"Iowa Almanac" is a copyrighted production of Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
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No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2019 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
All Rights Reserved.
No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2019 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, August 30, 2019
"A Sitcom Star"
An actor can only hope to be a major part of one successful television series. When you're part of two American TV classics, that's a rich career, indeed.
On August 30th, 1927, Bill Daily was born in Des Moines. His father died when he was young, and Bill was raised by his mother and other family members. At age 12, the family moved from Des Moines to Chicago. After leaving high school, Bill tried his hand as a jazz musician before being drafted to serve in the Army during the Korean War.
He enjoyed entertainment, and ultimately got a job with the NBC television station in Chicago. He had contact there with a young accountant who wanted to be a comedian. That was the first time Bill Daily met Bob Newhart, but not the last.
Daily played astronaut Roger Healey in the 1960s situation comedy I Dream of Jeannie for five years, opposite Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden. Then, in 1972, Daily was reunited with his acquaintance from Chicago, on The Bob Newhart Show. There he played neighbor Howard Borden, a flight navigator. That show enjoyed six successful seasons. Later, he was a regular on the Match Game into the 1980s.
He passed away last year on September 4th, only five days after celebrating his 91st birthday.
Familiar sitcom actor Bill Daily, born in Des Moines on this date in 1927.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 30th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Sitcom Star"
An actor can only hope to be a major part of one successful television series. When you're part of two American TV classics, that's a rich career, indeed.
On August 30th, 1927, Bill Daily was born in Des Moines. His father died when he was young, and Bill was raised by his mother and other family members. At age 12, the family moved from Des Moines to Chicago. After leaving high school, Bill tried his hand as a jazz musician before being drafted to serve in the Army during the Korean War.
He enjoyed entertainment, and ultimately got a job with the NBC television station in Chicago. He had contact there with a young accountant who wanted to be a comedian. That was the first time Bill Daily met Bob Newhart, but not the last.
Daily played astronaut Roger Healey in the 1960s situation comedy I Dream of Jeannie for five years, opposite Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden. Then, in 1972, Daily was reunited with his acquaintance from Chicago, on The Bob Newhart Show. There he played neighbor Howard Borden, a flight navigator. That show enjoyed six successful seasons. Later, he was a regular on the Match Game into the 1980s.
He passed away last year on September 4th, only five days after celebrating his 91st birthday.
Familiar sitcom actor Bill Daily, born in Des Moines on this date in 1927.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 30th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, August 29, 2019
"A Rail Runs to Des Moines"
Political horse trading is nothing new. In fact, in 1857, those who wanted the state capitol permanently located in Des Moines threw their financial support behind a certain railroad line in exchange for folks from Keokuk supporting keeping the capitol in Des Moines when the new state constitution was voted on.
The Des Moines Valley Railroad was based in Keokuk, and it took 12 years to build the rail line to Des Moines. On August 29th, 1866, the first train on the Valley Road was to come to the state capitol. A formal proclamation was issued:
Let the glad news sweep over the prairies and around the universe, that the first train on the Valley Road will come into Des Moines...arrangements should be made to meet the Iron Horse and give him a grand reception!
That proclamation noted that 40 persons from Keokuk would be making the trip, and suggested that there be "marching, bonfires, music, hurrahing, whistling, yellings, and circumscribed and uncircumscribed rippings and tearing through all this Land of Promise!"
A large crowd greeted the train, as many had not seen one since they crossed westward to settle what was originally called Fort Des Moines.
The crowd lived up to the call for "a perfect roar and rush and thunders of enthusiasm" when the first train on the Des Moines Valley Railroad arrived in Des Moines on this date in 1866.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Rail Runs to Des Moines"
Political horse trading is nothing new. In fact, in 1857, those who wanted the state capitol permanently located in Des Moines threw their financial support behind a certain railroad line in exchange for folks from Keokuk supporting keeping the capitol in Des Moines when the new state constitution was voted on.
The Des Moines Valley Railroad was based in Keokuk, and it took 12 years to build the rail line to Des Moines. On August 29th, 1866, the first train on the Valley Road was to come to the state capitol. A formal proclamation was issued:
Let the glad news sweep over the prairies and around the universe, that the first train on the Valley Road will come into Des Moines...arrangements should be made to meet the Iron Horse and give him a grand reception!
That proclamation noted that 40 persons from Keokuk would be making the trip, and suggested that there be "marching, bonfires, music, hurrahing, whistling, yellings, and circumscribed and uncircumscribed rippings and tearing through all this Land of Promise!"
A large crowd greeted the train, as many had not seen one since they crossed westward to settle what was originally called Fort Des Moines.
The crowd lived up to the call for "a perfect roar and rush and thunders of enthusiasm" when the first train on the Des Moines Valley Railroad arrived in Des Moines on this date in 1866.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, August 28, 2019
"From Wall Lake to the Grandstand"
Our Iowa State Fair grandstand shows are big events, with the top artists performing. They’re now the third largest moneymaker for the fair each year.
But it wasn’t always that way. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1960s that the grandstand began being used for concerts at all.
The 1965 Iowa State Fair was actually the first to feature a top-notch performer in concert. Wall Lake native Andy Williams returned to his home state at the height of his international popularity to take the grandstand stage on five consecutive nights. At the time, his national television variety program was quite popular, and he brought with him on the stage a group that regularly performed on his television program—the Osmond Brothers. That was fitting, since Andy Williams first performed with his brothers singing on the radio in the 1930s.
