On the way out of town we saw two landmarks. The first was the old Sheaffer Pen Plant, built in three stages: an office in 1931, a pen manufacturing plant in 1952 and a shipping depot in 1976.

It closed in 2008 and the pens are now made in China after being sold to Bic.

Next up is the Iowa State Penitentiary, which has been in operation since 1839, making it the oldest continuously operating prison west of the Mississippi.

You might be thinking, what about the prison in Jefferson City, Missouri? Well, it did open in 1836 but it technically closed and those prisoners were moved to a new facility miles away, so it lost that status.

It’s generally not a good idea, or possible to get too close to prisons, so our photos here are more furtive and from a distance, but you can still see the hulking stone walls dating back to the Nineteenth Century.

In hindsight, it was a bit of a lark I got such good photos of the Menard prison years ago.

There is a miniature golf course located conveniently just outside the walls.

Further out on the highway leaving town is this beauty.