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A Man and His River
Bob and Sandy Bales built their home along the Salt Fork in Homer, Ill.
This ranch-style house played host to the Bales’ growing family, their homemade canoe and the infamous fish frys, which gathered advocates for the Middle Fork in one place each year.
Aug. 18, 1988, Bob died of cancer.
But, his passion for the Middle Fork sparked a chain of events that resulted in the designation of the Middle Fork as a National Wild and Scenic River. The curve in the Middle Fork near mile 7 of the 17.1 mile stretch of the river is lovingly referred to as Bales’ Bend.
Today, Bob is remembered by friends and advocates for the river as the third musketeer in the fight to save the Middle Fork.
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