MUSCATINE, Iowa–About two and a half years after the Friends of the Fairport Fish Hatchery formed to preserve and tell the story of the Fairport Fish Hatchery’s history and support conservation of the region’s natural resources, especially freshwater mussels, they celebrated the completion of their first major project. April 22, they invited the public to the Hatchery to enjoy the first full day of having their new interpretive trails system open and to attend an Earth Day fair showcasing not only the work of the Friends but of other organizations working to preserve the region’s natural resources and the history of the pearl button industry.
Over the past several years, the Friends of the Fairport Fish Hatchery have done the research, raised the funds, and put the work in to create a pair of interpretive walking trails that allow the public to step back in time and discover the hatchery’s long and storied history for themselves. On the south trail, which loops around the main campus of the hatchery, visitors can see the locations of the original buildings on the site when it served as a federal biological station tasked with propagating mussels to benefit the pearl button industry. As people walk the trail, they will also see the Hatchery’s oldest building, a 110-year-old barn, as well as the site of one of the pottery factories that operated in the Fairport area in the late 1800s.
Across the highway, people can explore the north trail, which leads through the ruins of the settlement where researchers at the federal biological station lived from about 1917 until 1934. Though all of the houses the researchers lived in either got torn down or relocated to other sites in Fairport and Muscatine, evidence of inhabitation remains, and visitors can view the water tank, high and low-pressure cisterns, and some extant foundations and staircases. On both trails, people can stop at the 18 total signs that highlight points of interest, share their significance, and provide QR codes to allow people to learn more.
Friends of the Fairport Fish Hatchery members Paul Carroll and Sandy Stevens at the Earth Day Fair. Photo by Margaret Hurlbert.
As people came out to the hatchery to enjoy the trails for the first time, the Friends of the Fairport Fish Hatchery delighted in getting to make this history, as well as the natural beauty of the hatchery’s site along the Mississippi River, more accessible to the public. “We’re pleased that we’re in this phase,” said Friends of the Fairport Fish Hatchery member Paul Carroll. “It’s going to be so many facets for the community,” he added, as the trails will promote not only history and conservation but also recreation and tourism in the area. In the coming months, they look to partner with more local businesses to raise the remaining funds needed to construct the educational pavilion, which will complement the trail system.
Along with the trail opening, the Friends of the Fairport Fish Hatchery held a fair for Earth Day which featured many regional organizations. Nathan Young, research engineer for the Lucille A. Carver Mississippi Riverside Environmental Research Station, or LACMERS, provided an overview of the facility on the fish hatchery campus as well as their plans for a $2 million grant to revitalize their research initiatives. The National Pearl Button @ History and Industry Center provided an introduction to pearl button history as well as their plans to create a new garden this spring. Muscatine County Conservation and Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge shared information about local animals and habitats as well as recreation opportunities available to the public. The Muscatine Pollinator Project provided ways for people to make changes of all sizes to their yards to encourage pollinators to thrive.
