, Ambrose and Asa Call arrived in Kossuth County while prospecting for a place to settle. Bunking down for the night in the current location of Ambrose Call State Park, the brothers soon set about founding the town of Algona.
During the summer of 1854, the brothers decided to strike out up the Des Moines River. After arriving in Fort Dodge and receiving warnings to avoid any area north due to potential conflict with the Dakota, the brothers struck out up the East Fork and eventually arrived at a hilly and wooded area they found suitable.
Two days later, the brothers arrived back in Fort Dodge, and Asa struck southeast to register the claim in Iowa City while Ambrose headed back upriver. After some initial tense moments of confrontation with the Dakota, the brothers went on to found Algona. Ambrose farmed and started the county’s first newspaper, while Asa eventually laid out a saw and grist mill along the Des Moines and served as the first county judge.
Today, Algona stands as the county seat of Kossuth County. Boasting a population of roughly 5,500, the city stands alongside the East Fork of the Des Moines. During the initial era of Iowa state park development, Ambrose Call State Park came into existence in 1925 on the original settlement site. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily
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