The Sawmill Museum

Between the 1850s and 1900, huge rafts of logs, harvested from the seeming endless forests in Wisconsin and Minnesota, were floated down the Mississippi River to the lumber mills in Lyons and Clinton, Iowa. By 1900 the forest were depleted and the mills began closing.

  Four lumber barons, pictured above, entertain museum visitors with a spirited conversation. They along with 11 more residents became millionaires. The museum has an extensive history of the lumber mills with many great photographs. Unfortunately the photographs are small and the displays have boring statistics and paragraphs of tiny text. This museum would be so much better with larger photographs and displays with descriptive titles and short paragraphs.

  Equipment from the mills is on display. There’s also a work area where demonstrations are occasionally held.

Half of the museum is dedicated to hands-on exhibits for kids including a water table with toy boats to float down the river and a kid size logging camp. Museum  41.87008, -90.17529