WINTERSET, Iowa – A limestone structure will celebrate 100 years next year, and it has stood as a prominent fixture for Madison County and Winterset.

Around 100 years ago, the Clark family, at one of their infamous family reunions, began planning how to remember the first Clarks to settle in Iowa. They settled on a tower made of limestone mined from where the current tower now stands.  

Clark Tower is about 25 feet tall and 12 feet in diameter. A curved stairway winds around the tower. On the front stands a plaque remembering Caleb and Ruth Clark, two of the first settlers in Madison County. They first arrived in the county in 1846.  

Visitors can explore the first two stories of the tower and climb a ladder to the roof. From the roof, visitors can observe great views of the Middle River valley.  

Clark Tower can be found in historic Winterset City Park at the back of a long, winding trail. The road closes after sunset and during the winter months. For more information about Clark Tower, City Park, and other recreation areas in Winterset, visit the city’s parks and recreation website.