For the next several years, the fair booked a single top-notch act to perform on multiple nights. Several times in the 1960s and 1970s, it was the Lawrence Welk orchestra.
We now eagerly anticipate release of the list of performers who take the stage at our fair each August. But the trend started with Iowa’s own Andy Williams, who wrapped up a five night engagement at the Iowa State Fair grandstand on this date in 1965.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"From Wall Lake to the Grandstand"
Our Iowa State Fair grandstand shows are big events, with the top artists performing. They’re now the third largest moneymaker for the fair each year.
But it wasn’t always that way. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1960s that the grandstand began being used for concerts at all.
The 1965 Iowa State Fair was actually the first to feature a top-notch performer in concert. Wall Lake native Andy Williams returned to his home state at the height of his international popularity to take the grandstand stage on five consecutive nights. At the time, his national television variety program was quite popular, and he brought with him on the stage a group that regularly performed on his television program—the Osmond Brothers. That was fitting, since Andy Williams first performed with his brothers singing on the radio in the 1930s.
For the next several years, the fair booked a single top-notch act to perform on multiple nights. Several times in the 1960s and 1970s, it was the Lawrence Welk orchestra.
We now eagerly anticipate release of the list of performers who take the stage at our fair each August. But the trend started with Iowa’s own Andy Williams, who wrapped up a five night engagement at the Iowa State Fair grandstand on this date in 1965.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, August 27, 2019
"See You At The Fair"
The annual Delaware County Fair got underway on August 27th, 1912. The four day event ran from Tuesday through Friday.
Among the attractions, Miss Dorothy Devonda, a daring aeronaut who set a record for the highest flight ever made in a gas balloon. Her daily balloon ascension including double parachute drops.
Also performing, The Murdos, with their troupe of trained dogs, twice each day before the amphitheater.
Admission at the gate was 35 cents for adults and 15 cents for children. Although if you bought a pass for all four days, you could get a discount.
The Manchester Democrat newspaper noted that the buildings and grounds have been put in excellent condition for the fair, and that good weather will assure one of the best fairs in history.
In that same issue of the paper was an ad for a competing attraction. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show scheduled a performance for the last day of the fair, hoping to capitalize on the crowd already in Manchester. The Buffalo Bill show was combined with Pawnee Bill’s Great Far East show, depicting the splendors of the Orient. Two performances, tickets were 50 cents each.
Even today, a county fair attracts a wide variety of citizens. From parachute drops from a gas balloon, to trained dogs, to Buffalo Bill…it was all in Manchester, as the Delaware County Fair got underway on this date in 1912.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"See You At The Fair"
The annual Delaware County Fair got underway on August 27th, 1912. The four day event ran from Tuesday through Friday.
Among the attractions, Miss Dorothy Devonda, a daring aeronaut who set a record for the highest flight ever made in a gas balloon. Her daily balloon ascension including double parachute drops.
Also performing, The Murdos, with their troupe of trained dogs, twice each day before the amphitheater.
Admission at the gate was 35 cents for adults and 15 cents for children. Although if you bought a pass for all four days, you could get a discount.
The Manchester Democrat newspaper noted that the buildings and grounds have been put in excellent condition for the fair, and that good weather will assure one of the best fairs in history.
In that same issue of the paper was an ad for a competing attraction. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show scheduled a performance for the last day of the fair, hoping to capitalize on the crowd already in Manchester. The Buffalo Bill show was combined with Pawnee Bill’s Great Far East show, depicting the splendors of the Orient. Two performances, tickets were 50 cents each.
Even today, a county fair attracts a wide variety of citizens. From parachute drops from a gas balloon, to trained dogs, to Buffalo Bill…it was all in Manchester, as the Delaware County Fair got underway on this date in 1912.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, August 26, 2019
"A Ride Across the State"
It began with a challenge. Donald Kaul wrote the “Over the Coffee” column from Washington, D.C. for The Des Moines Register. John Karras wrote features for the paper. Karras suggested that Kaul come back to Iowa and ride his bicycle across the state, writing about what he saw from that perspective. Kaul said he would, but only if Karras rode along.
And RAGBRAI was born. The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa started on August 26th, 1973 in Sioux City. That first year included overnight stays in Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Ames, Des Moines, and Williamsburg, before ending up in Davenport. It was a six-day ride then, and Kaul and Karras invited anyone who wanted to, to ride along. Three hundred riders showed up in Sioux City, growing to 500 on the stretch between Ames and Des Moines. Some 114 cyclists made it across the state with the two Register writers.
Response was so positive, another ride was held the next year. And as you know, it’s now become one of the best-known summertime traditions in Iowa, attracting people from around the world. Nearly 20,000 miles have been traveled, with more than 325,000 people taking part at one time or another.
There have been 47 rides, now held in late July every year. In fact, it’s only 328 days until the next one. But the first Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa started in Sioux City, on this date in 1973.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Ride Across the State"
It began with a challenge. Donald Kaul wrote the “Over the Coffee” column from Washington, D.C. for The Des Moines Register. John Karras wrote features for the paper. Karras suggested that Kaul come back to Iowa and ride his bicycle across the state, writing about what he saw from that perspective. Kaul said he would, but only if Karras rode along.
