"Iowa Almanac" is a copyrighted production of Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
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No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2019 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 2019 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, April 30, 2019
"The Army Arrives"
The post Civil War era was a tough time in America, and by the early 1890s, an economic depression had set in. In 1894, a group of about 2,000 unemployed laborers formed in San Francisco under the direction of Charles T. Kelly, determined to reach the nation's capitol and ask the government to fund public works programs. They made their way east through Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska, riding the rails for free until they crossed the Missouri River into Iowa.
It was there they learned the free train rides would stop. Some turned back, but others made their way east on foot. They travelled through Underwood, Avoca, Walnut, Atlantic, Anita, Adair, Casey, Stuart, Dexter, Earlham, DeSoto, Van Meter, Booneville, Commerce, and Valley Junction. Iowans in each city along the way welcomed them as heroes, feeding them hot lunches and carrying their bags.
The group was by now well known as Kelly's Army, and the group arrived in Des Moines on April 29, 1894. They made camp at the old stove works on the outskirts of town, declaring they were done walking and demanding that the railroads again provide free passage. The railroads refused, so Kelly's Army stayed in Des Moines. Call it Iowa hospitality, but citizens there adopted the group, somehow managing to provide the 2,000 men with three meals a day and whatever else they needed.
Finally, someone figured out that if the army could not travel by rail, it might make it down the Des Moines River to the Mississippi, and then further east. So local residents contributed the material for boats, and Kelly's Army built the 150 vessels that would take them from Des Moines.
Each man was also given an American flag, and the last sight citizens had was of 150 boats, with 2,000 men, each waving an American flag, as the river current took them away, about two weeks after Kelly's Army first arrived in Des Moines, on this date, in 1894.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 30th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Army Arrives"
The post Civil War era was a tough time in America, and by the early 1890s, an economic depression had set in. In 1894, a group of about 2,000 unemployed laborers formed in San Francisco under the direction of Charles T. Kelly, determined to reach the nation's capitol and ask the government to fund public works programs. They made their way east through Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska, riding the rails for free until they crossed the Missouri River into Iowa.
It was there they learned the free train rides would stop. Some turned back, but others made their way east on foot. They travelled through Underwood, Avoca, Walnut, Atlantic, Anita, Adair, Casey, Stuart, Dexter, Earlham, DeSoto, Van Meter, Booneville, Commerce, and Valley Junction. Iowans in each city along the way welcomed them as heroes, feeding them hot lunches and carrying their bags.
The group was by now well known as Kelly's Army, and the group arrived in Des Moines on April 29, 1894. They made camp at the old stove works on the outskirts of town, declaring they were done walking and demanding that the railroads again provide free passage. The railroads refused, so Kelly's Army stayed in Des Moines. Call it Iowa hospitality, but citizens there adopted the group, somehow managing to provide the 2,000 men with three meals a day and whatever else they needed.
Finally, someone figured out that if the army could not travel by rail, it might make it down the Des Moines River to the Mississippi, and then further east. So local residents contributed the material for boats, and Kelly's Army built the 150 vessels that would take them from Des Moines.
Each man was also given an American flag, and the last sight citizens had was of 150 boats, with 2,000 men, each waving an American flag, as the river current took them away, about two weeks after Kelly's Army first arrived in Des Moines, on this date, in 1894.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 30th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, April 29, 2019
"Making the Ultimate Sacrifice"
Members of the Marshalltown High School class of 1974 will meet for their 45th high school reunion this summer. Class members are past 60 years of age. Some are contemplating upcoming retirement; others spend time with grandchildren.
But one member of the class will be forever 19 years of age, for making the ultimate sacrifice.
Lance Corporal Darwin Lee Judge was the last American soldier killed in Vietnam, on this date 44 years ago. He was a Marine security guard assigned to the American Embassy. As the U.S. withdrew from Saigon, Judge was at the nearby airport. It was there that he died in a North Vietnamese rocket attack on the morning of April 29, 1975. He had been in Vietnam less than two months. He died along with Corporal Charles McMahon, who had been on site less than two weeks.
In the chaos surrounding America's final days in Vietnam, his body was not recovered and returned to the U.S. for nearly a year. It took another 25 years before a full military burial took place, and only after a story of one of Judge's last acts was made public.
As thousands tried to flee Saigon, Marine Doug Potratz was unable to evacuate his three-year-old daughter Becky. Judge intervened, picking her up, putting her on his back, and running to a waiting plane. That little girl made it to America, where she went on to graduate with honors from the University of Southern California.
The former Eagle Scout is memorialized in his hometown with a park that bears his name, and a plaque near the main entrance to Marshalltown High School.
