Trailhead Information
The trailhead is located at the entrance of the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 3390 Iowa Highway 22, at Fairport, Iowa right along the Mississippi River. From the Quad Cities, take I-280 exit 8 for IA-22/Rockingham Rd West toward Buffalo. Drive West (downriver) 14.5 miles. From US Highway 61 in Muscatine, turn south at Hwy 61 & 38 (Park Avenue) onto Business US 61 for 1.3 miles, then turn east onto Iowa Hwy 22 (corner of Park Ave. & Washington St.). Drive east on Hwy 22 for 7.2 miles.
Parking is available at the Education Pavillion and in the lot at the Lucille A. Carver Mississippi Riverside Environmental Research Station.
Description
In 1908 by an act of Congress, the United States Federal Biological Station at Fairport was established to research freshwater mussels and fish in their Mississippi River habitat. In October 2023, the Fairport Fish Hatchery Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Interpretive Trail System features a North Trail along archaeological ruins of five cottages where researchers lived while working at the Station. The South Trail showcases hatchery operations as they are today along with archaeological ruins and information about the original buildings at the Station. Throughout the trails visitors will find 19 interpretive signs designed to tell the story of this important conservation and commerce research center. Many of the trail signs incorporate a QR Code that allows visitors to access online videos to dig deeper into the details of the stories at this historic site. The self-guided trails offer great hiking and leisurely sight-seeing opportunities for visitors. The trails and pavilion are open year-round during daylight hours. The Education Pavilion houses informational panels, a history timeline of the hatchery, and artifact display cases. Design of the pavilion pays homage to the 1910 Pump House that was demolished in 2021. The Education Pavilion incorporates sandstone blocks salvaged from the original 1910 pump house into its window arches and bullseye windows over the doors.
Other Information
Fairport Biological Station
In 1891, J.F. Boepple founded the freshwater pearl button industry in Muscatine, utilizing mussel shells
from the Mississippi River to create buttons. By 1899, pearl button manufacturing had boomed along
the river with Muscatine at the epicenter. In early 1900s, mussel beds were depleted from overfishing,
spurring a unique collaboration between the United States Bureau of Fisheries and the pearl button
industry.
The Fairport Biological Station was established by an Act of the United States Congress in 1908 and
opened with temporary facilities in 1910. The station was established to study the propagation of fish
and mussels that were critical to the success of the pearl button industry. The 60-acre research station
included a pumphouse, laboratory, tank house, boat house, reservoir, five cottages, a complete water
system, and holding ponds for fish and mussel propagation. Studies on means of artificial mussel
propagation to restock rivers and support the pearl button industry continued at Fairport until 1931,
and fish research was terminated in 1933. Both closures were due to lack of funds because of the
Depression. During the Depression, the hatchery focused on raising fish for private farms to help feed
the state’s population.
Mussel Propagation
The main purpose of the Fairport Biological Station was to research propagation of mussels and
reintroduce them into the Mississippi River. The life cycle and procreation of mussels is dependent on a
parasitic relationship with a specific fish host. That is, each type of mussel is dependent on one (or at
best a few) fish species to carry the larvae (glochidia). The biological station engaged in the artificial
propagation of mussels, the cultivation of fish, and the investigation of problems related to mollusks
and fish. Increased pollution and sedimentation coupled with overharvesting of mussels throughout the
Mississippi River Basin adversely impacted propagation efforts, causing the federal government to shift
their focus to maintaining a viable fish hatchery. The property became the Fairport Fish Hatchery in
1933-34, and remained operated by the federal government until 1973 when it was transferred to the
State of Iowa.
Goals for the Hatchery
The goals of Friends of the Fairport Fish Hatchery (FFFH) are to support historic and scientific research
and to educate the public on the history of the Fairport Fish Hatchery. Research, education, and
preservation activities pursued by the FFFH will include origins of the hatchery and its changing
functions from 1910-present, the history and need for the artificial propagation of mussels, and the
adverse impacts human had on the pearl button industry and water quality in the Mississippi, including
dam construction. FFFH seeks to share this information with students, the public, and tourists through
the development of a pavilion, interpretive trails, artifact displays, and interactive exhibits. Achieving
these goals will promote eco-tourism at the hatchery, the National Pearl Button Museum, and the
greater Muscatine and Quad Cities areas.
Trail Manager
Friends of Fairport Fish Hatchery
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