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Copyright 2025 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 2025 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, April 30, 2025
"Remembering A Legend"
To say that Cloris Leachman had a successful acting career is hardly sufficient.
Born on April 30, 1926 in Des Moines, the Roosevelt High School student began appearing in local plays at Drake University…and her future was certain.
She competed in the 1946 Miss America scholarship pageant as Miss Chicago, which gave her the resources to study at the Actors Studio in New York City, leading to her professional debut in 1948.
She ultimately won nine Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. On the big screen, her reputation was cemented by memorable roles in diverse films ranging from “The Last Picture Show” to “Young Frankenstein”.
We may remember her from television…in particular, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, which led to her own sitcom titled “Phyllis”. But she also appeared in “Suspense”, “Studio One”, “Gunsmoke”, “The Twilight Zone”, and as Timmy’s mother in “Lassie”.
At a time when many others would have long retired, Cloris Leachman still performed, including on “Dancing With The Stars” when she was in her 80s…finishing seventh. And she was still performing until her death in the year 2021 at the age of 94.
One of the most celebrated and remembered actresses of her time, Cloris Leachman… born in Des Moines on this date, in 1926.
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.
"Remembering A Legend"
To say that Cloris Leachman had a successful acting career is hardly sufficient.
Born on April 30, 1926 in Des Moines, the Roosevelt High School student began appearing in local plays at Drake University…and her future was certain.
She competed in the 1946 Miss America scholarship pageant as Miss Chicago, which gave her the resources to study at the Actors Studio in New York City, leading to her professional debut in 1948.
She ultimately won nine Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. On the big screen, her reputation was cemented by memorable roles in diverse films ranging from “The Last Picture Show” to “Young Frankenstein”.
We may remember her from television…in particular, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, which led to her own sitcom titled “Phyllis”. But she also appeared in “Suspense”, “Studio One”, “Gunsmoke”, “The Twilight Zone”, and as Timmy’s mother in “Lassie”.
At a time when many others would have long retired, Cloris Leachman still performed, including on “Dancing With The Stars” when she was in her 80s…finishing seventh. And she was still performing until her death in the year 2021 at the age of 94.
One of the most celebrated and remembered actresses of her time, Cloris Leachman… born in Des Moines on this date, in 1926.
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 Tuesday, April 29, 2025
"Making the Ultimate Sacrifice"
Members of the Marshalltown High School class of 1974 held their 50th high school graduation reunion last summer. Some are contemplating 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. 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…50 years ago today.
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 held their 50th high school graduation reunion last summer. Some are contemplating 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. 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…50 years ago today.
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 Monday, April 28, 2025
"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 andhappiness of the towns and cities, and by the high average of citizenship which is noticeable everywhere."
He also noted that he owed a debt of gratitude to Iowa, because a quarter of his Cabinet members were from the state, which he said was appropriate because of the level of citizenship and character found in Iowans.
Most of the speeches were brief whistlestop 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 andhappiness of the towns and cities, and by the high average of citizenship which is noticeable everywhere."
He also noted that he owed a debt of gratitude to Iowa, because a quarter of his Cabinet members were from the state, which he said was appropriate because of the level of citizenship and character found in Iowans.
Most of the speeches were brief whistlestop 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 Sunday, April 27, 2025
"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 not 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 not 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 Saturday, April 26, 2025
"A World Premiere"
Louis Wellington Schalk, Jr., was born in Alden, Iowa on May 29, 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 26, 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 4, 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.
"A World Premiere"
Louis Wellington Schalk, Jr., was born in Alden, Iowa on May 29, 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 26, 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 4, 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 Friday, April 25, 2025
"A World Premiere"
On February 25, 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 25, 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 Thursday, April 24, 2025
"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 from the stage.
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 more than $70 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 from the stage.
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 more than $70 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 Wednesday, April 23, 2025
"America's Premier Fashion Designer"
Roy Frowick was born on April 23, 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 know him by that name.
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 23, 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 know him by that name.
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 Tuesday, April 22, 2025
"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 22, 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 22, 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 Monday, April 21, 2025
"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 become 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 become 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 Sunday, April 20, 2025
"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.
Kellogg'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 20, 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.