A total of 58,200 American soldiers gave their lives in the conflict. Iowa's Darwin Judge was the last, on this date in 1975.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Making the Ultimate Sacrifice"
Members of the Marshalltown High School class of 1974 will meet for their 45th high school reunion this summer. Class members are past 60 years of age. Some are contemplating upcoming retirement; others spend time with grandchildren.
But one member of the class will be forever 19 years of age, for making the ultimate sacrifice.
Lance Corporal Darwin Lee Judge was the last American soldier killed in Vietnam, on this date 44 years ago. He was a Marine security guard assigned to the American Embassy. As the U.S. withdrew from Saigon, Judge was at the nearby airport. It was there that he died in a North Vietnamese rocket attack on the morning of April 29, 1975. He had been in Vietnam less than two months. He died along with Corporal Charles McMahon, who had been on site less than two weeks.
In the chaos surrounding America's final days in Vietnam, his body was not recovered and returned to the U.S. for nearly a year. It took another 25 years before a full military burial took place, and only after a story of one of Judge's last acts was made public.
As thousands tried to flee Saigon, Marine Doug Potratz was unable to evacuate his three-year-old daughter Becky. Judge intervened, picking her up, putting her on his back, and running to a waiting plane. That little girl made it to America, where she went on to graduate with honors from the University of Southern California.
The former Eagle Scout is memorialized in his hometown with a park that bears his name, and a plaque near the main entrance to Marshalltown High School.
A total of 58,200 American soldiers gave their lives in the conflict. Iowa's Darwin Judge was the last, on this date in 1975.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, April 26, 2019
"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 Thursday, April 25, 2019
"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 Wednesday, April 24, 2019
"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 Tuesday, April 23, 2019
"America's Premier Fashion Designer"
Roy Frowick was born on April 23rd, 1932 in Des Moines. His father was an accountant, and his mother raised the family. Roy developed an interest in sewing from his grandmother, and began creating hats and altering clothes for his mother and sister while he was still a boy.
The Frowick family moved to Indiana when Roy was 10 years of age. By the time he was 20, he had moved to Chicago, taking night classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and working as a store window dresser. In 1953, he opened his own hat business; his first customer was another Iowa native, actress and comedian Fran Allison.
A few years later, Roy Frowick opened a new store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, and began using his middle name professionally. As a boy, family members had often called him by his middle name of Halston to avoid confusion between him and an uncle named Roy…now, the world would.
Halston received great attention as the designer of the famous pillbox hat that Jacqueline Kennedy wore to her husband’s inauguration in 1961. He branched out to design a full line of women’s clothing later that decade. He attracted celebrity clients including Lauren Bacall, Elizabeth Taylor, Bianca Jagger and Liza Minnelli.
His bold designs included the halter top dress, and his use of a variety of unique fabrics also set his designs apart. By 1975, there was a fragrance line bearing his name that generated $85 million in sales in just two years. He designed the U.S. Olympic team’s uniforms in 1976, as well as uniforms for the Girl Scouts, the New York City police department, Avis Rent a Car, and Braniff Airways.
He became a fixture of the Manhattan club scene, including the Studio 54 disco. But that lifestyle led to his downfall, as did a drug habit. He died of lung cancer and complications of AIDS in 1990, a month shy of his 58th birthday.
Newsweek magazine once called him the premier fashion designer of all America…Roy Halston Frowick, known to the world as Halston, born in Des Moines on this date in 1932.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 23rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"America's Premier Fashion Designer"
Roy Frowick was born on April 23rd, 1932 in Des Moines. His father was an accountant, and his mother raised the family. Roy developed an interest in sewing from his grandmother, and began creating hats and altering clothes for his mother and sister while he was still a boy.
The Frowick family moved to Indiana when Roy was 10 years of age. By the time he was 20, he had moved to Chicago, taking night classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and working as a store window dresser. In 1953, he opened his own hat business; his first customer was another Iowa native, actress and comedian Fran Allison.
A few years later, Roy Frowick opened a new store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, and began using his middle name professionally. As a boy, family members had often called him by his middle name of Halston to avoid confusion between him and an uncle named Roy…now, the world would.
Halston received great attention as the designer of the famous pillbox hat that Jacqueline Kennedy wore to her husband’s inauguration in 1961. He branched out to design a full line of women’s clothing later that decade. He attracted celebrity clients including Lauren Bacall, Elizabeth Taylor, Bianca Jagger and Liza Minnelli.
