"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 2020 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 2020 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, April 30, 2020
"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 Wednesday, April 29, 2020
"Making the Ultimate Sacrifice"
Members of the Marshalltown High School class of 1974 met for their 45th high school reunion last 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 45 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 met for their 45th high school reunion last 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 45 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 Tuesday, April 28, 2020
"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-plus 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-plus 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 Monday, April 27, 2020
"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 Friday, April 24, 2020
"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.
Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised $57 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.
Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised $57 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 Thursday, April 23, 2020
"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 Wednesday, April 22, 2020
"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 watched 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 watched 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 Tuesday, April 21, 2020
"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 Monday, April 20, 2020
"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 to that point. 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 to that point. 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 Friday, April 17, 2020
"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 Thursday, April 16, 2020
"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 Wednesday, April 15, 2020
"Sound on Film"
One of the major inventors of the early 20th Century was born in Iowa…with his inventions directly responsible for the radio and motion picture industries we know today.
Lee de Forest was born in Council Bluffs in 1873. His father was a Congregational Church minister, who hoped his son would also become a pastor. But Lee had a creative mind and from an early age, was convinced he would become an inventor.
One of his early patents was for the audion tube, which was instrumental in radio receivers being able to amplify the signal so that sound could be heard through a speaker, as opposed to with ear phones.
He soon turned his attention to motion pictures. The first films were silent, perhaps with live piano music. Later, recordings of dialogue were made, but they were separate from the film, and theaters had to try to match up the film from the projector with the record on a phonograph.
De Forest developed something he called Phonofilm, combining the sound from a phonograph record with the film itself…an optical sound-on-film process. He traveled to Germany in the early 1920s to study with some inventors there. In early 1922, he announced he would soon have a workable sound-on-film system. A year later, he demonstrated Phonofilm to the press, and to a group of electrical engineers.
On April 15, 1923, de Forest premiered 18 Phonofilm short films at the Rivoli Theater in New York City to an invited audience. These were stage performances, including vaudeville stars, speeches, and musical acts. The Rivoli was chosen because it was independent in an era when the major studios owned and controlled most of the theaters in existence.
At later performances, posters offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who could find a phonograph in the theater, proving that Lee de Forest had indeed invented a workable sound-on-film process for movies, which were shown to a public audience for the first time on this date in 1923.
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.
"Sound on Film"
One of the major inventors of the early 20th Century was born in Iowa…with his inventions directly responsible for the radio and motion picture industries we know today.
Lee de Forest was born in Council Bluffs in 1873. His father was a Congregational Church minister, who hoped his son would also become a pastor. But Lee had a creative mind and from an early age, was convinced he would become an inventor.
One of his early patents was for the audion tube, which was instrumental in radio receivers being able to amplify the signal so that sound could be heard through a speaker, as opposed to with ear phones.
He soon turned his attention to motion pictures. The first films were silent, perhaps with live piano music. Later, recordings of dialogue were made, but they were separate from the film, and theaters had to try to match up the film from the projector with the record on a phonograph.
De Forest developed something he called Phonofilm, combining the sound from a phonograph record with the film itself…an optical sound-on-film process. He traveled to Germany in the early 1920s to study with some inventors there. In early 1922, he announced he would soon have a workable sound-on-film system. A year later, he demonstrated Phonofilm to the press, and to a group of electrical engineers.
On April 15, 1923, de Forest premiered 18 Phonofilm short films at the Rivoli Theater in New York City to an invited audience. These were stage performances, including vaudeville stars, speeches, and musical acts. The Rivoli was chosen because it was independent in an era when the major studios owned and controlled most of the theaters in existence.
At later performances, posters offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who could find a phonograph in the theater, proving that Lee de Forest had indeed invented a workable sound-on-film process for movies, which were shown to a public audience for the first time on this date in 1923.
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 Tuesday, April 14, 2020
"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 African American 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 African American 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 Monday, April 13, 2020
"Supercell Tornadoes"
We often think of severe storms with tornadoes striking in summer, but in reality, the month of April on average has the third highest monthly total of tornadoes in Iowa each year.
During the late afternoon on April 13th, 2006, thunderstorms developed in Central Iowa, and as they moved east along a warm front, they turned into dangerous supercells, producing multiple tornadoes.
One supercell moved through Benton, Linn, and Jones counties, producing three tornadoes.
Another moved across Johnson and Muscatine counties, producing no fewer than six tornadoes, including a high end EF2 tornado that traveled across the heart of Iowa City, the first and only tornado to ever directly hit that city. It was estimated to be on the ground for eight minutes, traveling four-and-a-half miles, and spanning a third of a mile wide. Several structures sustained partial to complete roof loss, including significant damage to a church and a sorority. A total of 30 people were treated at hospitals there.
The third supercell followed right behind the second, along a similar path, leading to another two tornadoes…in fact, the path was so similar, one house east of Iowa City sustained damage from tornadoes in two different supercells, less than an hour apart.
Eleven tornadoes in a two hour period…three EF0, seven EF1, and one EF2 tornado, the only one ever to hit Iowa City, on this date in 2006.
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.
