"Iowa Almanac" is a copyrighted production of Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
All Rights Reserved.
No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2017 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
All Rights Reserved.
No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2017 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, April 28, 2017
"A Presidential Speech...Or Nine"
We in Iowa have been used to presidents and candidates spending a lot of time in our state the past 40 years, thanks to the Iowa Caucuses. But back in 1903, a presidential visit was unique. The only fast method of transportation was by train, and that's how President Theodore Roosevelt made his way across our state on this date in that year.
The president was bound for the western United States, and spent nine weeks away from Washington that year to make the trip, which included a now famous visit to the Yosemite Valley. While in Iowa, he made no fewer than 9 speeches in a single day, and it was not exactly a straight route.
He started in Osceola at 7 in the morning, then traveled to Des Moines where he spoke from the steps of the State Capitol. Then it was on to Shenandoah, Clarinda, and Sharpsburg. Then Van Wert, Ottumwa, and back to Des Moines for a speech at an auditorium. Finally, he ended the long day in Oskaloosa, where he dedicated the new YMCA building as a favor to his friend, Iowa congressman John F. Lacey, who was from that city.
That's 9 speeches, in eight cities, in one day. That was the pace he kept during the whole trip, even starting the next day off in Keokuk. On the way back, he also made an early June stop in Denison.
He praised Iowans for their work ethic, and their support of the Civil War which was not that long before. He said, "As I have passed through Iowa today, I have been struck with the soil, the climate, the rich farms, the prosperity and happiness of the towns and cities, and by the high average of citizenship which is noticeable everywhere."
He also noted that he owed a debt a gratitude to Iowa, because a quarter of his Cabinet members were from Iowa, which he said was appropriate because of the level of citizenship and character found in Iowans.
Most of the speeches were brief whistle stop appearances, speaking to large crowds from the back of the train. There's no recording of TR's voice, but the text of these speeches, all nine, is on line at theodore-roosevelt.com.
The sitting president, Theodore Roosevelt, used his bully pulpit in nine speeches in southern and central Iowa, on this date in 1903.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Presidential Speech...Or Nine"
We in Iowa have been used to presidents and candidates spending a lot of time in our state the past 40 years, thanks to the Iowa Caucuses. But back in 1903, a presidential visit was unique. The only fast method of transportation was by train, and that's how President Theodore Roosevelt made his way across our state on this date in that year.
The president was bound for the western United States, and spent nine weeks away from Washington that year to make the trip, which included a now famous visit to the Yosemite Valley. While in Iowa, he made no fewer than 9 speeches in a single day, and it was not exactly a straight route.
He started in Osceola at 7 in the morning, then traveled to Des Moines where he spoke from the steps of the State Capitol. Then it was on to Shenandoah, Clarinda, and Sharpsburg. Then Van Wert, Ottumwa, and back to Des Moines for a speech at an auditorium. Finally, he ended the long day in Oskaloosa, where he dedicated the new YMCA building as a favor to his friend, Iowa congressman John F. Lacey, who was from that city.
That's 9 speeches, in eight cities, in one day. That was the pace he kept during the whole trip, even starting the next day off in Keokuk. On the way back, he also made an early June stop in Denison.
He praised Iowans for their work ethic, and their support of the Civil War which was not that long before. He said, "As I have passed through Iowa today, I have been struck with the soil, the climate, the rich farms, the prosperity and happiness of the towns and cities, and by the high average of citizenship which is noticeable everywhere."
He also noted that he owed a debt a gratitude to Iowa, because a quarter of his Cabinet members were from Iowa, which he said was appropriate because of the level of citizenship and character found in Iowans.
Most of the speeches were brief whistle stop appearances, speaking to large crowds from the back of the train. There's no recording of TR's voice, but the text of these speeches, all nine, is on line at theodore-roosevelt.com.
The sitting president, Theodore Roosevelt, used his bully pulpit in nine speeches in southern and central Iowa, on this date in 1903.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, April 27, 2017
"Disorder in the Court"
Iowa farmers had it rough in the early 1930s. The Great Depression was bad enough, but by 1932, Western Iowa farmers had put up with three years of drought, hail, and insect pests. And three years of almost no crops.
A week's sale of eggs, about 30 dozen, would hardly buy a pair of shoes. Farmers began exchanging products with each other, bartering, since money was so scarce.
And when farmers couldn't pay the high interest rates on mortgages written when times were good, foreclosures came. Some farmers banded together to try to prevent foreclosures, sometimes trying to control the bidding at auctions to artificially lower the sale price to help a neighbor out.
On April 27, 1933, a group of 100 farmers entered the courtroom of Judge C.C. Bradley in LeMars and demanded that he refuse to sign any more foreclosure orders. He refused, so the group dragged the 60-year-old judge from the bench, blindfolded him, and drove him by car into the country. He was then pulled from the car, smeared with axle grease, and a rope was placed around his neck suitable for hanging. The judge fainted, and soon was allowed to go free.
The violent act shocked many, including farmers who were against taking such drastic measures. Soon both the Iowa legislature and U.S. Congress passed laws providing aid and loan refinancing help. Iowa still had the largest amount of farm foreclosures during that time than any other state, but the situation did improve.
Not soon enough to prevent the day in LeMars, where 100 farmers dragged a judge off the bench to prevent foreclosure orders from being signed, on this date in 1933.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Disorder in the Court"
Iowa farmers had it rough in the early 1930s. The Great Depression was bad enough, but by 1932, Western Iowa farmers had put up with three years of drought, hail, and insect pests. And three years of almost no crops.
A week's sale of eggs, about 30 dozen, would hardly buy a pair of shoes. Farmers began exchanging products with each other, bartering, since money was so scarce.
And when farmers couldn't pay the high interest rates on mortgages written when times were good, foreclosures came. Some farmers banded together to try to prevent foreclosures, sometimes trying to control the bidding at auctions to artificially lower the sale price to help a neighbor out.
On April 27, 1933, a group of 100 farmers entered the courtroom of Judge C.C. Bradley in LeMars and demanded that he refuse to sign any more foreclosure orders. He refused, so the group dragged the 60-year-old judge from the bench, blindfolded him, and drove him by car into the country. He was then pulled from the car, smeared with axle grease, and a rope was placed around his neck suitable for hanging. The judge fainted, and soon was allowed to go free.
The violent act shocked many, including farmers who were against taking such drastic measures. Soon both the Iowa legislature and U.S. Congress passed laws providing aid and loan refinancing help. Iowa still had the largest amount of farm foreclosures during that time than any other state, but the situation did improve.
Not soon enough to prevent the day in LeMars, where 100 farmers dragged a judge off the bench to prevent foreclosure orders from being signed, on this date in 1933.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, April 26, 2017
"First in Flight"
Louis Wellington Schalk, Jr., was born in Alden, Iowa on May 29th, 1926. Lou graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1948 and was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force.
He later graduated first in his class at the air force Experimental Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California in 1954 and was assigned to Fighter Operations. There his superiors included such legendary names as Chuck Yeager and Pete Everest.