His bold designs included the halter top dress, and his use of a variety of unique fabrics also set his designs apart. By 1975, there was a fragrance line bearing his name that generated $85 million in sales in just two years. He designed the U.S. Olympic team’s uniforms in 1976, as well as uniforms for the Girl Scouts, the New York City police department, Avis Rent a Car, and Braniff Airways.
He became a fixture of the Manhattan club scene, including the Studio 54 disco. But that lifestyle led to his downfall, as did a drug habit. He died of lung cancer and complications of AIDS in 1990, a month shy of his 58th birthday.
Newsweek magazine once called him the premier fashion designer of all America…Roy Halston Frowick, known to the world as Halston, born in Des Moines on this date in 1932.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 23rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, April 22, 2019
"Crossing The River"
Our methods of transportation have changed greatly over the past 150 years, as Iowans connected with fellow citizens on each coast in ever more efficient ways.
On April 22nd, 1856, the citizens of Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois cheered as they watch three steam locomotives pull eight passenger cars safely across the new Chicago and Rock Island railroad bridge over the Mississippi River, the first railroad bridge across the mighty Mississippi. Now, it would only take eastern Iowans 42 hours to reach New York City by rail.
The Rock Island Bridge was built to unite the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad from the east, with the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad, which was running to the west.
But the bridge did not come without a struggle. It took three years to build, and that was only after the national fight was settled between those who wanted the first national rail route to be in the north, and those who wanted it to be in the south.
Two notable men involved in the Rock Island Bridge controversy would soon square off in another national debate. Jefferson Davis was the U.S. Secretary of War at the time, and he strongly favored a southern rail route to benefit his home state of Mississippi. As a lawyer, Abraham Lincoln represented the bridge company in legal action against steamboats, who were concerned that bridges would interfere with their ability to move commerce along the river.
The bridge was completed, the trains rolled across it, speeches were made, and bands played. But the joy was short lived. Only 15 days after it opened, part of the bridge was wrecked and burned when a steamboat crashed into it while crossing through the open draw. It was out of commission for four months, until early September.
There have been various Rock Island Bridges over the years, with the last one seeing its final rail traffic in 1980. It's still used today, but only as a highway bridge. But the first railroad bridge spanning the Mississippi opened for traffic on this date in 1856.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Crossing The River"
Our methods of transportation have changed greatly over the past 150 years, as Iowans connected with fellow citizens on each coast in ever more efficient ways.
On April 22nd, 1856, the citizens of Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois cheered as they watch three steam locomotives pull eight passenger cars safely across the new Chicago and Rock Island railroad bridge over the Mississippi River, the first railroad bridge across the mighty Mississippi. Now, it would only take eastern Iowans 42 hours to reach New York City by rail.
The Rock Island Bridge was built to unite the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad from the east, with the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad, which was running to the west.
But the bridge did not come without a struggle. It took three years to build, and that was only after the national fight was settled between those who wanted the first national rail route to be in the north, and those who wanted it to be in the south.
Two notable men involved in the Rock Island Bridge controversy would soon square off in another national debate. Jefferson Davis was the U.S. Secretary of War at the time, and he strongly favored a southern rail route to benefit his home state of Mississippi. As a lawyer, Abraham Lincoln represented the bridge company in legal action against steamboats, who were concerned that bridges would interfere with their ability to move commerce along the river.
The bridge was completed, the trains rolled across it, speeches were made, and bands played. But the joy was short lived. Only 15 days after it opened, part of the bridge was wrecked and burned when a steamboat crashed into it while crossing through the open draw. It was out of commission for four months, until early September.
There have been various Rock Island Bridges over the years, with the last one seeing its final rail traffic in 1980. It's still used today, but only as a highway bridge. But the first railroad bridge spanning the Mississippi opened for traffic on this date in 1856.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, April 19, 2019
"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 Thursday, April 18, 2019
"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…100 years ago today.
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…100 years ago today.
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 Wednesday, April 17, 2019
"Marshalltown's Hall of Famer"
When Adrian Constantine Anson was born in Marshalltown on April 17th, 1852, his parents didn’t dream he’d become a major league baseball player. That’s in part because what we now call the major leagues had not even been formed yet. In fact, the boy who grew up to be known as “Cap” Anson was one of the first players in what became the National League.
Cap started playing pro ball in the first professional league, the National Association, in 1871. Five years later, Chicago White Stockings president William Hulbert added Anson and other stars to his club, and helped form the National League. Nicknamed “Cap” since he was the captain of the team, Anson hit .325 in that first National League season, and led Chicago to a 52-14 record and the first league championship.