Kellogg'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 20, 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 Saturday, April 19, 2025
"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 Friday, April 18, 2025
"No Dancing Like That"
The Marshalltown Times-Republican for April 18, 1919, included a small ad which read as follows:
"Public dancing at my open air pavilion will begin Wednesday evening, April 23, weather permitting. On account of the complaints and objections to dancing of late I hereby announce that the shimmie or any other immoral dance will not be tolerated and persons violating my rulings will be rejected admission. Your patronage solicited
and assured a good, clean evening's entertainment. W. H. Niederhauser."
The folks in Marshalltown were not alone in expressing concern about the dance which dominated American music publishing, recording and performing that year. It was featured on Broadway by the Ziegfeld Follies, and Mae West included it in her stage act.
Technically, the shimmy is a dance move in which the body is held still, except for the shoulders, which are alternated back and forth.
But Philadelphia police cracked down on those doing the shimmy at street dances in the summer of 1919, and like in Mr. Niederhauser's place in Marshalltown, it was banned in dance halls across the country that year and into the 1920s.
Those bans only made the dance more popular, it seemed, and flappers in the 1920s often did the shimmy. By the time the rock and roll era came in the 1950s, it was the subject of pop songs, and while some parents were not crazy about it, and one author wrote, "The road to hell is too often paved with jazz steps", the shimmy was here to stay.
But some tried to stop it, like Marshalltown pavilion owner W. H. Niederhauser, who gave notice in the local newspaper that the shimmy would be banned from his establishment, on this date in 1919.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"No Dancing Like That"
The Marshalltown Times-Republican for April 18, 1919, included a small ad which read as follows:
"Public dancing at my open air pavilion will begin Wednesday evening, April 23, weather permitting. On account of the complaints and objections to dancing of late I hereby announce that the shimmie or any other immoral dance will not be tolerated and persons violating my rulings will be rejected admission. Your patronage solicited
and assured a good, clean evening's entertainment. W. H. Niederhauser."
The folks in Marshalltown were not alone in expressing concern about the dance which dominated American music publishing, recording and performing that year. It was featured on Broadway by the Ziegfeld Follies, and Mae West included it in her stage act.
Technically, the shimmy is a dance move in which the body is held still, except for the shoulders, which are alternated back and forth.
But Philadelphia police cracked down on those doing the shimmy at street dances in the summer of 1919, and like in Mr. Niederhauser's place in Marshalltown, it was banned in dance halls across the country that year and into the 1920s.
Those bans only made the dance more popular, it seemed, and flappers in the 1920s often did the shimmy. By the time the rock and roll era came in the 1950s, it was the subject of pop songs, and while some parents were not crazy about it, and one author wrote, "The road to hell is too often paved with jazz steps", the shimmy was here to stay.
But some tried to stop it, like Marshalltown pavilion owner W. H. Niederhauser, who gave notice in the local newspaper that the shimmy would be banned from his establishment, on this date in 1919.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, April 17, 2025
"Marshalltown's Hall of Famer"
When Adrian Constantine Anson was born in Marshalltown on April 17, 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 14, 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 17, 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 14, 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 Wednesday, April 16, 2025
"The Heater from Van Meter"
It was opening day of the 1940 baseball season at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The afternoon of April 16 was full of anticipation for the visiting Cleveland Indians, because their 21-year-old ace pitcher would be on the mound. After all, he had won a league-best 24 games the previous season. He had made his big league debut at the age of 17, and returned to Van Meter, Iowa for his senior year of high school after already setting major league records for strikeouts.
That rookie season made Bob Feller the best-known young person in America, with the possible exception of Shirley Temple, according to one baseball writer. When he returned to Iowa to graduate from high school, the ceremony was aired nationally on NBC radio.
By 1940, he had already appeared on the cover of Time magazine, and overcome an arm injury that could have permanently affected his career. So when Feller took the mound against the Chicago White Sox, great things were expected. And he didn't disappoint.
Inning after inning, Feller retired White Sox batters, one after another. Finally, it was the bottom of the ninth. The Indians led 1 to nothing. There were two men out, when Taft Wright stepped to the plate. He slapped a grounder to the right side of the infield. Cleveland second baseman Ray Mack dove for the ball and tossed the ball to first base, beating Wright by a single step. Bob Feller started the 1940 season with a no-hitter, the first ever thrown by a pitcher on opening day to that point. Now, eight decades later, it's still the only opening day no-hitter in major league history.
