Sun Valley still rising 50 years later

May 26—ELLSTON — It looks like a town but it's just one big neighborhood...with a lake in the middle of it all.

The Ringgold County housing development known as Sun Valley will celebrate its 50th anniversary next month on the heels of a new book about the site's history written by Cherri Vos, the daughter of Sun Valley founders Quentin and Rita Anderson. A reception, open to the public, will be held Saturday, June 25, with live music and food.

Vos said the inspiration for the book was motivated by the passing of her parents. Cheri's mother passed away March 23, 2017, which is Cheri's birthday.

"We thought dad was going to die because of being in shock," she said from her office at Sun Valley.

After the funeral, Vos and her father went through many family pictures. While finding multiple pictures of the lake, conversations were held about the many requests her parents had to write a book about Sun Valley. Quentin passed in 2019.

"They had good notes," she said. "I tried to start on them, but another project would happen. It would never come full circle and I felt bad about that."

The family had 320 acres of land in northeast Ringgold County going back to 1874. Quentin thought the area's access to clean water and visual aesthetics of the area would be ideal for a lake. Rita encouraged to use the word sun in the name to complement the features.

The land was considered a century farm, but to build the lake additional, adjacent land was going to be needed.

"They had to be convinced to give them the ground," Vos said about her father acquiring additional property for the lake. "In turn he said he would give them first choice of lot and name roads after them. That was the late 1960s." Ten other property owners totaling 1,300 acres were found.

His plan to build the lake was already in the works.

Quentin was elected as a Democrat state legislator from 1962 to 1966. He was re-elected as a Republican from 1968 to 1974 in the Senate.

"He was all for roads, highways and conservation," she said.

Vos said 13 silt ponds were constructed before the actual lake.

"Dad had built ponds before. The area has a lot of natural springs being in cattle country. He also did enough of a study with the soil and clay that also helped create more pure water," she said.

The lake took 13 months to fill.

"It's spring fed but in a closed water shed. No major creeks flow into it," she explained. The lake does have a spillway that eventually links to the Grand River.

There are 500 acres of water and the deepest point is about 65 feet. The lake has 17 miles of shoreline.

After the lake was complete, Anderson had to market the lots for housing development.

"First sales were from a trailer. He'd market it at the state fair, vacation shows, anywhere and everywhere." Vos said about her parents.

Vos said the first property buyers were farmer friends of the family from Clarke County. A lot on the waterfront then cost $8,000 to $10,000.

"That was a lot of money," she said.

But the advertising worked.

"People bought in the 1970s," she said.

Vos said she saw the value of the property show during the farm crisis of the 1980s.

"People had sold their lots to save the farm or send kids to college," she said.

Today, there are about 700 residences and the demographic is on both extremes.

"We have lots of different ages. It was probably more a retirement area for awhile, but lots of younger people were not afraid to dive in and buy," she said. "It's all age groups now."

Home owners are common from what Vos calls the "triangle" which is metro Des Moines, Omaha, Nebraska, and metro -ansas City. Some owners are from places even farther.

Deb Apocada, and her husband Richard, from Earlham purchased a property in 2010.

"We started with buying a boat and got tired of packing lunches and going to different lakes, then getting caught in storms," she laughed. The two decided to find some lake property and toured Sun Valley.

The Apocadas were convinced with Sun Valley's features.

"There is clean water, clear water and country living which is less stress," Vos said about some of the reasons why people own Sun Valley property. "You don't see the stars in the city."

The Apocadas are regular, weekend residents, including winter, with plans to retire there.

There are divisions of property. There are waterfront lots, lots off the water and some that are intended for RVs and campers. There are also house requirements with construction. Each home must be at least 800 square feet and meet setback dimensions. Vos said some owners have included their home in the vacation-rental industry. Property owners can use some of the lake's amenities for guests. Boats are allowed on the lake which also can be fished.

"It's worth billions, with a B," Voss said about cumulative property value. "The county has benefited from this one way or another."

Properties are part of Southern Iowa Rural Water. Fees pay for snow removal along the streets.

Bill Breckenridge grew up in Tingley and has kept his father's Sun Valley lot in the family since he purchased it in 1971.

"I came back from college and dad was in his store in Tingley. He said, 'Come with me.'" They ended up at Sun Valley and Bill said his dad asked him to help pick a lot to purchase.

Bill had a career in insurance in Des Moines before retiring in 2014. The Sun Valley property was always going to be his escape.

"It started out with a lot of predominant business people from the area. There was a place called doctors' point which had doctors, bankers and a dentist as the original owners. Then there were a few from Omaha, our neighbor was from Creston. Then Des Moines discovered it and took off about 15 years ago," he said about the popularity and growth.

Breckenridge, 69, is serving his second term as president of the Sun Valley Iowa Lake Association to operate the complex.

"It's a small city and the board is a combination of city council, school board, this and that and the other. There are lots of different interest groups; people who fish, recreation, money, some money and no money," he said. "But we are a private lake. We want to protect that and be prideful."

Breckenridge said Sun Valley is not stagnant as 17 houses were built last year and that number will be close this year.

"There is not a lot of lake property left but we are now in second and third generation of owners to tear down houses and rebuild," he said.

Vos said adjacent land would have to be negotiated for any expansion.

She estimated 60 residences are used year-round. Most are used for summer, or warmer weather homes. Vos estimated during a typical July 4 holiday, Sun Valley can have 5,000 people.

"A lot of people have asked what lake we are on," Apocada said. "I tell them Sun Valley and they ask, 'Where is it?' It's still a secret. We don't want the secret to get out."