By 1957, Lou Schalk was an engineering test pilot for Lockheed, and helped design the next generation of aircraft--the Blackbirds.
On April 26th, 1962, Lou Schalk made aviation history when he became the first to fly the A-12 Blackbird. It was an unofficial, unannounced maiden flight lasting 40 minutes. Four days later, he made the first official flight, and then on May 4th, 1962, Schalk broke the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.1.
But that was not enough speed for Schalk. He continued working with the Blackbirds, and made the first four flights above Mach 3, topping off at a speed of 2,287 miles per hour.
Lou Schalk died from leukemia just four months after the 40th anniversary of that record flight, in 2002.
One of the elite group of aircraft designers and pilots, daring to break the sound barrier and beyond...Lou Schalk of Alden, Iowa...who was the first to fly the Lockheed Blackbird on this date in 1962.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"First in Flight"
Louis Wellington Schalk, Jr., was born in Alden, Iowa on May 29th, 1926. Lou graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1948 and was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force.
He later graduated first in his class at the air force Experimental Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California in 1954 and was assigned to Fighter Operations. There his superiors included such legendary names as Chuck Yeager and Pete Everest.
By 1957, Lou Schalk was an engineering test pilot for Lockheed, and helped design the next generation of aircraft--the Blackbirds.
On April 26th, 1962, Lou Schalk made aviation history when he became the first to fly the A-12 Blackbird. It was an unofficial, unannounced maiden flight lasting 40 minutes. Four days later, he made the first official flight, and then on May 4th, 1962, Schalk broke the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.1.
But that was not enough speed for Schalk. He continued working with the Blackbirds, and made the first four flights above Mach 3, topping off at a speed of 2,287 miles per hour.
Lou Schalk died from leukemia just four months after the 40th anniversary of that record flight, in 2002.
One of the elite group of aircraft designers and pilots, daring to break the sound barrier and beyond...Lou Schalk of Alden, Iowa...who was the first to fly the Lockheed Blackbird on this date in 1962.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, April 25, 2017
"A World Premiere"
On February 25th, 1977, residents of Dubuque learned they'd have some company that summer. A movie crew was set to produce a film with an $8 million budget, a major project for United Artists that year.
The movie was to be called "F.I.S.T.", an acronym standing for Federation of Inter-State Truckers, a fictional union. It told the story of Johnny Kovak, a Cleveland warehouse worker who becomes involved with the union and makes his way to the top of the leadership pack.
In the starring role was Sylvester Stallone, fresh from writing and starring in "Rocky", which had won the Academy Award for best picture that year.
Dubuque was selected because in some ways, it looked more like 1930s Cleveland than the real Cleveland did. That's because there were few rooftop television antennas on houses in Dubuque. The hilly terrain had always made receiving signals difficult, so the city was one of the first to embrace cable television...meaning no antennas.
Filming took place in May and June of 1977 in recognizable Dubuque locations such as the Dubuque Star Brewery, Sacred Heart Church, the Fourth Street Elevator, and the former Caradco manufacturing company.
Stallone received a half-million dollars for his work--$350,000 for acting and $150,000 for rewriting the script.
The next year, those reading the new official Dubuque City Directory found John and Anna Kovak listed--the fictional characters at the heart of the film, living at the address of the brick duplex used to portray their home in the movie.
Hundreds of citizens served as extras in the film, and they turned out to see themselves on the big screen, when the movie F.I.S.T. held its world premiere in Dubuque, the place it was filmed, on this date in 1978.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A World Premiere"
On February 25th, 1977, residents of Dubuque learned they'd have some company that summer. A movie crew was set to produce a film with an $8 million budget, a major project for United Artists that year.
The movie was to be called "F.I.S.T.", an acronym standing for Federation of Inter-State Truckers, a fictional union. It told the story of Johnny Kovak, a Cleveland warehouse worker who becomes involved with the union and makes his way to the top of the leadership pack.
In the starring role was Sylvester Stallone, fresh from writing and starring in "Rocky", which had won the Academy Award for best picture that year.
Dubuque was selected because in some ways, it looked more like 1930s Cleveland than the real Cleveland did. That's because there were few rooftop television antennas on houses in Dubuque. The hilly terrain had always made receiving signals difficult, so the city was one of the first to embrace cable television...meaning no antennas.
Filming took place in May and June of 1977 in recognizable Dubuque locations such as the Dubuque Star Brewery, Sacred Heart Church, the Fourth Street Elevator, and the former Caradco manufacturing company.
Stallone received a half-million dollars for his work--$350,000 for acting and $150,000 for rewriting the script.
The next year, those reading the new official Dubuque City Directory found John and Anna Kovak listed--the fictional characters at the heart of the film, living at the address of the brick duplex used to portray their home in the movie.
Hundreds of citizens served as extras in the film, and they turned out to see themselves on the big screen, when the movie F.I.S.T. held its world premiere in Dubuque, the place it was filmed, on this date in 1978.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, April 24, 2017
"Farm Aid in Iowa"
Back in 1985, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to keep farm families on their land.
The sixth Farm Aid concert was held on April 24, 1993, in Cyclone Stadium in Ames.
Iowa native Tom Arnold and his then-wife Roseanne wore Cyclone and Hawkeye jerseys, and introduced some of the acts.
Among the featured performers that Saturday were Bruce Hornsby, Bryan Adams, Ringo Starr, Marty Stuart, Martina McBride, the Highwaymen, Dwight Yoakam, and Arlo Guthrie. And of course, Willie Nelson.
In 30 years, Farm Aid has raised more than $45 million to promote the family farm system of agriculture. Farm Aid was of particular help in Iowa just a few months after the concert, when the record floods of 1993 left thousands of Midwest families homeless. Farm Aid created the Family Farm Disaster Fund that summer to help.
We in Iowa remember when Farm Aid came to Ames, on this date in 1993.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 24th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Farm Aid in Iowa"
Back in 1985, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to keep farm families on their land.
The sixth Farm Aid concert was held on April 24, 1993, in Cyclone Stadium in Ames.
Iowa native Tom Arnold and his then-wife Roseanne wore Cyclone and Hawkeye jerseys, and introduced some of the acts.
Among the featured performers that Saturday were Bruce Hornsby, Bryan Adams, Ringo Starr, Marty Stuart, Martina McBride, the Highwaymen, Dwight Yoakam, and Arlo Guthrie. And of course, Willie Nelson.
In 30 years, Farm Aid has raised more than $45 million to promote the family farm system of agriculture. Farm Aid was of particular help in Iowa just a few months after the concert, when the record floods of 1993 left thousands of Midwest families homeless. Farm Aid created the Family Farm Disaster Fund that summer to help.
We in Iowa remember when Farm Aid came to Ames, on this date in 1993.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 24th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, April 21, 2017
"Preventing Juvenile Delinquency"
At the turn of the 20th century, some Dubuque leaders were concerned. How could they keep city children involved in positive activities over the summer, when school was not in session? Rural children had no problem keeping busy on the farm, but there wasn't enough for city children to do.