"Supercell Tornadoes"
We often think of severe storms with tornadoes striking in summer, but in reality, the month of April on average has the third highest monthly total of tornadoes in Iowa each year.
During the late afternoon on April 13th, 2006, thunderstorms developed in Central Iowa, and as they moved east along a warm front, they turned into dangerous supercells, producing multiple tornadoes.
One supercell moved through Benton, Linn, and Jones counties, producing three tornadoes.
Another moved across Johnson and Muscatine counties, producing no fewer than six tornadoes, including a high end EF2 tornado that traveled across the heart of Iowa City, the first and only tornado to ever directly hit that city. It was estimated to be on the ground for eight minutes, traveling four-and-a-half miles, and spanning a third of a mile wide. Several structures sustained partial to complete roof loss, including significant damage to a church and a sorority. A total of 30 people were treated at hospitals there.
The third supercell followed right behind the second, along a similar path, leading to another two tornadoes…in fact, the path was so similar, one house east of Iowa City sustained damage from tornadoes in two different supercells, less than an hour apart.
Eleven tornadoes in a two hour period…three EF0, seven EF1, and one EF2 tornado, the only one ever to hit Iowa City, on this date in 2006.
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 Friday, April 10, 2020
"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 Thursday, April 9, 2020
"The Highways and Byways"
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 advise 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 Highways and Byways"
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 advise 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 Wednesday, April 8, 2020
"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 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 stopped meeting. 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 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 stopped meeting. 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 Tuesday, April 7, 2020
"Typing With Batwings"
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 Batwings"
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 Monday, April 6, 2020
"An Idea That Stuck"
Arthur Fry was born in Owatonna, Minnesota, but when he was young his family moved to a rural area in northern Iowa. That’s where he first went to school, at an Iowa one-room schoolhouse. That’s not only where he got his first education, it’s where he developed a knack for invention. While other children went sledding on store-bought sleds, Art Fry built his own toboggan from scraps of wood found at home.
Art Fry returned to Minnesota for college, and while studying chemical engineering there, he began working for the 3M company in their new product development area...he stayed at 3M his entire career.
In 1974, Art Fry attended a seminar given by another 3M scientist, Spencer Silver. Silver was developing a unique adhesive that was strong enough to cling to objects, but weak enough to allow the bond to be temporary. It was a concept that was so unique, no one knew what it could be used for.
Art Fry was a member of his church’s choir, and used slips of paper to mark the places in the hymnal where certain songs were. But the paper bookmarks often fell out, and Fry was frustrated by that. Then it occurred to him…what if Spencer Silver’s new adhesive could be placed on paper, so a bookmark would stay in place?
The idea went through testing in the late 1970s, but audiences didn’t seem excited about it at first. After some modifications, 3M released the product to a national audience on April 6, 1980, calling it the Post-it Note.
The original note was a canary yellow color…because there was a pile of paper of that color lying around in the lab, and that’s what Fry and the researchers used in testing the product. Now that particular color of Post-it Note is trademarked by the company.
Others claimed to be the inventor, but in 1993, the U.S. Patent Office granted Fry a patent for a “repositional pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet material”…the Post-it note, invented by Arthur Fry, who got his first schooling in an Iowa one-room schoolhouse, and which was introduced to consumers on this date in 1980…40 years ago.
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.
"An Idea That Stuck"
Arthur Fry was born in Owatonna, Minnesota, but when he was young his family moved to a rural area in northern Iowa. That’s where he first went to school, at an Iowa one-room schoolhouse. That’s not only where he got his first education, it’s where he developed a knack for invention. While other children went sledding on store-bought sleds, Art Fry built his own toboggan from scraps of wood found at home.
Art Fry returned to Minnesota for college, and while studying chemical engineering there, he began working for the 3M company in their new product development area...he stayed at 3M his entire career.
In 1974, Art Fry attended a seminar given by another 3M scientist, Spencer Silver. Silver was developing a unique adhesive that was strong enough to cling to objects, but weak enough to allow the bond to be temporary. It was a concept that was so unique, no one knew what it could be used for.
Art Fry was a member of his church’s choir, and used slips of paper to mark the places in the hymnal where certain songs were. But the paper bookmarks often fell out, and Fry was frustrated by that. Then it occurred to him…what if Spencer Silver’s new adhesive could be placed on paper, so a bookmark would stay in place?
The idea went through testing in the late 1970s, but audiences didn’t seem excited about it at first. After some modifications, 3M released the product to a national audience on April 6, 1980, calling it the Post-it Note.
The original note was a canary yellow color…because there was a pile of paper of that color lying around in the lab, and that’s what Fry and the researchers used in testing the product. Now that particular color of Post-it Note is trademarked by the company.
Others claimed to be the inventor, but in 1993, the U.S. Patent Office granted Fry a patent for a “repositional pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet material”…the Post-it note, invented by Arthur Fry, who got his first schooling in an Iowa one-room schoolhouse, and which was introduced to consumers on this date in 1980…40 years ago.
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 Friday, April 3, 2020
"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.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, April 2, 2020
"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 Wednesday, April 1, 2020
"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.