And RAGBRAI was born. The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa started on August 26th, 1973 in Sioux City. That first year included overnight stays in Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Ames, Des Moines, and Williamsburg, before ending up in Davenport. It was a six-day ride then, and Kaul and Karras invited anyone who wanted to, to ride along. Three hundred riders showed up in Sioux City, growing to 500 on the stretch between Ames and Des Moines. Some 114 cyclists made it across the state with the two Register writers.
Response was so positive, another ride was held the next year. And as you know, it’s now become one of the best-known summertime traditions in Iowa, attracting people from around the world. Nearly 20,000 miles have been traveled, with more than 325,000 people taking part at one time or another.
There have been 47 rides, now held in late July every year. In fact, it’s only 328 days until the next one. But the first Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa started in Sioux City, on this date in 1973.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, August 23, 2019
"The First Quarterly Meeting"
Iowa was originally part of the Michigan and Wisconsin Territories, not developing its own identity until 1838. But there was white settlement in the region before the land was called Iowa.
And with those settlers from the east came great faith, which manifested itself in the development of churches. They not only were places of worship, but also community centers. Some served multiple roles, as schoolhouses, places for racial integration, and courthouses.
By the 1820s, the Methodists had become the leading denomination in the United States, with one mission being to reform the continent. After the end of the Black Hawk War in 1833, Methodist pioneers began to move into these new lands of what is now the Midwest.
The first Methodist, and perhaps first Protestant, sermon preached in Iowa was in a tavern in Dubuque in 1833.
The first church in Iowa was a Methodist chapel which was constructed in that same city in 1834, and was a great example of what we today would call "multi-purpose" facilities. The meeting that adopted the resolution to incorporate the town of Dubuque was held there in 1837. One of the church's charter members was a black woman.
The late summer saw the first quarterly conference for Methodists in the region held in the new facility in Dubuque.
They outgrew that initial chapel within only five years, and the original building was replaced in 1839 by a new church one block north of the original one. A plaque now tells the story, located on the site of the first church in Iowa, which held its first Methodist quarterly conference in Dubuque, on this date in 1834.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 23rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The First Quarterly Meeting"
Iowa was originally part of the Michigan and Wisconsin Territories, not developing its own identity until 1838. But there was white settlement in the region before the land was called Iowa.
And with those settlers from the east came great faith, which manifested itself in the development of churches. They not only were places of worship, but also community centers. Some served multiple roles, as schoolhouses, places for racial integration, and courthouses.
By the 1820s, the Methodists had become the leading denomination in the United States, with one mission being to reform the continent. After the end of the Black Hawk War in 1833, Methodist pioneers began to move into these new lands of what is now the Midwest.
The first Methodist, and perhaps first Protestant, sermon preached in Iowa was in a tavern in Dubuque in 1833.
The first church in Iowa was a Methodist chapel which was constructed in that same city in 1834, and was a great example of what we today would call "multi-purpose" facilities. The meeting that adopted the resolution to incorporate the town of Dubuque was held there in 1837. One of the church's charter members was a black woman.
The late summer saw the first quarterly conference for Methodists in the region held in the new facility in Dubuque.
They outgrew that initial chapel within only five years, and the original building was replaced in 1839 by a new church one block north of the original one. A plaque now tells the story, located on the site of the first church in Iowa, which held its first Methodist quarterly conference in Dubuque, on this date in 1834.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 23rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, August 22, 2019
"The Hobos"
Traditionally, the term "hobo" referred to migratory workers who were homeless by choice. After the Civil War, they helped meet the labor needs of America by moving from job to job, usually by hopping a ride on a freight train. Movies and novels have told romanticized stories of the hobos, who may originally have gotten their names from a group of soldiers returning from the war, who were "homeward bound".
There's a difference between hobos and bums, and hobos are quick to point that out. Hobos work to make their way, they say, while bums are those who do not work, preferring to beg and ask for handouts.
The town of Britt, 30 miles or so west of Mason City, is home each year to the National Hobo Convention, the largest gathering of hobos in the country. The event includes a large parade and crowning of a hobo king and queen. Events in more recent years have also included a hobo 5K, classic car show, and memorial service. Hobos who attend set up a camp near the town's railroad tracks, which they call their jungle.
The relationship began in 1899, when three Britt men wanted to gain some attention for their town. So they invited the Grand Head Pipe of the Tourists Union No. 63, a man named Charles Noe of Illinois, to come to Britt and consider hosting an annual hobo convention there. Noe agreed, if the locals would pay his way. After that meeting, it was agreed that Britt would host the 1900 Hobo Convention. Some in town thought it was a joke, but that joke has been one of the city's claims to fame for more than a century.
You don't have to wait until next August's event to sample some of the experience. The National Hobo Museum opened in Britt in 1980 in the former Chief Theater on Main Street, and is open most days between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
They came from around the country for that first National Hobo Convention held in Britt, Iowa, on this date in 1900.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Hobos"
Traditionally, the term "hobo" referred to migratory workers who were homeless by choice. After the Civil War, they helped meet the labor needs of America by moving from job to job, usually by hopping a ride on a freight train. Movies and novels have told romanticized stories of the hobos, who may originally have gotten their names from a group of soldiers returning from the war, who were "homeward bound".