Audubon Elementary School principal B.J. Horchem had an idea. In 1907, he established an outdoor camp where boys planted gardens and studied nature. He hoped that the public schools would eventually became year-round, and these new summer outdoor classes would be part of the curriculum.
His motto was "Form, Not Reform", as in "reform school".
On April 21, 1911, the program was officially incorporated under the name Park Life, with a board of trustees that included two dozen of Dubuque's most prominent business and professional leaders. Principal Horchem began with a small number of boys who set up tents, tended a garden and cooked their own food.
Park Life received national attention in the May 1912 issue of American Magazine, and attracted great interest when discussed at that year's meeting of the National Education Association in San Francisco.
One writer noted it promoted the physical health and vigor of the boys, stimulated their minds, quickened their perception, and kept them in a clear, pure atmosphere of thought.
Money was always a problem, however. Horchem paid for things himself in the early years, and the financial aid to the project declined, as did attendance as other youth organizations developed. In many respects, the high point of the unique Park Life project occurred when community leaders rallied behind it financially and legally incorporated the effort on this date in 1911.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Preventing Juvenile Delinquency"
At the turn of the 20th century, some Dubuque leaders were concerned. How could they keep city children involved in positive activities over the summer, when school was not in session? Rural children had no problem keeping busy on the farm, but there wasn't enough for city children to do.
Audubon Elementary School principal B.J. Horchem had an idea. In 1907, he established an outdoor camp where boys planted gardens and studied nature. He hoped that the public schools would eventually became year-round, and these new summer outdoor classes would be part of the curriculum.
His motto was "Form, Not Reform", as in "reform school".
On April 21, 1911, the program was officially incorporated under the name Park Life, with a board of trustees that included two dozen of Dubuque's most prominent business and professional leaders. Principal Horchem began with a small number of boys who set up tents, tended a garden and cooked their own food.
Park Life received national attention in the May 1912 issue of American Magazine, and attracted great interest when discussed at that year's meeting of the National Education Association in San Francisco.
One writer noted it promoted the physical health and vigor of the boys, stimulated their minds, quickened their perception, and kept them in a clear, pure atmosphere of thought.
Money was always a problem, however. Horchem paid for things himself in the early years, and the financial aid to the project declined, as did attendance as other youth organizations developed. In many respects, the high point of the unique Park Life project occurred when community leaders rallied behind it financially and legally incorporated the effort on this date in 1911.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, April 20, 2017
"A World Record Treat"
Mildred Day was a natural to major in home economics at Iowa State. One of her dress-making projects earned a 99.5 score out of a hundred. By the time she graduated in 1928, she had already impressed the folks at the Kellogg's cereal company with her home life and table manners, so they offered her a job before graduation.
She tested recipes in the Kellogg's kitchens in Battle Creek, Michigan and later conducted cooking schools for customers in 38 states.
Kellog's developed Rice Krispies as a breakfast cereal in 1927, and it became a favorite with children due to the snap, crackle and pop sounds the cereal made when milk was added.
By 1939, Millie Day and a co-worker, Malitta Jensen, perfected a new recipe using the cereal, butter, and marshmallows. It was first called Marshmallow Squares, but quickly became known simply as the Rice Krispies Treat, and recipes featuring the snack were put on cereal boxes in 1941.
On April 20th, 2001, students at Iowa State University set a world record by creating the biggest Rice Krispie Treat ever made. It weighed 2,480 pounds, and was made from 818 pounds of Rice Krispies, 1,466 pounds of marshmallows, and 217 pounds of butter. It was displayed as a float in the VEISHEA parade before being taken to central campus where it was cut and served.
Iowa State alums have created many things over time, but perhaps none as tasty as Mildred Day's creation, which was remembered by students who set a world record for the largest Rice Krispie Treat ever, during VEISHEA on this date in 2001.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A World Record Treat"
Mildred Day was a natural to major in home economics at Iowa State. One of her dress-making projects earned a 99.5 score out of a hundred. By the time she graduated in 1928, she had already impressed the folks at the Kellogg's cereal company with her home life and table manners, so they offered her a job before graduation.
She tested recipes in the Kellogg's kitchens in Battle Creek, Michigan and later conducted cooking schools for customers in 38 states.
Kellog's developed Rice Krispies as a breakfast cereal in 1927, and it became a favorite with children due to the snap, crackle and pop sounds the cereal made when milk was added.
By 1939, Millie Day and a co-worker, Malitta Jensen, perfected a new recipe using the cereal, butter, and marshmallows. It was first called Marshmallow Squares, but quickly became known simply as the Rice Krispies Treat, and recipes featuring the snack were put on cereal boxes in 1941.
On April 20th, 2001, students at Iowa State University set a world record by creating the biggest Rice Krispie Treat ever made. It weighed 2,480 pounds, and was made from 818 pounds of Rice Krispies, 1,466 pounds of marshmallows, and 217 pounds of butter. It was displayed as a float in the VEISHEA parade before being taken to central campus where it was cut and served.
Iowa State alums have created many things over time, but perhaps none as tasty as Mildred Day's creation, which was remembered by students who set a world record for the largest Rice Krispie Treat ever, during VEISHEA on this date in 2001.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, April 19, 2017
"The Presidents Speak"
Iowa's only native-born president, Herbert Hoover, first came to world prominence for his role in stemming the famine confronting the world after World War I. He was a global hero for his efforts, a reputation that propelled him into the presidency in 1928. But the Great Depression clouded Hoover's term in office, and he was largely held at arm's length throughout Franklin Roosevelt's time in the White House.
Fellow Midwesterner Harry Truman, though, saw past the partisan cloud. Another global famine was affecting millions after World War II, and Truman sought Hoover's counsel about how to again successfully fight world hunger.
On April 19, 1946, at 6 p.m. Iowa time, all four U.S. radio networks carried a rare joint speech by two American presidents. Truman spoke from Washington, urging Americans to eat less so the food could be used to save lives overseas. He spoke for four minutes, closing by bluntly stating, "The time for talk has passed. The time for action is here."
Then Truman turned the microphone over to Hoover, who was completing a trip around the world to assess the famine emergency. Speaking live from Cairo, Egypt, Hoover detailed the crisis and recommendations for its solution.
Hoover was speaking to an American audience of tens of millions, a larger audience than any he had spoken to since leaving the White House 14 years before. A worldwide audience listened on short wave radio.
"If every source of supplies will scrape the bottom of the barrel, we can pull the world through this most dangerous crisis," Hoover said, calling the saving of those human lives the "return of the lamp of compassion to the world".
The effort was successful and led to both the Democrat Truman, and his Republican successor, Dwight Eisenhower, to call on Hoover to lead government reform commissions. It was a bit of reputation rehabilitation, if you will.
Radio audiences heard a first, when two presidents--Truman and Hoover--addressed the world in a joint program about famine, on this date, in 1946.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Presidents Speak"
Iowa's only native-born president, Herbert Hoover, first came to world prominence for his role in stemming the famine confronting the world after World War I. He was a global hero for his efforts, a reputation that propelled him into the presidency in 1928. But the Great Depression clouded Hoover's term in office, and he was largely held at arm's length throughout Franklin Roosevelt's time in the White House.
