Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

XIII
Unique People, Places and Things
John Dirks - Riverman
compiled by Bertha Finn
_ F :8?
L
tin.
~
‘Y
'l-.'-1"
1.‘
'1
;- --
1"’!
Hf.’
-3'~""’.
' ' llrl"'»-7:’
1" 1.?
r‘q.
. I-an
Johnny Dirks stands on one limb of a dead tree, just
after he cut off another tree limb. The tree. which
washed downstream with the high water. was
There are many families with the name of Dirks in
and around Anamosa. The one we are writing about is
John. one of two sons of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Dirks.
John is the one person. who more than anyone in recent
years. acts in concert with the Wapsipinicon River.
He is the one who. for many years. has caught the biggest
fish. the one who gets involved when anything is
happening in or around the river or the old bridge.
spanning the river at Anamosa. He was there when the
bridge needed repairing. and when the tragedy of a
drowning occurred. He was there for as long as it took
to aid in retrieving the victim. The day he and his brideto-be
were married on a rocky island in the middle of
the river. during low tide. brought a large segment of
the town to view this unusual event.
The following published by the Cedar Rapids Gazette
February 24. I984. and reprinted here by permission of
the Gazette. is a good example of one episode in which
John took part: "Remember the old saw about people
being born to responsibility while others have it thrust
upon them?" Johnny Dirks of Anamosa must have
been born to take responsibility for the Wapsipinicon
River.
The sudden breakup of an ice jam in the Wapsi
banging the underside of the old river bridge and
could have damaged the bridge. February 24. I984.
(Cedar Rapids Gazette photo)
upstream of Anamosa one weekend was enough to pick
up a dead tree and deposit it on the old hydroelectric
dam a few yards east of old Highway I51 bridge. now
restored as a foot bridge.
A stout limb banged on the underside of the bridge
above every time a wave came along or the current
swelled. That bothered Dirks. who frequently fishes in
the river and is well known about the area as a sort of
Wapsipincon guru. With his long hair and mountainman
beard he certainly looks the part. But that's also a
look of authority.
With the help of friends Wednesday afternoon. Dirks
tied a stout rope around his waist and was hoisted over
the bridge railing and onto the snagged tree.
‘You won't have to worry about freezing to death if
you fall in." he joked beforehand. ‘The shock alone will
be enough to kill you.‘
From snow melt and runoff from rains. the Wapsi has
swollen to near flood stages. Other limbs flowing over
the dam took minutes to resurface after being
repeatedly dragged beneath the surface from the
undertow.
Dirks established his position on the log by doing a
tentative jig and testing its strength. A chainsaw was
296