That team is now known as the Chicago Cubs, and Cap Anson played for the club for 22 seasons, hitting at least .300 in 20 of them. He won the league batting title twice.
He retired after the 1897 season at the age of 45. At the time, he held major league records for games, hits, at-bats, doubles and runs, and finished his playing days with 3,081 hits—the first player ever to cross the magic 3,000 hit mark.
But he wasn’t just a player. He managed the club for 19 seasons, winning five league pennants as a player/manager on his way to nearly 1,300 career victories.
Anson was also the founder of the pitching rotation, and the hit-and-run.
Cap Anson died on April 14th, 1922, just a few days before his 70th birthday. But he still holds Cubs team records today for career batting average, runs, hits, singles, doubles, and RBIs. Small wonder that he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939…and that a major street, a school and a park in his hometown bear his name.
Baseball hall of famer Adrian “Cap” Anson…born in Marshalltown on this date in 1852.
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.
"Marshalltown's Hall of Famer"
When Adrian Constantine Anson was born in Marshalltown on April 17th, 1852, his parents didn’t dream he’d become a major league baseball player. That’s in part because what we now call the major leagues had not even been formed yet. In fact, the boy who grew up to be known as “Cap” Anson was one of the first players in what became the National League.
Cap started playing pro ball in the first professional league, the National Association, in 1871. Five years later, Chicago White Stockings president William Hulbert added Anson and other stars to his club, and helped form the National League. Nicknamed “Cap” since he was the captain of the team, Anson hit .325 in that first National League season, and led Chicago to a 52-14 record and the first league championship.
That team is now known as the Chicago Cubs, and Cap Anson played for the club for 22 seasons, hitting at least .300 in 20 of them. He won the league batting title twice.
He retired after the 1897 season at the age of 45. At the time, he held major league records for games, hits, at-bats, doubles and runs, and finished his playing days with 3,081 hits—the first player ever to cross the magic 3,000 hit mark.
But he wasn’t just a player. He managed the club for 19 seasons, winning five league pennants as a player/manager on his way to nearly 1,300 career victories.
Anson was also the founder of the pitching rotation, and the hit-and-run.
Cap Anson died on April 14th, 1922, just a few days before his 70th birthday. But he still holds Cubs team records today for career batting average, runs, hits, singles, doubles, and RBIs. Small wonder that he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939…and that a major street, a school and a park in his hometown bear his name.
Baseball hall of famer Adrian “Cap” Anson…born in Marshalltown on this date in 1852.
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 Tuesday, April 16, 2019
"Robbing The First National Bank"
The story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow was romanticized in a 1967 movie starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. But 33 years before that, chances are the folks in Stuart, Iowa, were hardly star struck when the real-life pair came to town.
On April 16th, 1934, Bonnie and Clyde and their Barrow Gang robbed the First National Bank in Stuart. It turned out to be the last full blown bank robbery the gang pulled off.
Bonnie and Clyde were part of three thefts from banks in Iowa that year. The first was in Knierim in Calhoun County on February 1st…then came the Stuart robbery…and on May 3rd, a bank office in Everly in Clay County was robbed by the pair. Bonnie typically drove the getaway vehicle, while Clyde and various accomplices carried out the robberies.
Iowa was a favorite spot for the Barrow Gang. They hid out in various locations in Iowa, including Dexter, Sutherland, Lime Springs, and Mount Ayr. In fact, Clyde’s brother Marvin was killed in a raid near Dexter in July of the year before the three Iowa bank thefts.
At the time of the Stuart robbery, Bonnie was 23 years old, while Clyde had just turned 25. Their legendary crime spree began in early 1932, just after Barrow had been released from prison for a variety of smaller crimes. They robbed banks, but were wanted most notably for murder, including the deaths of nine law enforcement officers over a two year period. They themselves were ambushed and killed by police on May 23rd, 1934 in Louisiana, barely a month after the Stuart bank robbery.
The First National Bank remained in that location in Stuart for another decade after the robbery. Then for many years, somewhat ironically, the building housed the Stuart Police Station. You can see the spot of the crime today, as white lettering on a darkened upper story window reminds you of the location of Bonnie and Clyde’s last bank robbery, which happened in Stuart, on this date in 1934.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 16th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Robbing The First National Bank"
The story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow was romanticized in a 1967 movie starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. But 33 years before that, chances are the folks in Stuart, Iowa, were hardly star struck when the real-life pair came to town.
On April 16th, 1934, Bonnie and Clyde and their Barrow Gang robbed the First National Bank in Stuart. It turned out to be the last full blown bank robbery the gang pulled off.