Fellow Midwesterner Harry Truman, though, saw past the partisan cloud. Another global famine was affecting millions after World War II, and Truman sought Hoover's counsel about how to again successfully fight world hunger.
On April 19, 1946, at 6 p.m. Iowa time, all four U.S. radio networks carried a rare joint speech by two American presidents. Truman spoke from Washington, urging Americans to eat less so the food could be used to save lives overseas. He spoke for four minutes, closing by bluntly stating, "The time for talk has passed. The time for action is here."
Then Truman turned the microphone over to Hoover, who was completing a trip around the world to assess the famine emergency. Speaking live from Cairo, Egypt, Hoover detailed the crisis and recommendations for its solution.
Hoover was speaking to an American audience of tens of millions, a larger audience than any he had spoken to since leaving the White House 14 years before. A worldwide audience listened on short wave radio.
"If every source of supplies will scrape the bottom of the barrel, we can pull the world through this most dangerous crisis," Hoover said, calling the saving of those human lives the "return of the lamp of compassion to the world".
The effort was successful and led to both the Democrat Truman, and his Republican successor, Dwight Eisenhower, to call on Hoover to lead government reform commissions. It was a bit of reputation rehabilitation, if you will.
Radio audiences heard a first, when two presidents--Truman and Hoover--addressed the world in a joint program about famine, on this date, in 1946.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, April 18, 2017
"No Dancing Like That"
The Marshalltown Times-Republican for April 18th, 1919, included a small ad which read as follows:
"Public dancing at my open air pavilion will begin Wednesday evening, April 23, weather permitting. On account of the complaints and objections to dancing of late I hereby announce that the shimmie or any other immoral dance will not be tolerated and persons violating my rulings will be rejected admission. Your patronage solicited
and assured a good, clean evening's entertainment. W. H. Niederhauser."
The folks in Marshalltown were not alone in expressing concern about the dance which dominated American music publishing, recording and performing that year. It was featured on Broadway by the Ziegfeld Follies, and Mae West included it in her stage act.
Technically, the shimmy is a dance move in which the body is held still, except for the shoulders, which are alternated back and forth.
But Philadelphia police cracked down on those doing the shimmy at street dances in the summer of 1919, and like in Mr. Niederhauser's place in Marshalltown, it was banned in dance halls across the country that year and into the 1920s.
Those bans only made the dance more popular, it seemed, and flappers in the 1920s often did the shimmy. By the time the rock and roll era came in the 1950s, it was the subject of pop songs, and while some parents were not crazy about it, and one author wrote, "The road to hell is too often paved with jazz steps", the shimmy was here to stay.
But some tried to stop it, like Marshalltown pavilion owner W. H. Niederhauser, who gave notice in the local newspaper that the shimmy would be banned from his establishment, on this date in 1919.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"No Dancing Like That"
The Marshalltown Times-Republican for April 18th, 1919, included a small ad which read as follows:
"Public dancing at my open air pavilion will begin Wednesday evening, April 23, weather permitting. On account of the complaints and objections to dancing of late I hereby announce that the shimmie or any other immoral dance will not be tolerated and persons violating my rulings will be rejected admission. Your patronage solicited
and assured a good, clean evening's entertainment. W. H. Niederhauser."
The folks in Marshalltown were not alone in expressing concern about the dance which dominated American music publishing, recording and performing that year. It was featured on Broadway by the Ziegfeld Follies, and Mae West included it in her stage act.
Technically, the shimmy is a dance move in which the body is held still, except for the shoulders, which are alternated back and forth.
But Philadelphia police cracked down on those doing the shimmy at street dances in the summer of 1919, and like in Mr. Niederhauser's place in Marshalltown, it was banned in dance halls across the country that year and into the 1920s.
Those bans only made the dance more popular, it seemed, and flappers in the 1920s often did the shimmy. By the time the rock and roll era came in the 1950s, it was the subject of pop songs, and while some parents were not crazy about it, and one author wrote, "The road to hell is too often paved with jazz steps", the shimmy was here to stay.
But some tried to stop it, like Marshalltown pavilion owner W. H. Niederhauser, who gave notice in the local newspaper that the shimmy would be banned from his establishment, on this date in 1919.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, April 17, 2017
"The Celebration That Got Out Of Hand"
It was the 81st year of Iowa State University's annual celebration called VEISHEA, an acronym developed by the initials of the colleges in place when the week-long event was founded. It had become the largest campus celebration in America with a parade, open-house demonstrations of university facilities, and fundraisers for charity.
There were problems, though. There were riots in both 1992 and 1994. But April 17, 2004, took those disturbances to a new level.
On Saturday, April 17, police responded to a complaint about a party that was spilling out into the street in Ames' campus district. Some 400 persons were there and when the party was broken up, they joined another large group of people who were already in the streets for VEISHEA festivities.
The crowd clashed with police, shouting obscene phrases and mooning officers. Then it became violent, with lamp posts, street signs, parking meters and storefront windows damaged or destroyed. 16 officers and 22 civilians were injured. 37 arrests were made. Police and some two thousand rioters fought until almost dawn. By sunrise, there had been a quarter million dollars of damage to public and private property.
Some claimed there was police brutality, saying they were sprayed with pepper spray or tear gas for no reason. Some blamed built up aggression following the previous six years of alcohol-free VEISHEA as the cause of the riots. Regardless, the university cancelled the celebration the following year, 2005.
It resumed in 2006, and remained incident free until another riot in 2014. That was the final straw, and the university decided VEISHEA would no longer be held, and the name would be retired. But the largest disturbance, termed one of the larger campus riots ever in the U.S., occurred on this date in 2004.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 17th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Celebration That Got Out Of Hand"
It was the 81st year of Iowa State University's annual celebration called VEISHEA, an acronym developed by the initials of the colleges in place when the week-long event was founded. It had become the largest campus celebration in America with a parade, open-house demonstrations of university facilities, and fundraisers for charity.
There were problems, though. There were riots in both 1992 and 1994. But April 17, 2004, took those disturbances to a new level.
On Saturday, April 17, police responded to a complaint about a party that was spilling out into the street in Ames' campus district. Some 400 persons were there and when the party was broken up, they joined another large group of people who were already in the streets for VEISHEA festivities.
The crowd clashed with police, shouting obscene phrases and mooning officers. Then it became violent, with lamp posts, street signs, parking meters and storefront windows damaged or destroyed. 16 officers and 22 civilians were injured. 37 arrests were made. Police and some two thousand rioters fought until almost dawn. By sunrise, there had been a quarter million dollars of damage to public and private property.
Some claimed there was police brutality, saying they were sprayed with pepper spray or tear gas for no reason. Some blamed built up aggression following the previous six years of alcohol-free VEISHEA as the cause of the riots. Regardless, the university cancelled the celebration the following year, 2005.