There's a difference between hobos and bums, and hobos are quick to point that out. Hobos work to make their way, they say, while bums are those who do not work, preferring to beg and ask for handouts.
The town of Britt, 30 miles or so west of Mason City, is home each year to the National Hobo Convention, the largest gathering of hobos in the country. The event includes a large parade and crowning of a hobo king and queen. Events in more recent years have also included a hobo 5K, classic car show, and memorial service. Hobos who attend set up a camp near the town's railroad tracks, which they call their jungle.
The relationship began in 1899, when three Britt men wanted to gain some attention for their town. So they invited the Grand Head Pipe of the Tourists Union No. 63, a man named Charles Noe of Illinois, to come to Britt and consider hosting an annual hobo convention there. Noe agreed, if the locals would pay his way. After that meeting, it was agreed that Britt would host the 1900 Hobo Convention. Some in town thought it was a joke, but that joke has been one of the city's claims to fame for more than a century.
You don't have to wait until next August's event to sample some of the experience. The National Hobo Museum opened in Britt in 1980 in the former Chief Theater on Main Street, and is open most days between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
They came from around the country for that first National Hobo Convention held in Britt, Iowa, on this date in 1900.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, August 21, 2019
"The Baseball Promoter"
James Leslie Wilkinson was born in Algona on May 14th of 1878. He loved baseball and was headed for a promising career as a pitcher until he hurt his wrist. He then turned to team ownership and management, which turned out to be his real talent. For more than 50 years, J.L. Wilkinson used an eye for promotion to support the game he loved in unique ways.
In 1909, J.L. created a women's baseball team that drew up to 2,000 fans at a time. He had a covered grandstand moved around the Midwest by train to create his own venue at each stop along the way. Rumor has it a few of the players were actually men in drag.
By 1912, he had founded the All Nations baseball club in Des Moines. The team was made up of whites, blacks, Polynesians, Asians, and Native Americans, which was quite unique for the time.
He was probably best known for being one of the founders of the Negro National League in 1920, creating the now famous Kansas City Monarchs team. J.L. Wilkinson was the only white team owner that was trusted by league organizers, and he even roomed with his black coaches and players when the team was on the road and hotels were short of rooms; again, unique for the time.
Under his leadership, the Kansas City Monarchs won ten league titles and played in four Negro League World Series, winning in both 1924 and 1942. Oh, and he also signed a player named Jackie Robinson to his first professional baseball contract.
Iowa's baseball entrepreneur, James L. Wilkinson, or Wilkie, as he was known, was elected to the baseball hall of fame in 2006; but that was more than forty years after his death, on this date in 1964.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Baseball Promoter"
James Leslie Wilkinson was born in Algona on May 14th of 1878. He loved baseball and was headed for a promising career as a pitcher until he hurt his wrist. He then turned to team ownership and management, which turned out to be his real talent. For more than 50 years, J.L. Wilkinson used an eye for promotion to support the game he loved in unique ways.
In 1909, J.L. created a women's baseball team that drew up to 2,000 fans at a time. He had a covered grandstand moved around the Midwest by train to create his own venue at each stop along the way. Rumor has it a few of the players were actually men in drag.
By 1912, he had founded the All Nations baseball club in Des Moines. The team was made up of whites, blacks, Polynesians, Asians, and Native Americans, which was quite unique for the time.
He was probably best known for being one of the founders of the Negro National League in 1920, creating the now famous Kansas City Monarchs team. J.L. Wilkinson was the only white team owner that was trusted by league organizers, and he even roomed with his black coaches and players when the team was on the road and hotels were short of rooms; again, unique for the time.
Under his leadership, the Kansas City Monarchs won ten league titles and played in four Negro League World Series, winning in both 1924 and 1942. Oh, and he also signed a player named Jackie Robinson to his first professional baseball contract.
Iowa's baseball entrepreneur, James L. Wilkinson, or Wilkie, as he was known, was elected to the baseball hall of fame in 2006; but that was more than forty years after his death, on this date in 1964.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, August 20, 2019
"Exploring Iowa"
The land that is now Iowa was part of the famous Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The next year, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out on a two and a half year expedition to explore and map the new territory.
One of the first men to join the expedition was Charles Floyd of Kentucky. The 22-year-old was a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army and a relative of Clark’s.
As they neared the Missouri River in the end of July, Floyd took ill. He recovered briefly, but then died on August 20th, 1804, likely due to a ruptured appendix.
A funeral was held and Floyd was buried on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. The expedition named the area Floyd’s Bluff, which is located within the current city limits of Sioux City.
The Sergeant Floyd Monument was declared a national historic landmark in 1960, part of a 23-acre park to honor the only person on the Lewis and Clark expedition to die, and the first U.S. soldier to die west of the Mississippi.
The monument itself is 100 feet high, honoring Sergeant Charles Floyd of the Lewis and Clark expedition, who died on this date in 1804.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Exploring Iowa"
The land that is now Iowa was part of the famous Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The next year, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out on a two and a half year expedition to explore and map the new territory.
One of the first men to join the expedition was Charles Floyd of Kentucky. The 22-year-old was a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army and a relative of Clark’s.