Bonnie and Clyde were part of three thefts from banks in Iowa that year. The first was in Knierim in Calhoun County on February 1st…then came the Stuart robbery…and on May 3rd, a bank office in Everly in Clay County was robbed by the pair. Bonnie typically drove the getaway vehicle, while Clyde and various accomplices carried out the robberies.
Iowa was a favorite spot for the Barrow Gang. They hid out in various locations in Iowa, including Dexter, Sutherland, Lime Springs, and Mount Ayr. In fact, Clyde’s brother Marvin was killed in a raid near Dexter in July of the year before the three Iowa bank thefts.
At the time of the Stuart robbery, Bonnie was 23 years old, while Clyde had just turned 25. Their legendary crime spree began in early 1932, just after Barrow had been released from prison for a variety of smaller crimes. They robbed banks, but were wanted most notably for murder, including the deaths of nine law enforcement officers over a two year period. They themselves were ambushed and killed by police on May 23rd, 1934 in Louisiana, barely a month after the Stuart bank robbery.
The First National Bank remained in that location in Stuart for another decade after the robbery. Then for many years, somewhat ironically, the building housed the Stuart Police Station. You can see the spot of the crime today, as white lettering on a darkened upper story window reminds you of the location of Bonnie and Clyde’s last bank robbery, which happened in Stuart, on this date in 1934.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 16th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, April 15, 2019
"The First Mall of Its Kind"
It wasn't that long ago that every city's downtown had a vibrant business district, with large clothing and department stores anchoring large areas of city blocks. The desire to modernize and reach suburban populations with extended business hours led many to leave downtown for new sites on previously undeveloped areas on the edges of the city.
That was the case in Dubuque. In 1964, Montgomery Ward was the first to leave, moving to the west end of the city. A Youngstown, Ohio developer spearheaded the move of others, including Younkers and the local Roshek's Department Store, to be anchor stores of a new concept--a shopping mall.
In fact, what became known as Kennedy Mall formally opened on April 15, 1970, as the first climate-controlled mall in Iowa. In addition to Ward's, Younkers and Roshek's, Woolworth’s operated an anchor store there. The four were the corner stores that connected a total of 60 stores on that 1970 opening day, making it the largest enclosed mall in the state.
Not long after the mall opened, a tornado struck the area, damaging the mall. Another tornado caused damage in 1989, leading to a renovation that included a new food court.
Now, a half century later, none of the original anchor stores are still in operation there. But there are about a dozen tenants who have been at Kennedy Mall since it opened, as Iowa's first climate-controlled mall, on this date in 1970.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 15th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The First Mall of Its Kind"
It wasn't that long ago that every city's downtown had a vibrant business district, with large clothing and department stores anchoring large areas of city blocks. The desire to modernize and reach suburban populations with extended business hours led many to leave downtown for new sites on previously undeveloped areas on the edges of the city.
That was the case in Dubuque. In 1964, Montgomery Ward was the first to leave, moving to the west end of the city. A Youngstown, Ohio developer spearheaded the move of others, including Younkers and the local Roshek's Department Store, to be anchor stores of a new concept--a shopping mall.
In fact, what became known as Kennedy Mall formally opened on April 15, 1970, as the first climate-controlled mall in Iowa. In addition to Ward's, Younkers and Roshek's, Woolworth’s operated an anchor store there. The four were the corner stores that connected a total of 60 stores on that 1970 opening day, making it the largest enclosed mall in the state.
Not long after the mall opened, a tornado struck the area, damaging the mall. Another tornado caused damage in 1989, leading to a renovation that included a new food court.
Now, a half century later, none of the original anchor stores are still in operation there. But there are about a dozen tenants who have been at Kennedy Mall since it opened, as Iowa's first climate-controlled mall, on this date in 1970.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 15th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, April 12, 2019
"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 on 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 is a part of the company's product line today.
Fisher's company was always a family affair. After William 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 on 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 is a part of the company's product line today.
Fisher's company was always a family affair. After William 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 Thursday, April 11, 2019
"Taxing Smokes"
There has always been an uneasy relationship between citizens and government when it comes to taxes. We want various government services, but someone has to pay for them.
On April 11, 1921, the first major state tax in Iowa went into effect. It was a two-cent per package tax on cigarettes. In fact, Iowa was the first state in the country to pass a cigarette tax.
That source of revenue predated Iowa’s other taxes by more than a decade. It was not until 1934 that a two-percent sales tax went into effect. That same year, individual and corporate income taxes were first imposed in our state.
That state cigarette tax stayed at two-cents per pack until 1953…and has steadily increased since then. The largest increase came in 2007, when the tax jumped by one dollar per pack, from 36-cents to $1.36 per 20 cigarette package.