It resumed in 2006, and remained incident free until another riot in 2014. That was the final straw, and the university decided VEISHEA would no longer be held, and the name would be retired. But the largest disturbance, termed one of the larger campus riots ever in the U.S., occurred on this date in 2004.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 17th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, April 14, 2017
"The End of Segregation"
Alexander Clark was not a man who took no for an answer. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1826 and after training as a teenager to be a barber, he arrived in Muscatine in 1842 at the age of 16. He saved his earnings, investing in timberlands and using the proceeds from the timber to further invest in real estate. He was a founder of the African Methodist Church, one of the earliest west of the Mississippi River. He tried to enlist during the Civil War but was refused due to a physical disability, so he spent the war recruiting volunteers for the Union Army.
In September of 1867, 12-year-old Susan Clark was denied admission to the neighborhood Grammar School in Muscatine due to her race. The school board said it had a special, separate school for colored children. Alexander Clark believed his child deserved to go to school with the rest of Muscatine's children, so he started a series of lawsuits.
On April 14, 1868, the Iowa Supreme Court issued its ruling in Clark versus Muscatine Board of Education, marking the first time a court in this country struck down a law requiring segregated education. The court's opinion noted that we are "one harmonious people", and as such should be treated alike. So Susan Clark got to go to school, and ultimately became the first black graduate from Muscatine High School in 1871, perhaps even the first black to graduate from a public high school in the state.
The experience spurred Alexander Clark, Jr., Susan's brother to become the first graduate from the University of Iowa College of Law...and for Alexander Clark, Sr., to become the second, at the age of 58. He later became the American minister to the nation of Liberia. But for generations of people of color, perhaps his greatest accomplishment was fighting for the right for his daughter to go to school, a right affirmed by the Iowa Supreme Court a full 86 years before the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Brown versus Board of Education, on this date in 1868.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The End of Segregation"
Alexander Clark was not a man who took no for an answer. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1826 and after training as a teenager to be a barber, he arrived in Muscatine in 1842 at the age of 16. He saved his earnings, investing in timberlands and using the proceeds from the timber to further invest in real estate. He was a founder of the African Methodist Church, one of the earliest west of the Mississippi River. He tried to enlist during the Civil War but was refused due to a physical disability, so he spent the war recruiting volunteers for the Union Army.
In September of 1867, 12-year-old Susan Clark was denied admission to the neighborhood Grammar School in Muscatine due to her race. The school board said it had a special, separate school for colored children. Alexander Clark believed his child deserved to go to school with the rest of Muscatine's children, so he started a series of lawsuits.
On April 14, 1868, the Iowa Supreme Court issued its ruling in Clark versus Muscatine Board of Education, marking the first time a court in this country struck down a law requiring segregated education. The court's opinion noted that we are "one harmonious people", and as such should be treated alike. So Susan Clark got to go to school, and ultimately became the first black graduate from Muscatine High School in 1871, perhaps even the first black to graduate from a public high school in the state.
The experience spurred Alexander Clark, Jr., Susan's brother to become the first graduate from the University of Iowa College of Law...and for Alexander Clark, Sr., to become the second, at the age of 58. He later became the American minister to the nation of Liberia. But for generations of people of color, perhaps his greatest accomplishment was fighting for the right for his daughter to go to school, a right affirmed by the Iowa Supreme Court a full 86 years before the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Brown versus Board of Education, on this date in 1868.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, April 13, 2017
"America's Athletic Classic"
April 13th, 1910, was unseasonably cold. Not the best weather for outdoor activities, like a new track and field meet hosted by Drake University in Des Moines.
The inaugural Drake Relays were held on this date in 1910. Actually, it was called the first Drake Relay Carnival.
Drake athletic director and coach John L. Griffith hoped there'd be 250 athletes from 15 colleges at the event. But a blizzard struck the morning of the meet, so only men from Drake, Simpson College, Highland Park College, Des Moines College, three high schools, and several Drake organizations competed. In fact, the 100 spectators shivering in the stands outnumbered the 82 runners who participated, who themselves huddled in tents in the infield in between races to keep warm.
Griffith was undeterred, however. The next year, he hit his target of 250 runners, and the crowd was so big, the local interurban company had to put on an extra trolley.
In all this time, the Drake Relays have always been held on the same piece of ground, originally called Haskins Field.
By 1922, the Relays expanded into a two-day meet, with 10,000 fans and more than 700 athletes. That year's meet was also unique, as a somewhat rasping voice crackled over a "radio-telephone" network, marking the first time in the history of American track and field an event was broadcast.
Since then, the Relays have hosted all of the world's top track and field athletes, with record-setting performances on the famous blue track. But it all started, in a blizzard, when the first Drake Relay Carnival was held on this date in 1910.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"America's Athletic Classic"
April 13th, 1910, was unseasonably cold. Not the best weather for outdoor activities, like a new track and field meet hosted by Drake University in Des Moines.
The inaugural Drake Relays were held on this date in 1910. Actually, it was called the first Drake Relay Carnival.
Drake athletic director and coach John L. Griffith hoped there'd be 250 athletes from 15 colleges at the event. But a blizzard struck the morning of the meet, so only men from Drake, Simpson College, Highland Park College, Des Moines College, three high schools, and several Drake organizations competed. In fact, the 100 spectators shivering in the stands outnumbered the 82 runners who participated, who themselves huddled in tents in the infield in between races to keep warm.
Griffith was undeterred, however. The next year, he hit his target of 250 runners, and the crowd was so big, the local interurban company had to put on an extra trolley.
In all this time, the Drake Relays have always been held on the same piece of ground, originally called Haskins Field.
By 1922, the Relays expanded into a two-day meet, with 10,000 fans and more than 700 athletes. That year's meet was also unique, as a somewhat rasping voice crackled over a "radio-telephone" network, marking the first time in the history of American track and field an event was broadcast.
Since then, the Relays have hosted all of the world's top track and field athletes, with record-setting performances on the famous blue track. But it all started, in a blizzard, when the first Drake Relay Carnival was held on this date in 1910.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, April 12, 2017
"The Union Shop"
In 1880, William Fisher invented the Fisher Type 1 constant pressure pump governor in Marshalltown, and founded the Fisher Governor Company to produce the item. The company has gone one to become one of the oldest and largest process control companies in the world, making control valves and regulators. In fact, the Type 1 remains virtually unchanged, and a part of the company's product line today.
Fisher's company was always a family affair. After he died in 1905, his wife Martha took his place as president. Son Jasper Fisher returned home to Marshalltown in 1912, running the company his father founded for 26 years until his death. Then, as was the case a generation before, his wife, Edna, became president while Jasper and Edna's son, Bill, learned the business. Bill Fisher became president himself in 1954.
Bill prided himself on treating workers like extended members of the family, including summertime picnics for employees. But as the 1960s progressed, there was pressure on workers to unionize.
Prior to 1962, Marshalltown was a non-union town. Several attempts to unionize Fisher Governor failed. Then on April 12th, 1964, Fisher employees voted to be represented by the United Auto Workers by the narrowest of margins, 453 for and 435 against.
That changed the Marshalltown labor landscape, as the UAW wound up organizing seven more plants, employing some 2,500 workers in the city.
The shift to a unionized work force disappointed Fisher, who would merge his company with Monsanto just five years later. Today, the original Fisher Governor Company is part of Emerson Process Management, and while international company growth under the Fisher name continued into this century, high labor costs forced the closing of the well-known Center Street plant and a series of worker layoffs.