As they neared the Missouri River in the end of July, Floyd took ill. He recovered briefly, but then died on August 20th, 1804, likely due to a ruptured appendix.
A funeral was held and Floyd was buried on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. The expedition named the area Floyd’s Bluff, which is located within the current city limits of Sioux City.
The Sergeant Floyd Monument was declared a national historic landmark in 1960, part of a 23-acre park to honor the only person on the Lewis and Clark expedition to die, and the first U.S. soldier to die west of the Mississippi.
The monument itself is 100 feet high, honoring Sergeant Charles Floyd of the Lewis and Clark expedition, who died on this date in 1804.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, August 19, 2019
"Boldly Going Where None Had Gone Before"
The 1960s were a time of space exploration, culminating with men landing on the moon in 1969.
On August 12th, 1960, the Echo 1 satellite was launched, to operate in geosynchronous orbit 26,000 miles above the earth. Echo 1 was a communication satellite, and this device in particular established a number of firsts.
It saw the first live, satellite-based voice communication, a radio message delivered by President Dwight Eisenhower, and facilitated the first transcontinental satellite telephone call, made between two researchers.
On August 19th, technicians working for Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids used Echo 1 to transmit an Associated Press photo of President Eisenhower from Iowa to Richardson, Texas, the first image transferred by satellite.
Today, we take such communication for granted, even having small satellite dishes on the roofs of our houses so we can watch television. But thanks to technology developed by Iowa’s Collins Radio Company, the first photo was transmitted by a satellite, on this date in 1960.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Boldly Going Where None Had Gone Before"
The 1960s were a time of space exploration, culminating with men landing on the moon in 1969.
On August 12th, 1960, the Echo 1 satellite was launched, to operate in geosynchronous orbit 26,000 miles above the earth. Echo 1 was a communication satellite, and this device in particular established a number of firsts.
It saw the first live, satellite-based voice communication, a radio message delivered by President Dwight Eisenhower, and facilitated the first transcontinental satellite telephone call, made between two researchers.
On August 19th, technicians working for Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids used Echo 1 to transmit an Associated Press photo of President Eisenhower from Iowa to Richardson, Texas, the first image transferred by satellite.
Today, we take such communication for granted, even having small satellite dishes on the roofs of our houses so we can watch television. But thanks to technology developed by Iowa’s Collins Radio Company, the first photo was transmitted by a satellite, on this date in 1960.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, August 16, 2019
"Iowa's Ag Ambassador"
James Wilson was born in Scotland on August 16th, 1835. But his strong identification with Iowa and agriculture is what made him well known.
Jim's family came to the U.S. in 1851, and after four years in Connecticut, they moved to a Scotch settlement in Tama County.
Just before the Civil War, Jim and his brother Peter began farming. When the war started, they decided that Peter should join the Union army, while Jim stayed back to farm. By the time Peter returned, Jim had doubled the size of the farm, which was well stocked.
He served in the Iowa House, becoming Speaker in 1872. He was on the State Board of Regents, and later was elected to Congress.
But agriculture was in his blood, so he returned to Iowa and became a professor of agriculture at Iowa State College. He is generally recognized as laying the foundation for what became the greatest ag college in the country.
President William McKinley asked him to serve as U.S. secretary of agriculture in 1897. The man by then known as "Tama Jim" Wilson accepted, and served 16 years in the post, under three presidents...no one else had ever served that many years in presidential cabinets.
He insisted that the ag department do practical things to help farmers, stressing better living and better crops and livestock.
Bringing agriculture into the 20th Century, Iowa's "Tama Jim" Wilson was born on this date in 1835.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 16th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa's Ag Ambassador"
James Wilson was born in Scotland on August 16th, 1835. But his strong identification with Iowa and agriculture is what made him well known.
Jim's family came to the U.S. in 1851, and after four years in Connecticut, they moved to a Scotch settlement in Tama County.
Just before the Civil War, Jim and his brother Peter began farming. When the war started, they decided that Peter should join the Union army, while Jim stayed back to farm. By the time Peter returned, Jim had doubled the size of the farm, which was well stocked.
He served in the Iowa House, becoming Speaker in 1872. He was on the State Board of Regents, and later was elected to Congress.
But agriculture was in his blood, so he returned to Iowa and became a professor of agriculture at Iowa State College. He is generally recognized as laying the foundation for what became the greatest ag college in the country.
President William McKinley asked him to serve as U.S. secretary of agriculture in 1897. The man by then known as "Tama Jim" Wilson accepted, and served 16 years in the post, under three presidents...no one else had ever served that many years in presidential cabinets.
He insisted that the ag department do practical things to help farmers, stressing better living and better crops and livestock.
Bringing agriculture into the 20th Century, Iowa's "Tama Jim" Wilson was born on this date in 1835.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 16th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, August 15, 2019
"The Neutral Ground"
Before 1830, the land that is now Iowa was in full possession of two Native American tribes, the Sacs and the Foxes. North of their territory, in what is now Minnesota, the Sioux tribe hunted.
The Sacs and Foxes were constantly at war with the Sioux, and since formal boundaries were unknown to them, there were frequently bloody conflicts when one crossed into what the other thought was their territory.
Various efforts to secure peace were attempted by the U.S. government, including drawing boundaries. But those lines were not followed by either tribe very closely.
