Starker-Leopold Grounds Tour

 

Burlington along the Mississippi River looking south.  The Leopold Compound is just above the top bridge to the right. 

 

Aerial view of the Leopold Compound.  You can just see the bluff trail below the Starker-Leopold House.

 

Map of the Starker-Leopold Compound.  Areas in red and yellow now owned by LLA.

 

Bricked Clay Street dead-ends at the bluff with a turn-around.

 

 

 View of the river and the old Railroad Bridge from the end of Clay Street, looking north.

 

View of brick paving detail at the end of Clay Street.

 

View looking north to the new auto bridge.

 

View from the Starker-Leopold bluff looking south.

 

Bluffside view of the Starker-Leopold House in autumn.  

 

View across the river to the 7 mile wide floodplain in Illinois.

 

At the turn of the century, the property was dubbed, Leopold Park as many bird species that had vanished elsewhere were still flourishing in the Leopold yard.

 

The original wildflower garden in the Starker-Leopold yard in 1974.  This was where Clara taught all of the children to care for the wildflowers.

 

 

bluff trees  

 

trees with wood duck boxes

 

Bald eagle perched in Aldo's birth tree.

 

Giant larch tree beside the house.

The south side yard with a Leopold bench.

 

Deer frequent the Leopold property to dine on the wildflowers!

 

Stone bench near the bluff in the south side yard.

 

 

 

 

House with the spiral Maple in the foreground.

 

View up to house as we descend onto the bluff trail.

 

Picnic Point and the original Leopold picnic table.  Edith Leopold in the far background.

 

Charles Starker's bluff trail seen in 1974.  Today this is a restoration project for LLA.

 

 

 

 

  

Examples of the crinoid fossils found in the bluff rocks.

 

Lots of little critters make the bluff rocks their home.

 

Coming back up from the bluff trails.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View of the Starker-Leopold House and barn with the Leopold Childhood Home in the background.

 

The original barn was lost in the early 20th century.  The Hays rebuilt a larger, but similar 5 car barn/garage in the 1990's. 

 

Original sign which hung at the Leopold Desk Company now graces the barn. 

 

 

The driveway back  to Clay Street.

 

The Aldo Leopold Memorial Stone at the end of Clay Street.