The unionization of Marshalltown's workforce began, when the United Auto Workers union was certified at Fisher Governor, on this date in 1964.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Union Shop"
In 1880, William Fisher invented the Fisher Type 1 constant pressure pump governor in Marshalltown, and founded the Fisher Governor Company to produce the item. The company has gone one to become one of the oldest and largest process control companies in the world, making control valves and regulators. In fact, the Type 1 remains virtually unchanged, and a part of the company's product line today.
Fisher's company was always a family affair. After he died in 1905, his wife Martha took his place as president. Son Jasper Fisher returned home to Marshalltown in 1912, running the company his father founded for 26 years until his death. Then, as was the case a generation before, his wife, Edna, became president while Jasper and Edna's son, Bill, learned the business. Bill Fisher became president himself in 1954.
Bill prided himself on treating workers like extended members of the family, including summertime picnics for employees. But as the 1960s progressed, there was pressure on workers to unionize.
Prior to 1962, Marshalltown was a non-union town. Several attempts to unionize Fisher Governor failed. Then on April 12th, 1964, Fisher employees voted to be represented by the United Auto Workers by the narrowest of margins, 453 for and 435 against.
That changed the Marshalltown labor landscape, as the UAW wound up organizing seven more plants, employing some 2,500 workers in the city.
The shift to a unionized work force disappointed Fisher, who would merge his company with Monsanto just five years later. Today, the original Fisher Governor Company is part of Emerson Process Management, and while international company growth under the Fisher name continued into this century, high labor costs forced the closing of the well-known Center Street plant and a series of worker layoffs.
The unionization of Marshalltown's workforce began, when the United Auto Workers union was certified at Fisher Governor, on this date in 1964.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, April 11, 2017
"In God Our Hope And Refuge"
On April 11, 1847, some 700 residents of Holland left their native land, bound for Marion County, Iowa. More followed in the next few years, establishing the settlement of Pella.
Like so many others who made their way to America over the course of centuries, religious persecution in their home led them to come here. This group was made up of dissenters from the established Reformed church. The Pella pilgrims in Holland opposed the formalities of the established church.
Four ships brought them to this country, with trips lasting between 26 and 40 days. On the voyage, a temporary government was instituted on each ship, order and cleanliness were strictly enforced, and the passengers engaged in daily religious services. When the ships landed at Baltimore, the health officers were so pleased with the cleanliness of the ships, they skipped the usual inspection, with one saying, "Oh, these emigrants are all right."
They took primitive railroads and canals to Pittsburgh, then traveled by steamer on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to St. Louis. That added three more weeks to the journey.
A total of 20 pilgrims died on the sea voyage, and another four after coming to America.
Four months after leaving their homeland, the Dutch made it to Keokuk in August, purchasing horses, oxen and wagons with gold they had brought with them. One emigrant could not figure out why the fine team he had purchased would not move when he gave the command. It was explained to him that these were American horses, who did not understand Dutch.
Nearly a year after a small group came to explore settlement opportunities in Iowa, some 700 arrived in Marion County and settled Pella, incorporating a town motto that translates to In God Our Hope and Refuge. These Dutch immigrants began their journey, setting sail for America, on this date in 1847.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"In God Our Hope And Refuge"
On April 11, 1847, some 700 residents of Holland left their native land, bound for Marion County, Iowa. More followed in the next few years, establishing the settlement of Pella.
Like so many others who made their way to America over the course of centuries, religious persecution in their home led them to come here. This group was made up of dissenters from the established Reformed church. The Pella pilgrims in Holland opposed the formalities of the established church.
Four ships brought them to this country, with trips lasting between 26 and 40 days. On the voyage, a temporary government was instituted on each ship, order and cleanliness were strictly enforced, and the passengers engaged in daily religious services. When the ships landed at Baltimore, the health officers were so pleased with the cleanliness of the ships, they skipped the usual inspection, with one saying, "Oh, these emigrants are all right."
They took primitive railroads and canals to Pittsburgh, then traveled by steamer on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to St. Louis. That added three more weeks to the journey.
A total of 20 pilgrims died on the sea voyage, and another four after coming to America.
Four months after leaving their homeland, the Dutch made it to Keokuk in August, purchasing horses, oxen and wagons with gold they had brought with them. One emigrant could not figure out why the fine team he had purchased would not move when he gave the command. It was explained to him that these were American horses, who did not understand Dutch.
Nearly a year after a small group came to explore settlement opportunities in Iowa, some 700 arrived in Marion County and settled Pella, incorporating a town motto that translates to In God Our Hope and Refuge. These Dutch immigrants began their journey, setting sail for America, on this date in 1847.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, April 10, 2017
"Honoring The Fallen"
Our state has 20,000 firefighters, organized into 871 different fire departments. Each and every year, they respond to more than 40,000 emergency calls.
Responding to those calls can often be dangerous, and at times, fatal.
Back in 1988, Traer firefighter Mike Reuman was vacationing in another state when he saw a sign directing visitors to a firefighter's memorial in a state park. He was intrigued and wondered what Iowa could do to honor those who died while serving in this way.
The Iowa Firefighters Association first commissioned a bronze memorial sculpture in 1990...but then came the question of where to place the sculpture. After an extensive evaluation process, the group chose Coralville as the site of the Iowa Firefighters Memorial due to its easy access, ability to build a visitors center, and civic leaders' commitment to create and care for the site.
The memorial park was dedicated on April 10, 1994 in a ceremony before 2,500 people. Iowa became the first state to have a firefighter memorial and visitors center. The site includes the memorial sculpture and a wall listing those who died while fighting fires in Iowa, as well as an eternal flame remembering those whose names are inscribed on the wall. Those with extensive service and dedication to firefighting are also remembered there.
The memorial is located north of Interstate 80 in Coralville, a forever standing tribute to those who served Iowa's communities large and small.
But the dedication of the country's first firefighter memorial and visitors center was in Coralville on this date in 1994.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 10th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Honoring The Fallen"
Our state has 20,000 firefighters, organized into 871 different fire departments. Each and every year, they respond to more than 40,000 emergency calls.
Responding to those calls can often be dangerous, and at times, fatal.
Back in 1988, Traer firefighter Mike Reuman was vacationing in another state when he saw a sign directing visitors to a firefighter's memorial in a state park. He was intrigued and wondered what Iowa could do to honor those who died while serving in this way.
The Iowa Firefighters Association first commissioned a bronze memorial sculpture in 1990...but then came the question of where to place the sculpture. After an extensive evaluation process, the group chose Coralville as the site of the Iowa Firefighters Memorial due to its easy access, ability to build a visitors center, and civic leaders' commitment to create and care for the site.
The memorial park was dedicated on April 10, 1994 in a ceremony before 2,500 people. Iowa became the first state to have a firefighter memorial and visitors center. The site includes the memorial sculpture and a wall listing those who died while fighting fires in Iowa, as well as an eternal flame remembering those whose names are inscribed on the wall. Those with extensive service and dedication to firefighting are also remembered there.