Bob Feller would throw two more no-hitters, one of only five pitchers ever to throw more than two of them. The last two would come years later, after Feller served four years in World War II, the first professional athlete to volunteer for duty after Pearl Harbor. He spent his entire 18-season career with the Indians, and his number 19 was retired by the team in 1957. Five years later, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame along with Jackie Robinson, the first to be elected on their first ballot appearance since the original induction class.
But with the beginning of every new baseball season, we remember the only no hitter ever pitched on opening day, by Iowa's Bob Feller, on this date in 1940.
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.
"The Heater from Van Meter"
It was opening day of the 1940 baseball season at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The afternoon of April 16 was full of anticipation for the visiting Cleveland Indians, because their 21-year-old ace pitcher would be on the mound. After all, he had won a league-best 24 games the previous season. He had made his big league debut at the age of 17, and returned to Van Meter, Iowa for his senior year of high school after already setting major league records for strikeouts.
That rookie season made Bob Feller the best-known young person in America, with the possible exception of Shirley Temple, according to one baseball writer. When he returned to Iowa to graduate from high school, the ceremony was aired nationally on NBC radio.
By 1940, he had already appeared on the cover of Time magazine, and overcome an arm injury that could have permanently affected his career. So when Feller took the mound against the Chicago White Sox, great things were expected. And he didn't disappoint.
Inning after inning, Feller retired White Sox batters, one after another. Finally, it was the bottom of the ninth. The Indians led 1 to nothing. There were two men out, when Taft Wright stepped to the plate. He slapped a grounder to the right side of the infield. Cleveland second baseman Ray Mack dove for the ball and tossed the ball to first base, beating Wright by a single step. Bob Feller started the 1940 season with a no-hitter, the first ever thrown by a pitcher on opening day to that point. Now, eight decades later, it's still the only opening day no-hitter in major league history.
Bob Feller would throw two more no-hitters, one of only five pitchers ever to throw more than two of them. The last two would come years later, after Feller served four years in World War II, the first professional athlete to volunteer for duty after Pearl Harbor. He spent his entire 18-season career with the Indians, and his number 19 was retired by the team in 1957. Five years later, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame along with Jackie Robinson, the first to be elected on their first ballot appearance since the original induction class.
But with the beginning of every new baseball season, we remember the only no hitter ever pitched on opening day, by Iowa's Bob Feller, on this date in 1940.
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 Tuesday, April 15, 2025
"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 only 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 only 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 Monday, April 14, 2025
"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 Sunday, April 13, 2025
"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 13, 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 13, 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 Saturday, April 12, 2025
"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 12, 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, as well as 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 12, 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, as well as 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 Friday, April 11, 2025
"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 Thursday, April 10, 2025
"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 Wednesday, April 9, 2025
"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. The Commission’s 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 StateCollege 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. The Commission’s 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 StateCollege 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 Tuesday, April 8, 2025
"The April Blizzard"
Normally when the calendar turns to April, we Iowans expect to see the grass turning green, trees budding out, 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 both 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 out, 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 both 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 Monday, April 7, 2025
"Typing with Bat Wings"
The Reverend Thomas Oliver was a Methodist minister in Monticello, Iowa. Canadian by birth, by the time he was 36, Oliver was looking for a way to produce more legible sermons to deliver to his congregation. So in 1888, he began to develop his first typewriter, using strips of tin cans to create the first models.
He received his first patent for his invention, U.S. Patent Number 450,107, on April 7, 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 type bars formed a U shape and rested in towers on each side of the typewriter, which is why it got the nickname the 'bat wing' typewriter.
At first, the company relied on sales networks promoted by local customers who then went door-to-door to convince their neighbors of the merits of the Oliver typewriter. By 1920, the company relied solely on mail order sales, dropping the cost of the machine to $50--the same as $1,400 today. At its peak, the company's labor force of 875 was producing 375 typewriters a day.
Oliver did not live to see that success, though. He died suddenly of heart disease on February 9, 1909, at the age of 56, just as his invention was becoming popular. But the Iowa minister who invented a unique form of typewriter secured his first patent for that device on this date in 1891.
And that's Iowa Almanac for April 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Typing with Bat Wings"
The Reverend Thomas Oliver was a Methodist minister in Monticello, Iowa. Canadian by birth, by the time he was 36, Oliver was looking for a way to produce more legible sermons to deliver to his congregation. So in 1888, he began to develop his first typewriter, using strips of tin cans to create the first models.
He received his first patent for his invention, U.S. Patent Number 450,107, on April 7, 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 type bars 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 Sunday, April 6, 2025
"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.
