Algona is the county seat of Kossuth County, Iowa, and has a population of 5,487 as of the 2020 census. Two miles southwest of Algona, Ambrose A. Call State Park was designed by architect Louis H. Sullivan and is a great place for families to spend the day.

Ambrose A. Call State Park

Ambrose A. Call State Park is located in Kossuth County and honors the first European settler in the area. The park preserves rugged hills and old-growth forest on the East Fork of the Des Moines River.

The park has been serving the community for nearly 90 years. It has undergone renovations to enhance the facilities. The Zahlten cabin has been refurbished and new camping areas have been added. The park also preserves its original mission as a wildlife sanctuary.

If you love the outdoors, Ambrose A. Call State Park is the perfect place for you to explore. Located on the eastern fork of the Des Moines River, the park is a beautiful location for hiking or biking. Whether you’re a nature lover or history buff, this park has plenty to offer. A great resource for planning an outing is AllTrails.

Located in Algona, Iowa, Ambrose A. Call State Park offers two miles of heavily wooded trails that wind through a ravine and a creek. The park also features a historic log cabin, constructed of elm logs. It was built in the site of the first log cabin in Kossuth County. Four men were needed to set up the logs.

Louis H. Sullivan designed Algona Land & Loan Office

The Algona Land & Loan Office is one of eight Midwestern architectural masterpieces listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed by Louis H. Sullivan, a friend and mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright. Although the Algona building is now home to the Algona Area Chamber of Commerce, the original design is still in place. The Sullivan design features a reddish brick exterior, and lichen/moss green terracotta tiles.

Louis Sullivan was born Sept. 3, 1856 in Boston, Massachusetts. He studied architecture under Eugene Letang and William Ware at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1873 he moved to Chicago and obtained work with William LeBaron Jenney. Sullivan went to Paris briefly in 1874 to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, but returned to Chicago in 1879. In 1883 he joined forces with Dankmar Adler to form Adler and Sullivan, Architects. The partnership lasted 14 years.

Sullivan’s architectural design work in Iowa includes four banks. The biggest is 4,600 square feet, and the smallest is only 1,500 square feet. In all, none of these buildings cost more than $125,000. They are among the most admired buildings in the Midwestern region.

Sullivan’s work is also important in Algona. The town is located in a small town that is off the beaten path. In 1913, Henry Adam’s Building, originally an Adams Land & Loan Office, was completed. Today, it houses the local Chamber of Commerce. The design of the building is reminiscent of a Jewel Box bank. The building has undergone many changes over the years, but the Sullivan Building Foundation in Algona has restored many original features, including six stained glass windows.

Sullivan’s design is a masterpiece of architectural design. His banks were often called Jewel Boxes, and have been included on the National Register of Historic Places. They are also considered a classic example of Midwestern architecture. There are many other examples of Sullivan’s work, but the Algona Land & Loan Office is a rare gem.

Despite the fact that it was not designed specifically as a bank, the Algona Land & Loan Office Building is considered a masterpiece of Sullivan’s work. It was one of the eight Jewel Box Banks, and it is considered one of the most complete and most beautiful examples of his work. The building features a number of stained glass windows and ornamental plaques.

Located in downtown Algona, the Algona Land & Loan Office is an important building of the community. Built in 1913, it was meant to be a bank but never received a charter. The building eventually became a real estate office, the headquarters of the Pharmacists’ Mutual Insurance Company, and a haberdashery.

Another notable building in the area is the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, which is located within a mile of the bank. Although not entirely Sullivan’s design, the church represents a significant shift away from typical steeple-topped church designs. The structure features a semicircular brick sanctuary, a squarish tower, church offices, and a gymnasium.