The memorial is located north of Interstate 80 in Coralville, a forever standing tribute to those who served Iowa's communities large and small.
But the dedication of the country's first firefighter memorial and visitors center was in Coralville on this date in 1994.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 10th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, April 7, 2017
"Typing With Bat Wings"
The Reverend Thomas Oliver was a Methodist minister in Monticello, Iowa. Canadian by birth, by the time he was 36, Oliver was looking for a way to produce more legible sermons to deliver to his congregation. So in 1888, he began to develop his first typewriter, using strips of tin cans to create the first models.
He received his first patent for his invention, U.S. Patent Number 450,107, on April 7th of 1891. Soon, a working model made up of 500 parts had been produced. Oliver left the ministry and moved to Epworth, Iowa, where he found investors willing to provide $15,000 of capital so the typewriter could be produced. That would be the same as $425,000 today.
By 1896, the company's manufacturing moved to Woodstock, Illinois after that city donated a vacant factory building. It later moved to Chicago in 1907.
What made the Oliver typewriter unique is that it was the first visible print typewriter, meaning a typist could see the text as it was typed. They were 'down strike' typewriters, meaning the typebars strike the roller from above, rather than from below as was the case on other models of the time. The Oliver's typebars formed a U shape and rested in towers on each side of the typewriter, which is why it got the nickname the 'bat wing' typewriter.
At first, the company relied on sales networks promoted by local customers who then went door-to-door to convince their neighbors of the merits of the Oliver typewriter. By 1920, the company relied solely on mail order sales, dropping the cost of the machine to $50--the same as $1,400 today. At its peak, the company's labor force of 875 was producing 375 typewriters a day.
Oliver did not live to see that success, though. He died suddenly of heart disease on February 9, 1909, at the age of 56, just as his invention was becoming popular. But the Iowa minister who invented a unique form of typewriter secured his first patent for that device on this date in 1891.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Typing With Bat Wings"
The Reverend Thomas Oliver was a Methodist minister in Monticello, Iowa. Canadian by birth, by the time he was 36, Oliver was looking for a way to produce more legible sermons to deliver to his congregation. So in 1888, he began to develop his first typewriter, using strips of tin cans to create the first models.
He received his first patent for his invention, U.S. Patent Number 450,107, on April 7th of 1891. Soon, a working model made up of 500 parts had been produced. Oliver left the ministry and moved to Epworth, Iowa, where he found investors willing to provide $15,000 of capital so the typewriter could be produced. That would be the same as $425,000 today.
By 1896, the company's manufacturing moved to Woodstock, Illinois after that city donated a vacant factory building. It later moved to Chicago in 1907.
What made the Oliver typewriter unique is that it was the first visible print typewriter, meaning a typist could see the text as it was typed. They were 'down strike' typewriters, meaning the typebars strike the roller from above, rather than from below as was the case on other models of the time. The Oliver's typebars formed a U shape and rested in towers on each side of the typewriter, which is why it got the nickname the 'bat wing' typewriter.
At first, the company relied on sales networks promoted by local customers who then went door-to-door to convince their neighbors of the merits of the Oliver typewriter. By 1920, the company relied solely on mail order sales, dropping the cost of the machine to $50--the same as $1,400 today. At its peak, the company's labor force of 875 was producing 375 typewriters a day.
Oliver did not live to see that success, though. He died suddenly of heart disease on February 9, 1909, at the age of 56, just as his invention was becoming popular. But the Iowa minister who invented a unique form of typewriter secured his first patent for that device on this date in 1891.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, April 6, 2017
"A Record for Longevity"
Neva Freed Morris was born on August 3rd, 1895 in Ames, Iowa. She lived her entire life there, getting married in 1914 and raising four children with her husband Edward. They lived with Edward's parents on a 224 acre farm, and she helped all four children attend Iowa State University by raising chickens, hogs and dairy cattle.
We all hope to live a long and happy life. But Neva was a record setter. She lived to the age of 114 years 246 days, before passing away on April 6, 2010. By then she was the oldest Iowan who ever lived. And at the time of her death, she was the oldest verified living person in the United States, and one of the 40 oldest Americans ever.
She was a 60-year member of Collegiate United Methodist Church, and was active in Eastern Star for 75 years. Her son noted that she had an 80-year, accident-free, driving record, even buying a new car at the age of 90. She finally stopped driving when she was 95, and lived in her farm house until age 99, when she moved to North Grand Care Center and later to Northcrest Community, where she spent her last dozen years.
When she died, her 90-year-old son-in-law was by her side. Neva Freed Morris was the second oldest living person in the world and the last American born in 1895 at the time of her death on this date in 2010.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Record for Longevity"
Neva Freed Morris was born on August 3rd, 1895 in Ames, Iowa. She lived her entire life there, getting married in 1914 and raising four children with her husband Edward. They lived with Edward's parents on a 224 acre farm, and she helped all four children attend Iowa State University by raising chickens, hogs and dairy cattle.
We all hope to live a long and happy life. But Neva was a record setter. She lived to the age of 114 years 246 days, before passing away on April 6, 2010. By then she was the oldest Iowan who ever lived. And at the time of her death, she was the oldest verified living person in the United States, and one of the 40 oldest Americans ever.
She was a 60-year member of Collegiate United Methodist Church, and was active in Eastern Star for 75 years. Her son noted that she had an 80-year, accident-free, driving record, even buying a new car at the age of 90. She finally stopped driving when she was 95, and lived in her farm house until age 99, when she moved to North Grand Care Center and later to Northcrest Community, where she spent her last dozen years.
When she died, her 90-year-old son-in-law was by her side. Neva Freed Morris was the second oldest living person in the world and the last American born in 1895 at the time of her death on this date in 2010.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, April 5, 2017
"A School of Their Own"
Samuel Bacon was born in 1823 in Ohio. Blind since childhood, he was educated at the Ohio School for the Blind. That experience inspired Bacon to make education for the blind his life's work, establishing schools for the blind in no fewer than three states in the last half of the 19th century.
He founded the Illinois School for the Blind in Jacksonville, Illinois in 1849. During a visit across the river in Keokuk, Bacon was persuaded to start a similar facility in Iowa. He rented a house in Keokuk, and started teaching three blind children. By December of 1852, he had the backing of Iowa state legislators to establish a larger school. Bacon's school was adopted by the state on January 18th, 1853, and moved to Iowa City, where it officially opened on April 5th of that year with the name "Iowa Asylum for the Blind".
Bacon changed the name only a year after it opened in Iowa City; he was afraid the asylum name would give the impression that the school was a poor house. Now called the Institution for the Instruction of the Blind, the facility quickly outgrew its space and moved several times within the boundaries of Iowa City. Bacon wanted to expand, but wanted the school to stay in Iowa City. However, an offer of free land near Vinton proved attractive to state lawmakers, who approved moving the school there in 1858.
The new facility opened in Vinton in 1862. Samuel Bacon left the school at that time, and continued his westward move to Nebraska, where he founded a state school for the blind there.