Iowa also began taxing tobacco generally in 1967, first as a percentage of wholesale price, and later as a rate per cigar or ounce of snuff.
One of the problems with a user tax, like that on cigarettes, is that the income generated is dependent on those users. In 2008, the Smoke Free Air Act went into effect, limiting the places where people could smoke. Many people took that as a signal to stop smoking, and as a result, the overall cigarette tax revenue in Iowa has dropped from a peak of more than $233 million per year when the public smoking ban went into effect, to barely more than $200 million now.
Now there are many user fees and taxes on all manner of products, but the very first major state tax in Iowa, on packages of cigarettes, went into effect on this date in 1921.
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.
"Taxing Smokes"
There has always been an uneasy relationship between citizens and government when it comes to taxes. We want various government services, but someone has to pay for them.
On April 11, 1921, the first major state tax in Iowa went into effect. It was a two-cent per package tax on cigarettes. In fact, Iowa was the first state in the country to pass a cigarette tax.
That source of revenue predated Iowa’s other taxes by more than a decade. It was not until 1934 that a two-percent sales tax went into effect. That same year, individual and corporate income taxes were first imposed in our state.
That state cigarette tax stayed at two-cents per pack until 1953…and has steadily increased since then. The largest increase came in 2007, when the tax jumped by one dollar per pack, from 36-cents to $1.36 per 20 cigarette package.
Iowa also began taxing tobacco generally in 1967, first as a percentage of wholesale price, and later as a rate per cigar or ounce of snuff.
One of the problems with a user tax, like that on cigarettes, is that the income generated is dependent on those users. In 2008, the Smoke Free Air Act went into effect, limiting the places where people could smoke. Many people took that as a signal to stop smoking, and as a result, the overall cigarette tax revenue in Iowa has dropped from a peak of more than $233 million per year when the public smoking ban went into effect, to barely more than $200 million now.
Now there are many user fees and taxes on all manner of products, but the very first major state tax in Iowa, on packages of cigarettes, went into effect on this date in 1921.
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 Wednesday, April 10, 2019
"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—25 years ago today.
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—25 years ago today.
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 Tuesday, April 9, 2019
"The April Blizzard"
As automobiles were becoming more common, the Iowa Highway Commission was formed on April 13, 1904. It began as part of the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts and was designed to advice local communities about constructing roads.
The first director of the commission was in fact the dean of engineering at Iowa State, Anson Marston. Its role was to test road materials, develop standards for highway repair and construction, and report back to Iowa's governor each year...all with a budget of $3,500 a year.
After nine years, the Iowa Highway Commission separated from Iowa State University on April 9, 1913 and became a state-run organization. Marston was one of the three members of a commission that managed the new state agency.
Transportation changed greatly over the next decades, and by the 1960s, the interstate highway system was connecting segments of our country together. The demand for more and better roads placed greater demands on the state transportation network.
After a task force studied the issue for some years, in 1974, the Iowa Highway Commission was transformed into a new entity--the Iowa Department of Transportation. At that time, the legislature also created an oversight board, the Iowa Transportation Commission, a bipartisan seven-member body appointed by the governor that is in charge of major investment and policy decisions.
Some may wonder why other state agencies are all based in Des Moines, but the state DOT is in Ames. In large part, it's because it's always been that way, since the original Iowa Highway Commission was spun off from Iowa State College and became an independent state agency, on this date in 1913.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 9th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The April Blizzard"
As automobiles were becoming more common, the Iowa Highway Commission was formed on April 13, 1904. It began as part of the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts and was designed to advice local communities about constructing roads.
The first director of the commission was in fact the dean of engineering at Iowa State, Anson Marston. Its role was to test road materials, develop standards for highway repair and construction, and report back to Iowa's governor each year...all with a budget of $3,500 a year.
After nine years, the Iowa Highway Commission separated from Iowa State University on April 9, 1913 and became a state-run organization. Marston was one of the three members of a commission that managed the new state agency.
Transportation changed greatly over the next decades, and by the 1960s, the interstate highway system was connecting segments of our country together. The demand for more and better roads placed greater demands on the state transportation network.
After a task force studied the issue for some years, in 1974, the Iowa Highway Commission was transformed into a new entity--the Iowa Department of Transportation. At that time, the legislature also created an oversight board, the Iowa Transportation Commission, a bipartisan seven-member body appointed by the governor that is in charge of major investment and policy decisions.