On August 15th, 1830, the United States bought a strip of land 20 miles wide from the Sioux, along the southern edge of their land. The government bought another 20-mile-wide strip of land from the Sac and Fox, along the northern edge of their land. This 40-mile-wide buffer was called the "neutral ground". Both tribes could hunt and fish in the area, provided they did not fight or interfere with each other, since this land was now under the direct control of the federal government.
The neutral ground stretched from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin southwest to Fort Dodge, Iowa.
It's hard to tell if it would have worked, since just three years later, the federal government used the neutral ground as a place to move members of the Winnebago tribe, displaced from their ancestral home in Wisconsin.
But it was an attempt to bring peace between two tribes, when the United States established a neutral ground to separate the Sac and Fox and the Sioux, on this date in 1830.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 15th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Neutral Ground"
Before 1830, the land that is now Iowa was in full possession of two Native American tribes, the Sacs and the Foxes. North of their territory, in what is now Minnesota, the Sioux tribe hunted.
The Sacs and Foxes were constantly at war with the Sioux, and since formal boundaries were unknown to them, there were frequently bloody conflicts when one crossed into what the other thought was their territory.
Various efforts to secure peace were attempted by the U.S. government, including drawing boundaries. But those lines were not followed by either tribe very closely.
On August 15th, 1830, the United States bought a strip of land 20 miles wide from the Sioux, along the southern edge of their land. The government bought another 20-mile-wide strip of land from the Sac and Fox, along the northern edge of their land. This 40-mile-wide buffer was called the "neutral ground". Both tribes could hunt and fish in the area, provided they did not fight or interfere with each other, since this land was now under the direct control of the federal government.
The neutral ground stretched from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin southwest to Fort Dodge, Iowa.
It's hard to tell if it would have worked, since just three years later, the federal government used the neutral ground as a place to move members of the Winnebago tribe, displaced from their ancestral home in Wisconsin.
But it was an attempt to bring peace between two tribes, when the United States established a neutral ground to separate the Sac and Fox and the Sioux, on this date in 1830.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 15th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, August 14, 2019
"A Mammoth Discovery"
In the summer of 2001, construction was underway on a new parking ramp in downtown Des Moines, for Allied Insurance and Farmland Insurance. A structure of that size obviously needed a strong foundation, so crews were forming support pillars by drilling down to bedrock with a giant auger, then pouring reinforced columns of concrete.
On August 14th, 2001, the auger struck bedrock...and more. Workers examined the area and found the auger had uncovered bones. Authorities were contacted, and discovered they were mammoth bones, from animals that roamed the Earth some 16,000 years ago.
They were found to be from a wooly mammoth, one of the great beasts of the Ice Age. As the climate warmed with the end of the Ice Age, rivers, vegetation and the landscape changed. The world that mammoths dominated was no more, and the long wooly coats that had protected them against the cold led to their extinction in a changing environment with warming temperatures.
The bones found in downtown Des Moines were collected and are now part of a major display at the State Historical Building, along with a nearly complete mammoth skeleton found in Wisconsin. Bone fragments have been found in farm fields all over Iowa, but a sizeable amount of remains were found while workers were digging for a parking ramp in downtown Des Moines, on this date in 2001.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Mammoth Discovery"
In the summer of 2001, construction was underway on a new parking ramp in downtown Des Moines, for Allied Insurance and Farmland Insurance. A structure of that size obviously needed a strong foundation, so crews were forming support pillars by drilling down to bedrock with a giant auger, then pouring reinforced columns of concrete.
On August 14th, 2001, the auger struck bedrock...and more. Workers examined the area and found the auger had uncovered bones. Authorities were contacted, and discovered they were mammoth bones, from animals that roamed the Earth some 16,000 years ago.
They were found to be from a wooly mammoth, one of the great beasts of the Ice Age. As the climate warmed with the end of the Ice Age, rivers, vegetation and the landscape changed. The world that mammoths dominated was no more, and the long wooly coats that had protected them against the cold led to their extinction in a changing environment with warming temperatures.
The bones found in downtown Des Moines were collected and are now part of a major display at the State Historical Building, along with a nearly complete mammoth skeleton found in Wisconsin. Bone fragments have been found in farm fields all over Iowa, but a sizeable amount of remains were found while workers were digging for a parking ramp in downtown Des Moines, on this date in 2001.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, August 13, 2019
"Hiring A Professor"
By the time Gustavus Hinrichs joined the University of Iowa faculty on August 13th, 1863, he'd already had quite a life. He was educated in Denmark and had come to the U.S. only two years before at the age of 25, settling in Davenport. Originally a teacher of modern languages, he later taught the physical sciences, which is where he made his mark.
He did pioneering work on the structure of crystals, which had bearing on the later discovery of the structure of the atom. He was one of several scientists credited with discovering the Periodic System of Elements. He focused much research on the study of weather and started the first state weather service, in Iowa. Fluent in five languages, Gustavus Hinrichs helped build a world-class science program at the University of Iowa, and pushed for the state's medical college to be in Iowa City.
But he was seen as sensitive and high-strung, and his fight with a university president got so heated, the state legislature sent a committee to investigate. After 23 years, he was fired for "general obstreperousness". He later called the Iowa medical school a slaughter house and said surgeons were drunk while dealing with patients, but those charges were unfounded.
