About the Manson Trail
It began as a vision.
The Seavert's saw need to provide a safe, off street and ADA compliant trail for their community.
Doug & Nancy Seavert
Nancy Seavert was born and raised in Manson and a 1985 graduate of Manson High School. After marrying her husband, Doug, and moving around for a few years, they made their way back to her hometown to settle and raise a family.
In 2012, the inspiration for the project started when their special needs son and grandson would ride their bikes and go for walks. The sidewalks were so terrible connecting the north to the south end of town that the kids had to nearly double their route on streets and alleyways that were not safe. In 2016, when they began having more grandchildren, they tried pushing a stroller for walks; but with Nancy having a prosthetic leg and Doug's weakness from battling cancer, they were unable to take their grandkids in the stroller safely on the sidewalks.
In April 2020, Doug lost his battle with cancer. One of his main wishes was for Nancy to put some energy and money into finding a resolution for this problem in their beloved hometown. Unfortunately, Nancy spent the next year and a half battling her own cancer. She passed away in October 2021.
After Nancy passed, her niece, Heather Leith, spearheaded a committee with other community members to continue to work on Doug and Nancy's vision for their hometown.
The Manson Trail Committee, first, looked into constructing sidewalks on main street, but were discouraged due to cables buried in front of homes. That is when they decided to build a walking/biking trail that extended from Highway 7 on the south side of Manson, to the fairgrounds located on the north side of the town, which will be approximately a two-mile route. The trail would follow parts of the old Rock Island Railroad line.
In 2022, with money left by the Seavert's, the first section of the trail was completed from Highway 7 to 7th Avenue. This 0.7 mile stretch of the trail is known as the Seavert Pathway. Currently the path is constructed with compacted gravel, but the plan is to pave the surface.
The completed trail will connect businesses on the south side of Manson to the community and school facilities on the north side, while also providing closer access to the downtown community. While the focus is on completing the Manson Trail through the town, eventually, the committee would like to partner with other communities for possible connections to other recreation trails in the area.
Meet our Trail Committee
The Manson Trail Committee consists of a group of volunteers who are actively working to improve our community.
Teresa Ewing
President
Sara Weltzheimer
Vice President
Cyndi Poppinga
Treasurer
Heather Leith
Public Relations/Marketing/Media
Denise Marine
Secretary
Wade Nieowarner
Committee Member
Jan Miller
Committee Member
Penny Lenz
Committee Member
Shelly Bleam
Committee Member
Chad Trice
Committee Member
Amanda Trice
Committee Member
PJ Grossnickle
Committee Member
Support the trail
Manson Trail relies on the generosity of local residents and donors to help fund the trail's expansion. Your contributions enable us to continue funding a safe and well-maintained trail system for everyone to enjoy. Consider donating today to help us achieve our goal!