The facility took on different names over the years--the Iowa College for the Blind in 1872, the Iowa School for the Blind in 1926, and its current name, the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School in 1951. But as the Iowa Asylum for the Blind, the state-supported school led by Samuel Bacon opened in Iowa City, on this date in 1853.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A School of Their Own"
Samuel Bacon was born in 1823 in Ohio. Blind since childhood, he was educated at the Ohio School for the Blind. That experience inspired Bacon to make education for the blind his life's work, establishing schools for the blind in no fewer than three states in the last half of the 19th century.
He founded the Illinois School for the Blind in Jacksonville, Illinois in 1849. During a visit across the river in Keokuk, Bacon was persuaded to start a similar facility in Iowa. He rented a house in Keokuk, and started teaching three blind children. By December of 1852, he had the backing of Iowa state legislators to establish a larger school. Bacon's school was adopted by the state on January 18th, 1853, and moved to Iowa City, where it officially opened on April 5th of that year with the name "Iowa Asylum for the Blind".
Bacon changed the name only a year after it opened in Iowa City; he was afraid the asylum name would give the impression that the school was a poor house. Now called the Institution for the Instruction of the Blind, the facility quickly outgrew its space and moved several times within the boundaries of Iowa City. Bacon wanted to expand, but wanted the school to stay in Iowa City. However, an offer of free land near Vinton proved attractive to state lawmakers, who approved moving the school there in 1858.
The new facility opened in Vinton in 1862. Samuel Bacon left the school at that time, and continued his westward move to Nebraska, where he founded a state school for the blind there.
The facility took on different names over the years--the Iowa College for the Blind in 1872, the Iowa School for the Blind in 1926, and its current name, the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School in 1951. But as the Iowa Asylum for the Blind, the state-supported school led by Samuel Bacon opened in Iowa City, on this date in 1853.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, April 4, 2017
"From Mullican to Lane"
Rosemary Mullican was born on April 4th, 1913 in Indianola, one of five daughters born to Dr. Lorenzo Mullican and his wife Cora. All the girls had musical talent, which was supported by their mother, whose strict Methodist parents kept her from fulfilling her dreams of becoming a performer.
While older sisters Leota and Lola made their way to New York and careers on Broadway in the late 1920s, Rosemary and her younger sister Priscilla took dancing lessons weekly in Des Moines. The older sisters were given the new last name of Lane by a producer, and when Cora Mullican decided to leave her dentist husband in 1932, she took Rosemary and Priscilla with her to New York; there, they all took the last name of Lane and Cora began managing her four daughters' stage careers.
Rosemary and Priscilla scored a contract with Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians, appearing on their weekly radio show. That five-year gig included appearing with Waring in the Warner Brothers musical Variety Show, and their movie careers began.
Now joined in Hollywood by the others, three of the four Lane Sisters starred in the 1938 movie Four Daughters, which was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. That led to sequels, predictably titled Four Wives and Four Mothers.
In her movie career, Rosemary Lane co-starred with the likes of Dick Powell, Rudy Vallee, John Garfield, James Cagney, and Humphrey Bogart. She returned to New York and the Broadway stage, but ended her performing career after starring in Sing Me A Song of Texas in 1945, choosing marriage and family. She later had a real estate business in Pacific Palisades, California, where she died in 1974 at the age of 61. For reasons that are unknown, she was originally buried in an unmarked grave; a marker was finally placed just a few months before what would have been her 100th birthday.
Iowa's Lane Sisters were quite well known, thanks to four movies they starred in together in the 1930s and 1940s. The one many called the most talented, Rosemary, was born in Indianola on this date in 1913.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"From Mullican to Lane"
Rosemary Mullican was born on April 4th, 1913 in Indianola, one of five daughters born to Dr. Lorenzo Mullican and his wife Cora. All the girls had musical talent, which was supported by their mother, whose strict Methodist parents kept her from fulfilling her dreams of becoming a performer.
While older sisters Leota and Lola made their way to New York and careers on Broadway in the late 1920s, Rosemary and her younger sister Priscilla took dancing lessons weekly in Des Moines. The older sisters were given the new last name of Lane by a producer, and when Cora Mullican decided to leave her dentist husband in 1932, she took Rosemary and Priscilla with her to New York; there, they all took the last name of Lane and Cora began managing her four daughters' stage careers.
Rosemary and Priscilla scored a contract with Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians, appearing on their weekly radio show. That five-year gig included appearing with Waring in the Warner Brothers musical Variety Show, and their movie careers began.
Now joined in Hollywood by the others, three of the four Lane Sisters starred in the 1938 movie Four Daughters, which was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. That led to sequels, predictably titled Four Wives and Four Mothers.
In her movie career, Rosemary Lane co-starred with the likes of Dick Powell, Rudy Vallee, John Garfield, James Cagney, and Humphrey Bogart. She returned to New York and the Broadway stage, but ended her performing career after starring in Sing Me A Song of Texas in 1945, choosing marriage and family. She later had a real estate business in Pacific Palisades, California, where she died in 1974 at the age of 61. For reasons that are unknown, she was originally buried in an unmarked grave; a marker was finally placed just a few months before what would have been her 100th birthday.
Iowa's Lane Sisters were quite well known, thanks to four movies they starred in together in the 1930s and 1940s. The one many called the most talented, Rosemary, was born in Indianola on this date in 1913.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, April 3, 2017
"The Orphan Train"
It was America's first national experiment in foster care...between 1854 and 1929, nearly a quarter million poor and homeless children were rescued from the streets of New York by the Children's Aid society and placed with families in the Midwest and West.
About 7,000 of these children ended up in Iowa, spread out among 105 Iowa towns. Historians call it the greatest mass migration of children in the history of the world.
They made their way westward via trains, which were quickly dubbed "Orphan Trains". The vision was that the children would be healthier and happier away from big city poverty and neglect. But siblings were often separated, because most foster families only wanted one child. And some were treated more like servants than members of the family. On the whole, though, those who ended up in Iowa thrived.
A musical was written not long ago to bring to life the stories of these children who persevered despite humble beginnings.
The fact that this musical made its Midwestern debut in Fairfield, Iowa in 2012 was appropriate...because "the orphan train" made its first stop in Fairfield on this date in 1869.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 3rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Orphan Train"
It was America's first national experiment in foster care...between 1854 and 1929, nearly a quarter million poor and homeless children were rescued from the streets of New York by the Children's Aid society and placed with families in the Midwest and West.
About 7,000 of these children ended up in Iowa, spread out among 105 Iowa towns. Historians call it the greatest mass migration of children in the history of the world.
They made their way westward via trains, which were quickly dubbed "Orphan Trains". The vision was that the children would be healthier and happier away from big city poverty and neglect. But siblings were often separated, because most foster families only wanted one child. And some were treated more like servants than members of the family. On the whole, though, those who ended up in Iowa thrived.
A musical was written not long ago to bring to life the stories of these children who persevered despite humble beginnings.
The fact that this musical made its Midwestern debut in Fairfield, Iowa in 2012 was appropriate...because "the orphan train" made its first stop in Fairfield on this date in 1869.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 3rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