In the summer of 2015, parts of Iowa experienced an early morning storm, a widespread, cold air mass that moved rapidly in a straight line, with winds stronger than in many tornadoes. The weather term for that is derecho. It's a phenomenon that was first identified and named by Professor Gustavus Hinrichs, who joined the University of Iowa faculty on this date in 1863.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Hiring A Professor"
By the time Gustavus Hinrichs joined the University of Iowa faculty on August 13th, 1863, he'd already had quite a life. He was educated in Denmark and had come to the U.S. only two years before at the age of 25, settling in Davenport. Originally a teacher of modern languages, he later taught the physical sciences, which is where he made his mark.
He did pioneering work on the structure of crystals, which had bearing on the later discovery of the structure of the atom. He was one of several scientists credited with discovering the Periodic System of Elements. He focused much research on the study of weather and started the first state weather service, in Iowa. Fluent in five languages, Gustavus Hinrichs helped build a world-class science program at the University of Iowa, and pushed for the state's medical college to be in Iowa City.
But he was seen as sensitive and high-strung, and his fight with a university president got so heated, the state legislature sent a committee to investigate. After 23 years, he was fired for "general obstreperousness". He later called the Iowa medical school a slaughter house and said surgeons were drunk while dealing with patients, but those charges were unfounded.
In the summer of 2015, parts of Iowa experienced an early morning storm, a widespread, cold air mass that moved rapidly in a straight line, with winds stronger than in many tornadoes. The weather term for that is derecho. It's a phenomenon that was first identified and named by Professor Gustavus Hinrichs, who joined the University of Iowa faculty on this date in 1863.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, August 12, 2019
"Spotlight on the Garst Farm"
On September 23, 1959, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev began an unprecedented tour of the United States, including a speech in Des Moines and a visit to the heart of the world's best corn country here in Iowa.
The Roswell and Elizabeth Garst farm near Coon Rapids in Guthrie County was the site of an amazing visit by Khrushchev. Roswell Garst played an active role in the 1930s and 1940s in the conversion of old-style family farms to then–modern agribusiness, including his key role in marketing hybrid seed corn.
From a newsreel of the time:
Nikita Khrushchev's American tour swings into the world's best corn country. On the Coon Rapids, Iowa farm of Roswell Garst, Mr. K has one of the most jovial and folksy days of his visit. At one of the world's most efficient and profitable farming operations, Khrushchev shows an enthusiasm springing from his Ukrainian peasant background, and the interest of a leader whose nation has long known major food production problems.
The Garst farmstead was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 12th, 2009, and is located on Highway 141 in the northwestern corner of Guthrie County. The Garst farmstead officially became historic, on this date in 2009.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Spotlight on the Garst Farm"
On September 23, 1959, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev began an unprecedented tour of the United States, including a speech in Des Moines and a visit to the heart of the world's best corn country here in Iowa.
The Roswell and Elizabeth Garst farm near Coon Rapids in Guthrie County was the site of an amazing visit by Khrushchev. Roswell Garst played an active role in the 1930s and 1940s in the conversion of old-style family farms to then–modern agribusiness, including his key role in marketing hybrid seed corn.
From a newsreel of the time:
Nikita Khrushchev's American tour swings into the world's best corn country. On the Coon Rapids, Iowa farm of Roswell Garst, Mr. K has one of the most jovial and folksy days of his visit. At one of the world's most efficient and profitable farming operations, Khrushchev shows an enthusiasm springing from his Ukrainian peasant background, and the interest of a leader whose nation has long known major food production problems.
The Garst farmstead was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 12th, 2009, and is located on Highway 141 in the northwestern corner of Guthrie County. The Garst farmstead officially became historic, on this date in 2009.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, August 9, 2019
"Rolling On The River"
Many communities settled next to rivers as sources for much of what we need to survive. Those rivers also became key transportation outlets. For example, the first rafting on the Mississippi River was done by lead miners who constructed platforms from logs to float the lead to St. Louis.
The earliest lumbering came from Wisconsin, where log rafts and sawed lumber rafts were sent downstream to Galena and Dubuque. Directing the rafts of logs was done with long poles.
In the early days of floating logs and lumber down the Mississippi in the middle 1800s, there were five rapids pilots living at Leclaire, who were kept busy piloting floating rafts over the Rock Island rapids.
In 1874, small steamboats were first used to guide the rafts, and that meant even larger rafts with more lumber. The largest rafts at that point were more than five city blocks long, containing up to three million feet of lumber.
By the late 1800s, hardly a day went by in Dubuque when at least one raft was not stopped at a sawmill, or pushed ahead to another mill downstream. In fact, the W.J. Young mill in Clinton was the world's largest for a time.
But with the 20th century, it became cheaper to have the timber sawed in the north where it was harvested and shipped south as planks, and that brought to an end the practice of sending logs as a raft down river…that, along with overcutting of northern forests reducing the supply.
And that’s why, under the guidance of a boat named the Ottumwa Belle, the last raft of logs passed beneath the Dunleith and Dubuque Bridge, through the city of Dubuque to a mill downstream, on this date in 1915.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 9th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Rolling On The River"
Many communities settled next to rivers as sources for much of what we need to survive. Those rivers also became key transportation outlets. For example, the first rafting on the Mississippi River was done by lead miners who constructed platforms from logs to float the lead to St. Louis.
