Hawkeye Point
Encyclopedia
Hawkeye Point is the highest natural point in Iowa
at 1670 feet (509 m). Located approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north of Sibley
on the eastern side of SR 60
and approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the Iowa-Minnesota
state border. The high ground lies 100 feet (30 m) due south of an old silo.
The land that includes the highpoint was donated by the Sterler family, who worked this land for many decades, to Osceola County
with the stipulation that the land be turned into a park. Osceola County, through its Economic Development Commission and Hawkeye Point Committee, has removed a few structures that were deemed to be hazardous to public safety including the old hog feed bunker at the highpoint site and a few small barns. They have erected an informational kiosk which highlights the family and the county and features a display of license plates from the 50 states sent in over the years to the Sterlers.
The county purchased approximately 6 acres (2.4 ha) of surrounding land including the old family farm house, which is being used as office space for the county. There are a flagpole, picnic bench, tile mosaic, several granite markers, and five tall posts with signs pointing to the other 50 state highpoints, each with the correct distance noted. The local 4-H
group and high school youths contributed a great deal to this effort. The Hawkeye Point Commission also recently purchased a wooded plot of land of about 7 acres (28,328 m²) on the north side of the county road abutting the property with the intent to turn it into a campground.
The Highpointers Foundation, a non-profit charity set up to benefit privately-owned state highpoints, has provided much of the funding for the renovations at Hawkeye Point.
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
at 1670 feet (509 m). Located approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north of Sibley
Sibley, Iowa
Sibley is a city in Osceola County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,796 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Osceola County. It is named after Henry Hastings Sibley, a prominent General during the Dakota War of 1862, who eventually became the first territorial governor of...
on the eastern side of SR 60
Iowa Highway 60
Iowa Highway 60 is a north–south state highway in northwest Iowa. The highway runs at a southwest-to-northeast angle. The southern end of Iowa Highway 60 is near Le Mars at a freeway interchange with U.S. Route 75 and U.S. Route 75 Business...
and approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the Iowa-Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
state border. The high ground lies 100 feet (30 m) due south of an old silo.
The land that includes the highpoint was donated by the Sterler family, who worked this land for many decades, to Osceola County
Osceola County, Iowa
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is named for Seminole war chief Osceola. The population was 6,462 in the 2010 census, a decline from 7,003 in the 2000 census. The county seat is Sibley, named for H. H. Sibley of Minnesota....
with the stipulation that the land be turned into a park. Osceola County, through its Economic Development Commission and Hawkeye Point Committee, has removed a few structures that were deemed to be hazardous to public safety including the old hog feed bunker at the highpoint site and a few small barns. They have erected an informational kiosk which highlights the family and the county and features a display of license plates from the 50 states sent in over the years to the Sterlers.
The county purchased approximately 6 acres (2.4 ha) of surrounding land including the old family farm house, which is being used as office space for the county. There are a flagpole, picnic bench, tile mosaic, several granite markers, and five tall posts with signs pointing to the other 50 state highpoints, each with the correct distance noted. The local 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
group and high school youths contributed a great deal to this effort. The Hawkeye Point Commission also recently purchased a wooded plot of land of about 7 acres (28,328 m²) on the north side of the county road abutting the property with the intent to turn it into a campground.
The Highpointers Foundation, a non-profit charity set up to benefit privately-owned state highpoints, has provided much of the funding for the renovations at Hawkeye Point.