ChaMinWood

Lake Chaminwood

Lake Chaminwood has become a reality. The plan was first developed in 1999. The property was composed of abandoned sand mines. The Forest Preserve is named for the three communities that surround the park - Channahon, Minooka, and Shorewood. The park is between the Dupage River and the Illinois and Michigan Canal State Park, providing a great continuous open space and trail connecting Joliet to LaSalle Peru.

Rules for a Successful Open Space Project

1. Develop a simple plan

2. Develop a good map and graphic

3. Come up with an attractive name

4. Try to get land owners interested in a partial donation

5. Develop political support.

6. Build coalitions.

7. Acquire and improve the park.

Thanks to Minooka Village Administrator James Grabowski for updating us on this development. The park is now open and very nice. We appreciate the elected officials and citizens who helped make this happen. And thanks to the Minooka Village Board for their leadership and support.

** Funny story. I visited the park for the first time last year and was pleased with how it was developed. I snapped a few photos, including photos of the nice playground and the kids who were happily playing. One of the mothers came over and demanded to know why I was photographing her kids? I explained that I planned the park and was glad to see it developed. And then got out of town quickly.

Black Hills Trail - A Proposal

A multiuse trail could be developed on the railroad right of way owned by the State of South Dakota. The right of way parallels I-90, connecting the Black Hills to the rest of the state.

The trail could be a major tourism focus for the central part of South Dakota. The trail could accommodate horses, hikers, bikers, dirt bike riders, and off the road vehicles. Users of the trail could start anywhere on the trail, and ride / hike to the Black Hills.

Motels, Bed and Breakfasts, restaurants and other businesses could benefit from use of the trail. Hikers and horseback riders would start at the east end of the trail and use local campgrounds, motels, and restaurants as they proceeded west to the Black Hills.

Current and future rail use for the corridor would be preserved. There is ample room within the right of way for multiple uses. Trails have been constructed in numerous areas adjacent to railroad tracks.

The trail could support tourism, economic development, and recreation. It could put the Prairie portion of the State "On the Map".

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The Black Hills Trail name is a good one, emphasizing the connection of the rest of South Dakota to its chief tourist attraction. But many other names are possible.

Prairie Trail

Dakota Trail

Lakota Trail

Bad Lands Trail
Gold Strike Trail

Dances with Wolves Trail

Etc

IMPROVEMENTS

Improvements to the trail could very minimal. The right of way could be designated as a trail with virtually no improvements. Existing grass areas would be used by hikers and horses and off road vehicles.

Some investment would be best, however. The trail portion of the right of way could be mowed and any obstacles removed. Signage directing people to the trail could be employed. And the trail could be marketed with other South Dakota attractions.

NEXT STEPS

The idea should be discussed among citizens and governmental and business leaders. If there is sufficient interest, the State should develop a brief study examining the potential of the use of the right of way for the trail. The study would examine the feasibility of the trail, and its likely impacts on recreation, tourism, and the local economy.

Please send your comments or suggestions to:

Craighullinger@gmail.com

From Mitchell to Rapid City

About 270 Miles +-

From Chamberlain to Rapid City
About 210 Miles

References / Links / Maps

http://www.sddot.com/fpa/railroad/images/rrmap_maximum.pdf

http://www.sddot.com/fpa/railroad/basic.asp

http://www.mapsofworld.com/usa/states/south-dakota/south-dakota-railway-map.html

http://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks/directory/mickelson-trail/

http://www.railserve.com/Rails-to-Trails/Pacific/

http://www.trails.com/findarea.aspx?state=SD

http://www.lewisclark.net/sdtrail/index.html

http://www.americantrails.org/resources/statetrails/SDstate.html

http://www.badlandsranchandresort.com/trail_rides.html

http://oprt.org/

http://www.railstotrails.org/index.html

6 Million Dollar Man

In 1975 I was working for the Will County Regional Planning Commission. Will County is a large County on the south edge of the Chicago metropolitan area. It was rapidly changing and growth was exploding.

My boss was Tom Murphy, a fine planner but possessed of a fiery Irish temper and who was frustrated by the County Board. We all wanted the County Forest Preserve District to buy Forest Preserves to serve our rapidly growing population.

There was also a problem of flooding in the east side of Joliet. We developed a plan with the State of Illinois to buy flood plain in Hickory and Spring Creek and construct reservoirs to reduce flooding and acquire open space.

The County was composed of 27 members. Some of them supported planning and Tom Murphy. They wanted to pass a six million dollar bond issue to start acquiring open space. There was another group who did not care about planning or open space but wanted the flood control benefits. And there was a third group who did not care much about open space acquisition but wanted to fire Tom Murphy.

Murphy was very angry with the County Board and publicly bashed them for being tightwads, in part because we were the lowest paid planning agency in metro Chicago. I talked to Tom and tried to get him to dial back the criticism but he was too angry. Every day there was a headline with Murphy hitting them pretty hard.

The group that wanted Murphy out made a deal with the folks who wanted to buy open space and the group who wanted flood control. They passed the 6 million dollar bond issue and fired Tom.

Hickory Creek

And that is how Tom Murphy became the 6 million dollar man.

Murdo, South Dakota 1880 Town

This town was developed by cousins of mine, Clarence and Richard Hullinger. Nice job, Cousins.

Murdo’s 1880 Town

Story by Paul Higbee

Photos by Johnny Sundby

Movie producers started an Old West main street on Clarence Hullinger's land in the 1970s. The movie failed, but today the 1880 Town is a blockbuster.

Lots of us have attics crammed full of objects that outlived their usefulness — or at least their original usefulness. We don’t discard the stuff because we’ve learned it gains another function: serving as a tangible link to our past.

Located 22 miles west of Murdo on I-90, 1880 Town is South Dakota’s attic. It’s not a crammed attic, though, thanks to its setting on the vast prairie. You gaze down Main Street to the horizon beyond, not to adjacent neighborhoods and tall fast food signs. Much of the stuff here is big: whole buildings hauled in from Quinn, Dixon, Tea, Gregory, Gettysburg, and countless other living or forgotten towns, including long-submerged Oahe Mission (under Lake Oahe).

So while the town site isn’t authentic to history, its structures are. That sets it apart from most other recreated Old West towns. You feel the authenticity in weathered wood textures, and you smell it. “These buildings stood through the big dust storms of the 1930s,” observes the town’s only year-round resident, Scott Key. “You’re probably still smelling some of that dust.”

Click to read the rest of the story:

southdakotamagazine.com/1880-town

PlanningNews.blogspotcom

ChaMinWood

Lake Chaminwood

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Black Hills Trail - A Proposal

6 Million Dollar Man

Murdo, South Dakota 1880 Town

Murdo’s 1880 Town

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