Some may wonder why other state agencies are all based in Des Moines, but the state DOT is in Ames. In large part, it's because it's always been that way, since the original Iowa Highway Commission was spun off from Iowa State College and became an independent state agency, on this date in 1913.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 9th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, April 8, 2019
"The April Blizzard"
Normally when the calendar turns to April, we Iowans expect to see the grass turning green, trees budding, and farmers getting into their fields to prepare for planting. But that was not the case in 1973.
It began snowing on April 8 of that year, and it did not stop for more than two days. The intensity of the storm was not forecast, and the wind and snow combined to create the record April blizzard of 1973.
Belle Plaine took the worst of the snowfall, with 20.2 inches total. Dubuque and Grundy Center each had about 19 inches. There was 15 inches of snow in Decorah, and 10 inches in Waterloo.
Des Moines got a foot of snow, but the wind topped 50 miles per hour at times, leading to drifts of up to 20 feet being common in that metro area. Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa cancelled classes for two days, and the Iowa Legislature also was closed. Roads were closed and motorists were stranded across the state.
14 people were reported killed as a result of the surprise storm, many due to heart attacks related to shoveling or plowing the heavy, wet snow.
The previous Friday, it was 70 degrees and the golf courses were open. The following Monday, the high was only 29 at the worst of the storm. And just as quickly, temperatures rebounded, with much of the snow melting just a few days after it fell, but that led to a soggy mess on county roads.
Mother Nature again showed Iowans that she doesn't care what the calendar says, when the record-setting April spring blizzard began on this date in 1973.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 8th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The April Blizzard"
Normally when the calendar turns to April, we Iowans expect to see the grass turning green, trees budding, and farmers getting into their fields to prepare for planting. But that was not the case in 1973.
It began snowing on April 8 of that year, and it did not stop for more than two days. The intensity of the storm was not forecast, and the wind and snow combined to create the record April blizzard of 1973.
Belle Plaine took the worst of the snowfall, with 20.2 inches total. Dubuque and Grundy Center each had about 19 inches. There was 15 inches of snow in Decorah, and 10 inches in Waterloo.
Des Moines got a foot of snow, but the wind topped 50 miles per hour at times, leading to drifts of up to 20 feet being common in that metro area. Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa cancelled classes for two days, and the Iowa Legislature also was closed. Roads were closed and motorists were stranded across the state.
14 people were reported killed as a result of the surprise storm, many due to heart attacks related to shoveling or plowing the heavy, wet snow.
The previous Friday, it was 70 degrees and the golf courses were open. The following Monday, the high was only 29 at the worst of the storm. And just as quickly, temperatures rebounded, with much of the snow melting just a few days after it fell, but that led to a soggy mess on county roads.
Mother Nature again showed Iowans that she doesn't care what the calendar says, when the record-setting April spring blizzard began on this date in 1973.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 8th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, April 5, 2019
"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 1949. 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 for many years, the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School starting in 1951. No longer a residential campus, a state department called the Iowa Educational Services for the Bind and Visually Impaired now operates from that Vinton location. 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 1949. 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 for many years, the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School starting in 1951. No longer a residential campus, a state department called the Iowa Educational Services for the Bind and Visually Impaired now operates from that Vinton location. 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 Thursday, April 4, 2019
"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 Wednesday, April 3, 2019
"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…150 years ago today.
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…150 years ago today.
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.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, April 2, 2019
"Football, Indoors"
In February of 1992, Iowa native Jim Foster, founder of the Arena Football League, met with investors about bringing an expansion franchise to Des Moines. The team, the Iowa Barnstormers, began play in 1995, and played in the indoor league's title games in both 1996 and 1997.
They got their name in part because they played in Veterans Memorial Auditorium, affectionately called The Barn, and in tribute to airplane barnstorming pilots of the past.
Early Barnstormers star Kurt Warner moved to the NFL, and wound up playing in three Super Bowls with two different teams.
After the 2000 season, the Barnstormers franchise was sold and the team moved to New York. But a replacement franchise played in the smaller Arena Football 2 league, the AF2. But that only lasted a season, and the Barn was dark.
But local investors stayed interested, and the Iowa Barnstormers returned to the AF2 in 2008 with a strong team and strong attendance...and a new home, the Wells Fargo Arena.
The Barnstormers returned to the Arena Football League in 2010, and marked that return to the top level of indoor football on April 2nd, 2010, with an all-time record crowd of 12,184 fans.
The team now plays primarily fellow Midwestern teams in the IFL, the Indoor Football League, including an in-state rivalry with the Cedar Rapids River Kings.