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.
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 Saturday, April 5, 2025
"A School of Their Own"
Samuel Bacon was born in 1823 in Ohio. Blind since childhood, he was educated at the Ohio School for the Blind. That experience inspired Bacon to make education for the blind his life's work, establishing schools for the blind in no fewer than three states in the last half of the 19th century.
He founded the Illinois School for the Blind in Jacksonville, Illinois in 1849. During a visit across the river in Keokuk, Bacon was persuaded to start a similar facility in Iowa. He rented a house in Keokuk, and started teaching three blind children. By December of 1852, he had the backing of Iowa state legislators to establish a larger school. Bacon's school was adopted by the state on January 18, 1853, and moved to Iowa City, where it officially opened on April 5 of that year with the name "Iowa Asylum for the Blind".
Bacon changed the name only a year after the school 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 Blind 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 1849. During a visit across the river in Keokuk, Bacon was persuaded to start a similar facility in Iowa. He rented a house in Keokuk, and started teaching three blind children. By December of 1852, he had the backing of Iowa state legislators to establish a larger school. Bacon's school was adopted by the state on January 18, 1853, and moved to Iowa City, where it officially opened on April 5 of that year with the name "Iowa Asylum for the Blind".
Bacon changed the name only a year after the school 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 Blind 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 Friday, April 4, 2025
"From Mullican to Lane"
Rosemary Mullican was born on April 4, 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 4, 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 Thursday, April 3, 2025
"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 Wednesday, April 2, 2025
"Moving the County Seat"
We know that the county seat of Guthrie County is Guthrie Center. But it hasn’t always been that way.
The Iowa Legislature appointed two men to designate a county seat in 1851. They took into account location and center of the population at the time, and picked Panora. Two years later, a contract was let to build a courthouse, but for some reason, it was never actually built. They tried again in 1857, but again, no building was built.
In 1859, two men presented a county judge with a petition asking that the location of the courthouse be moved to Guthrie Center, since it was more toward the center of the county. But Panora won a county-wide vote, and the first county courthouse was built there in 1859.
Undeterred, in March of 1860 another petition was filed on behalf of Guthrie Center, and a court ordered a new election be held on April 2. This time, Guthrie Center won, and a judge certified that Guthrie Center was the new county seat.
A wagon train set out for Panora to obtain the county safe, records, and the judge, and transport them to Guthrie Center. But that was not the end of it.
The next year, Panora filed a petition to relocate the county seat back to their town. Another vote was held, and Panora won…so after not even two years, everything was moved from Guthrie Center back to Panora.
It was quiet until 1870, when folks from “The Center” sought another vote. Panora won. Finally, in October of 1873, a final vote…this time moving the county seat to Guthrie Center once and for all.
Over some two decades, Panora and Guthrie Center traded off being the county seat based on the will of the voters. But the first time “The Center” won the role was through an election held on this date in 1860...165 years ago today.
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.
"Moving the County Seat"
We know that the county seat of Guthrie County is Guthrie Center. But it hasn’t always been that way.
The Iowa Legislature appointed two men to designate a county seat in 1851. They took into account location and center of the population at the time, and picked Panora. Two years later, a contract was let to build a courthouse, but for some reason, it was never actually built. They tried again in 1857, but again, no building was built.
In 1859, two men presented a county judge with a petition asking that the location of the courthouse be moved to Guthrie Center, since it was more toward the center of the county. But Panora won a county-wide vote, and the first county courthouse was built there in 1859.
Undeterred, in March of 1860 another petition was filed on behalf of Guthrie Center, and a court ordered a new election be held on April 2. This time, Guthrie Center won, and a judge certified that Guthrie Center was the new county seat.
A wagon train set out for Panora to obtain the county safe, records, and the judge, and transport them to Guthrie Center. But that was not the end of it.
The next year, Panora filed a petition to relocate the county seat back to their town. Another vote was held, and Panora won…so after not even two years, everything was moved from Guthrie Center back to Panora.
It was quiet until 1870, when folks from “The Center” sought another vote. Panora won. Finally, in October of 1873, a final vote…this time moving the county seat to Guthrie Center once and for all.
Over some two decades, Panora and Guthrie Center traded off being the county seat based on the will of the voters. But the first time “The Center” won the role was through an election held on this date in 1860...165 years ago today.
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 Tuesday, April 1, 2025
"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 1, 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 first 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 1, 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 first 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.
