2 ROUTES LEAD TO SITE OF KIDS FISH DERBY - Kids' Fish Derby contestants will be able to follow marked routes between Ames and Dr. Ernie McFarland's lake, according to Del Ostermann, committee chairman for the Izaak Walton League, sponsor of the event.

There are two good routes to the lake.  1. go one and one-half miles east of Ames on 13th, north four miles to the "T" intersection a mile north of Dayton Park, and east one-half mile to the gate on the north side of the road; 2. from 13th and Grand, north four miles on highway 69, then east two and one-half miles.

Direction signs will be posted at intersections along the way, and Ames police will be on hand to direct the parking at the lake.  Registration will begin Sunday at 1 p.m., and contest rules have been held to the minimum.
1. All fish caught may be kept except bass under 10' in length.
2. No minnows may be used as bait.
3. Contestants must fish in the area to which they are assigned.
4. No reels, and no casting will be permitted.

In an attempt to prevent possible accidents the Ikes have acquired a limited number of 14' bamboo poles which will be sold to those who have nothing but casting equipment.  Price for the outfit will be 25 cents.  Ikes change the subject when quality is mentioned, but believe that the rig will do the job the young anglers want done.

9-YEAR-OLD'S 14½-INCH BASS TOPS FISH DERBY - Almost 300 young fishermen and uncounted hundreds of fish combined to make a lively occasion of the Kids' Fish Derby at Dr. Ernie McFarland's lake northeast of Ames on Sunday afternoon.  With pleasant temperatures and sunny skies, the annual event staged for Story county youngsters by the Ames Izaak Walton league drew a near-record number of contestants.

Largest fish of the day was the 14½" bass brought to terms by nine-year-old Russell Williams, son of Floyd Williams, 117 13th.  Most anglers were able to catch numerous fish from Dr. McFarland's well-stocked lake, and contest events were planned to give many boys and girls a chance at the prizes.

Awards for fine sportsmanship among the boys went to Stanley Jenson, Mike Wright, Greg Carlson, Tom Simmering, Thomas Shaw, Gary Lytton, John Brown, Chuck Robertson, David Kelso, Pat Kelley, Denny Brown of Slater and Stewart Cott.

Girls winning the sportsmanship prize were Kay Soesbe, Connie McKee, Christene Peterson, Barbara Zimmerman, Janet Olson, Mary Gilchrist, Sharon Hollander, Mary Lee Augustine, Mariene Kiertzner, Nancy Ogg, Peggy Cafferty and Janice Lester.

Prizes for the first boy and girl in each zone to catch a fish went to Steven Smith, Jolee Schmidt, Mark Meadows, Linda Kiertzner, Gary Jacobson, Kathleen Kelley, David Thompson, Martha Thompson, Ken Hagen, Judy Herrick, Bobby Walker, Donna Nicolle, Bobby Friest, Carol Clifton, Joe Quinn, Judy Christopherson, David Kelso, Susan Miller, Gary Whitesell, Ellen Green, Gary Brown of Gilbert, Nancy Whitesell, Ted Hollander of Gilbert and Marion Quinn.

Catching the smallest fish of any boy in the zone brought prizes for Mark Meadows, Ronnie Wagner of Story City, Jimmie Lasche, Thomas Shaw, Ken Rutter, Eddie Conley, Danny Hedrick, Dick Gibson, Colin Bass, David McCoy and Jim Wellman.

Girls to capture the smallest fish award were Jan Erickson, Nancy Honsinger, Jeanne Wagner of Story City, Susan Lasche, Linda Jefferson, Janie Hibbs, Jean Clark, Pamela Townsend, Cathy Campbell, Nancy Ogg, Mary Reinberger, and a tie between Barbara Lewis and Janet Deal.

Boys with the largest fish in the zone were Charles Ward, Mike Harris, Michael Woodward, Tom Simmering, Ken Hagen, Russell Williams, Mike Biery, Jimmy Hollander of Gilbert, Bill Nelson, Eddie Jensen, Mickey Hedrick and Bob Chance, Kelley.

Among the girls, the largest fish were caught by Jane Schoenenberger, Nancy Honsinger, Sarah Kozicky, Susan Lasche, Jody Herrick, Teresa Hibbs, Mary Wallace, Loretta Molde of McCallsburg, Marlene Kiertzner, a tie between Janice Friest and Ellen Green, Marjorie Handeland and Marian Quinn.

Spot prize events throughout the afternoon were won by Steven Smith, Jan Erickson, Mark Wilson of Nevada, Nancy Honsinger, Martin Meadows, Dellis Brown, Larry Honsinger, Jack Fribley, Billy Schoenenberger, Kamella Schoen, Lloyd Clifton, Martha Thompson, Russell Skei, Ken Hagen, Jody Herrick, Gary Lytton, Russell Williams and Bobby Walker.

Others were Nick Herrick, Carol Clifton, Dennis Peterson, David Fisher, Bill Holthaus, Judy Christopherson, Cathy Campbell, Bill Nelson, Dick Gibson, John Buck, John Meyers of Story City, Clayton Ogg, Peggy Cafferty, Fred McCoy, Lynn Christian, David Skei, Tommy Doggett, and Bob Chance of Kelley.

