Iola-Humboldt rail trail takes form
Dave Fontaine’s tractor backs up against the brush, pulling railroad ties from the soil and dragging them onto a nicely grated gravel pathway — the beginnings of a recreational trail that will connect Iola and Humboldt.
The trail, which is tentatively named the “South Wind Trail,” will extend where the Prairie Spirit Trail ends at Riverside Park in Iola, and continue south for almost seven miles to end in Humboldt.
Dave Fontaine, a local cyclist, and multiple other volunteers, including Jane and Lindsey Tweedy, have been volunteering their time since the first week in June to build the trail. Fontaine was involved in the construction of the Prairie Spirit Trail, and he said its success has been a motivator for the addition. They were hard at work on Thursday afternoon, pulling old railroad ties from the underbrush that will be used as bollards to block traffic from the points where the trail crosses the road.
The Sunflower Foundation is funding the project through a $25,000 grant acquired by Thrive Allen County, along with another $25,000 grant from the Healthcare Foundation of Greater Kansas City — which was acquired by Allen County.
“We have our work cut out for us, we still have a lot to do,” Fontaine said. He sported his Oakley cycling sunglasses along with his work attire, hinting that he is always a cyclist at heart.
The volunteers, there are approximately eight of them, have contributed nearly 560 man-hours of work with only about $2,500 of expenses.
Don Burns, a Thrive board member and South Wind Trail volunteer, said when plans started for the trail, Dave and Lisa Fontaine were two of the first people he went to.
“I went to people I knew that were avid bike riders, and we have come up with a strong group of people,” Burns said.
He said the counties of Neosho, Bourbon and Allen form the “South Wind” region, which is where volunteer Jay Kretzmeier got the idea for the name. The name is tentative due to the fact that it requires approval from the Sunflower Rail Trail Conservancy and Allen County.
Lindsey Tweedy said the group started by driving through the property on 4-wheelers, scouting out the best area to start the construction of the trail.
Fontaine said at the beginning, there wasn’t enough space to even drive the ATV’s they had to hold branches back and duck underneath them to get through. However, he said it has been worth the work to utilize the area.
“The (Prairie Spirit) trail is pretty,” Fontaine said. “But this trail may be the prettiest six or seven miles in the whole area, mainly because it is covered.”
He said he hopes to see the trail finished by the time spring comes, especially if the weather holds its fair temperatures. He said the trail will allow access to the public at no charge.
Both of the Tweedys and Fontaine agreed that the construction would not have been possible if it weren’t for the support from the community. Joe Works, a Humboldt resident and owner of B&W Trailer Hitches, lended the use of a side cutter and tractors for the construction process. Before that point, Fontaine said his volunteers had cleared the first three miles by hand with chainsaws.
Jane said she thinks it is important to use the rail trail, to help carry on the historical legacy of the railroad in Allen County.
“It’s really important to protect the historical integrity of the railroad,” Jane said. “That’s why we are using the old railroad ties for bollards.”
Fontaine said he was saddened to see the old railroad torn out, and he hopes that the rail trail will allow the railroad to be easily reconstructed in the future if the possibility arises.
Both Lindsey and Jane have lived in Austin, Texas, for the past 40 years. Lindsey said he grew up in Allen County, but moved to Texas to raise a family and be near his brother. The Tweedys moved back to Allen County to take care of Lindsey’s mother, who passed away last year.
He said it has been encouraging to see an area flourish in hard times – and the South Wind trail is an example of a town thriving in its community.
Burns said he believes the trail will add another important amenity to Allen County. According to Kansas Parks, Wildlife and Tourism, 41,850 people have used the Prairie Spirit Trail from January to September. Burns said he hopes to see a high usage from people using the existing trail, which should positively impact businesses in the area.
He said the Prairie Spirit trail received some opposition in the beginning, due to concerns regarding littering, trespassing and criminal mischief — which seemed to have been unwarranted. The volunteers have found the success of the trail useful in meetings with the landowners bordering the new trail. The county sent letters to landowners affected by the construction, and Burns said “there hasn’t been much trouble at all.”
Overall, Burns said the construction of the South Wind Trail has been a collaboration of three entities — the volunteers, conservancy and Allen county.
All of the volunteers said that pathways such as the South Wind Trail and the Prairie Spirit Trail are important for cyclists’ safety as well. Fontaine said he and his wife have cycled on the public roadways before, and they can be very dangerous. He said that fact has given him some personal motivation for constructing the trail as well.
“We have taken a lot of pride in the trail, I still can’t believe how much we have done.”
Burns said while the construction has been a lot of hard work, it wouldn’t have been possible if the volunteers didn’t enjoy what they have been doing.
“To be honest, we’ve really had fun doing it,” Burns said. “We’re anxious to use the finished product.”
The trail is completely cleared from Iola to Humboldt, with much of the pathway grated. Currently, the volunteers are working to “beautify” the trail. Fontaine said the next step is to begin installing the bollards on the crossing, add signage and posted warnings.
All three volunteers agreed that the construction has shown the power of community and volunteerism.
“It just shows that with a little with everyone, we don’t always see eye to eye, and after all we are human.” Combs said. “But if you need help we are here.”
Before the students left the seminar they were asked to sign a pledge to end bullying.