But the 20-year history of indoor professional football in Iowa hit its high point of attendance, when more than 12 thousand fans watched the Iowa Barnstormers in Des Moines on this date in 2010.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 2nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Football, Indoors"
In February of 1992, Iowa native Jim Foster, founder of the Arena Football League, met with investors about bringing an expansion franchise to Des Moines. The team, the Iowa Barnstormers, began play in 1995, and played in the indoor league's title games in both 1996 and 1997.
They got their name in part because they played in Veterans Memorial Auditorium, affectionately called The Barn, and in tribute to airplane barnstorming pilots of the past.
Early Barnstormers star Kurt Warner moved to the NFL, and wound up playing in three Super Bowls with two different teams.
After the 2000 season, the Barnstormers franchise was sold and the team moved to New York. But a replacement franchise played in the smaller Arena Football 2 league, the AF2. But that only lasted a season, and the Barn was dark.
But local investors stayed interested, and the Iowa Barnstormers returned to the AF2 in 2008 with a strong team and strong attendance...and a new home, the Wells Fargo Arena.
The Barnstormers returned to the Arena Football League in 2010, and marked that return to the top level of indoor football on April 2nd, 2010, with an all-time record crowd of 12,184 fans.
The team now plays primarily fellow Midwestern teams in the IFL, the Indoor Football League, including an in-state rivalry with the Cedar Rapids River Kings.
But the 20-year history of indoor professional football in Iowa hit its high point of attendance, when more than 12 thousand fans watched the Iowa Barnstormers in Des Moines on this date in 2010.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 2nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, April 1, 2019
"Place Your Bets"
In the 1800s, paddlewheel steamers were common on the Mississippi River. Sometimes, those boats included gambling and thanks to movies like "Show Boat", gave us the image of a "riverboat gambler".
On April 1st, 1991, the image of a riverboat gambler was different, thanks to an Iowa law that allowed casino style gambling on riverboats in Iowa. Three separate boats took to the Mississippi on that date...the Diamond Lady in Bettendorf at 7 o'clock that April morning...the President in Davenport a short time later...and that afternoon, the Casino Belle in Dubuque.
The Excursion Gambling Boat Act was passed in March of 1989, and allowed Iowa to be the first state in the country to introduce sanctioned riverboat gambling. But there were limits. The maximum wager was $5, and no person could lose more than $200 on each boat excursion. Only a third of the boat's square footage could be devoted to a casino, and sailing was mandated, unless rough weather made it unsafe. The President's maiden voyage was two and a half hours, but it only traveled a mile upriver due to high water.
In the Quad Cities, it was predicted that riverboat casinos would bring more than a thousand new jobs, and an annual payroll of $18 million. That year alone, 2.1 million people visited the casinos, and the riverboats themselves earned $64 million. But competition soon followed from Illinois, and the increased competition quickly affected Iowa's riverboats. In fact, only a year after they opened, the Bettendorf and Dubuque riverboat casinos closed, as did one which opened later in 1991 in Burlington.
But nearly four thousand people turned out in Davenport, Bettendorf and Dubuque for the opening of the country's first riverboat casinos, on this date in 1991.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 1st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Place Your Bets"
In the 1800s, paddlewheel steamers were common on the Mississippi River. Sometimes, those boats included gambling and thanks to movies like "Show Boat", gave us the image of a "riverboat gambler".
On April 1st, 1991, the image of a riverboat gambler was different, thanks to an Iowa law that allowed casino style gambling on riverboats in Iowa. Three separate boats took to the Mississippi on that date...the Diamond Lady in Bettendorf at 7 o'clock that April morning...the President in Davenport a short time later...and that afternoon, the Casino Belle in Dubuque.
The Excursion Gambling Boat Act was passed in March of 1989, and allowed Iowa to be the first state in the country to introduce sanctioned riverboat gambling. But there were limits. The maximum wager was $5, and no person could lose more than $200 on each boat excursion. Only a third of the boat's square footage could be devoted to a casino, and sailing was mandated, unless rough weather made it unsafe. The President's maiden voyage was two and a half hours, but it only traveled a mile upriver due to high water.
In the Quad Cities, it was predicted that riverboat casinos would bring more than a thousand new jobs, and an annual payroll of $18 million. That year alone, 2.1 million people visited the casinos, and the riverboats themselves earned $64 million. But competition soon followed from Illinois, and the increased competition quickly affected Iowa's riverboats. In fact, only a year after they opened, the Bettendorf and Dubuque riverboat casinos closed, as did one which opened later in 1991 in Burlington.
But nearly four thousand people turned out in Davenport, Bettendorf and Dubuque for the opening of the country's first riverboat casinos, on this date in 1991.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 1st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.