Prizes for Mike Harris, Bonnie Wagner, Sharon Hollander, Jeanne Wagner and Barbara Lewis were not claimed when awards were presented Sunday, but they may be picked up at Curley's Barber shop.

Dr. Guy Ernest (Ernie) McFarland (of the McFarland Clinic family of doctors) owned the original 93 acres of the park that honors his name. Plans for the lake were drawn up for him in 1942. The lake was eventually built in 1947; the spillway was rebuilt and elevated to deepen the lake in 1967.  Dr. McFarland had hoped to build his retirement home near the lake, but he passed away before that could be accomplished.

The McFarland family allowed many people to enjoy their lake over the years -- fishing, swimming, and camping were popular activities for their guests well into the 1960s. The family didn’t want to see the land broken up into a housing subdivision after Dr. McFarland’s death and offered the Story County Conservation Board a first option to buy the land to develop as a park. The Board could not pass up the opportunity, even though they were busy building Hickory Grove Park at the time.  The board purchased the land in 1969.  A caretaker (usually a college student) lived in a mobile home at the old farmstead at the east end of the park prior to the board hiring a full-time ranger.

Development of the park did not begin until 1973 when the master plan was completed and the first full-time park officer was hired. Steve Lekwa began his career at Story County Conservation (SCC) in 1973 as ranger/naturalist. He served as the Skunk River Unit Ranger for 16 years, residing at McFarland Park.   His first official residence was an 8x40 mobile home that was home to many vermin as well!   The old trailer was replaced by a nicer trailer (10x70) in 1978.  That trailer later became an office for the environmental education staff and Skunk River Unit staff.

Several parcels of land were acquired during the 1970s. The French estate (90 acres to the north) and the Steve Safly tract (59 acres to the west) made the park 200 acres with more than three miles of trails. In addition, McFarland Park is one of the few places in Story County where there are bedrock exposures at the surface and cascades of waterfalls coming over limestone and shale.  The trail system was built during the 1970s by high-school-aged Youth Conservation Corps participants -- not tractors or machines. The Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) began as a federal program and was subsequently administered by the State of Iowa, Ames School, and SCC before funding dried up. The YCC worked each summer to build suspension bridges, forge trails, and clear brush. The first trail segment built by the YCC in 1974 was later named in honor of George Clark Sr., a charter member of the conservation board.

The board’s environmental education program was implemented in 1973 and has grown significantly over the past 35 years. The current staff of four full-time naturalists provide educational and recreational opportunities for all ages through a variety of school and public programs. In addition to providing environmental education to school-aged children, Story County Conservation offers many special programs for families and adults. Just a few of these include the annual Halloween Hike, ice fishing workshops, canoe trips, O.W.L.S. (Older, Wiser, Livelier Seniors), and art and educational displays.

The first observatory was a silo dome built by the Ames Area Amateur Astronomers Club in 1980. The improved building was built around 2000. Improvements, including a retractable roof, have since been added.

In December 1988 a log house called “the Bauge Cabin” was moved from its original site near Huxley to the northeast corner of McFarland Park. The house was one if a few remaining log structures using the type of slabs that were a sign of Norse construction. The house was restored to the 1890-1910 era -- the time the second generation family occupied the house -- to illustrate rural life in a typical Norwegian pioneer household. The Ames Heritage Association directed the restoration project, receiving donations from citizens, businesses, family members, and sizable grants from the National Questers Organization and the Ames Noon Kiwanis Club. Restoration work continued for several years with a dedication program on June 30, 1991. In addition to serving as the perfect location for Story County Conservation’s environmental history program, the restored home was open to visitors on Sunday afternoons in the summer. In the early morning hours of March 15, 2004, the steel security door was battered in by vandals, and a fire destroyed the Bauge Home. Luckily, the contents of the home were stored in the conservation center during the winter and were spared -- as was a corner of the log structure that now resides with the Ames Heritage Association.

The conservation center was part of the original master plan of the park. The plan envisioned a glorified log cabin down by the lake with a closet at one end and possibly some rest rooms. In the mid 1970s, a design was decided on, but funding could not be secured. In the 1980s, another design for the building was finalized, but the price eluded the board again. Finally, the design and funding came together.   The conservation center was completed in 1991 at a cost of $370,000 -- what would be more than a $1 million venture in 2008.

The bird blind was constructed in the fall of 1998 as an Eagle Scout project funded by a grant from Sam’s Club. Located just a short walking distance into McFarland Park, it offers bird watchers an opportunity to view birds without disturbing them.   The bird blind has provided many hours of enjoyment to school groups and adult birdwatchers.

The conservation center lobby mural, Seasons to Share was started in 2000 by Dean Biechler, an eminent nature artist in Iowa. Known for his mural work, Biechler created a vision with input from staff and began a 24.5 ft. x 8 ft. piece that is his masterpiece. Originally, Iowa State University students also collaborated on the project, but, over the years, Biechler decided to finish it himself.  The mural design is such that the artist could keep adding details for years.

Today, McFarland Park serves as the headquarters for the board’s administrative offices, the environmental education staff, and the Skunk River Management Unit. - SCC website -