The earliest lumbering came from Wisconsin, where log rafts and sawed lumber rafts were sent downstream to Galena and Dubuque. Directing the rafts of logs was done with long poles.
In the early days of floating logs and lumber down the Mississippi in the middle 1800s, there were five rapids pilots living at Leclaire, who were kept busy piloting floating rafts over the Rock Island rapids.
In 1874, small steamboats were first used to guide the rafts, and that meant even larger rafts with more lumber. The largest rafts at that point were more than five city blocks long, containing up to three million feet of lumber.
By the late 1800s, hardly a day went by in Dubuque when at least one raft was not stopped at a sawmill, or pushed ahead to another mill downstream. In fact, the W.J. Young mill in Clinton was the world's largest for a time.
But with the 20th century, it became cheaper to have the timber sawed in the north where it was harvested and shipped south as planks, and that brought to an end the practice of sending logs as a raft down river…that, along with overcutting of northern forests reducing the supply.
And that’s why, under the guidance of a boat named the Ottumwa Belle, the last raft of logs passed beneath the Dunleith and Dubuque Bridge, through the city of Dubuque to a mill downstream, on this date in 1915.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 9th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, August 8, 2019
"The Train Reaches The Station"
Walter Sheaffer was running a successful jewelry business in Fort Madison in 1907, when he came up with the idea of making a new kind of fountain pen. Most pens at the time were ink droppers, but Sheaffer designed a self-filling fountain pen, with a lever on the barrel. He patented the design in 1908, and went into the pen business full-time.
The W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company was incorporated on January 1st, 1913 with a value of $35,000. Sheaffer sold the jewelry business and expanded pen manufacturing in Fort Madison.
Soon, Sheaffer pens were popular across the country. A full page ad in the Saturday Evening Post in 1914 proclaimed "Big Business Demands Sheaffer's Pen".
The pens became status symbols. They cost three times more than their competitors, with the lowest priced pen selling for $8.75 back in 1920...but the more expensive pens had lifetime guarantees.
Fast forward to August 8th, 1945. The day is best known as when the U.S. dropped the second atomic bomb on Japan. But it was also the day when the United States became the first nation to complete the ratification process and join a new international organization--the United Nations.
Given the war circumstances, there was no pomp and circumstance associated with the signing, just a small ceremony. President Harry S. Truman signed first, foregoing the ceremonial pens typically used for such things and instead using a 10-cent desk pen.
Secretary of State James F. Byrnes also signed the document. Byrnes used a pen he pulled from his coat pocket...a Sheaffer pen, made in Fort Madison.
And so it was that a document that brought the United Nations into being bears a signature made using a pen manufactured by an Iowa company, when the U.S. Secretary of State pulled a Sheaffer from his pocket to sign off, on this date in 1945.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 8th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Train Reaches The Station"
Walter Sheaffer was running a successful jewelry business in Fort Madison in 1907, when he came up with the idea of making a new kind of fountain pen. Most pens at the time were ink droppers, but Sheaffer designed a self-filling fountain pen, with a lever on the barrel. He patented the design in 1908, and went into the pen business full-time.
The W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company was incorporated on January 1st, 1913 with a value of $35,000. Sheaffer sold the jewelry business and expanded pen manufacturing in Fort Madison.
Soon, Sheaffer pens were popular across the country. A full page ad in the Saturday Evening Post in 1914 proclaimed "Big Business Demands Sheaffer's Pen".
The pens became status symbols. They cost three times more than their competitors, with the lowest priced pen selling for $8.75 back in 1920...but the more expensive pens had lifetime guarantees.
Fast forward to August 8th, 1945. The day is best known as when the U.S. dropped the second atomic bomb on Japan. But it was also the day when the United States became the first nation to complete the ratification process and join a new international organization--the United Nations.
Given the war circumstances, there was no pomp and circumstance associated with the signing, just a small ceremony. President Harry S. Truman signed first, foregoing the ceremonial pens typically used for such things and instead using a 10-cent desk pen.
Secretary of State James F. Byrnes also signed the document. Byrnes used a pen he pulled from his coat pocket...a Sheaffer pen, made in Fort Madison.
And so it was that a document that brought the United Nations into being bears a signature made using a pen manufactured by an Iowa company, when the U.S. Secretary of State pulled a Sheaffer from his pocket to sign off, on this date in 1945.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 8th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, August 7, 2019
"The Train Reaches The Station"
Calhoun County in western Iowa wasn’t always called that. In honor of the Sac and Fox Indians, two of Iowa’s counties were named Sac and Fox in 1851. But a friend of former U.S. vice-president John C. Calhoun did not like the name Fox, and got the county named for Calhoun in 1853.
The county seat wasn’t always Rockwell City, either. It was originally Lake City, but was moved when the tracks of the Illinois Central Railroad were laid through the county in 1870, and Manson and Pomeroy sought the designation. Ultimately, though, leaders decided a more central location was best, and Rockwell City became the county seat.
Rockwell City was platted in 1876 and named for its founders, John and Charlotte Rockwell.
The importance of being on a rail line with a regular train schedule was not lost on Rockwell. At that time, the survival of cities depended on it.
So in 1880, when John Rockwell learned that Des Moines businessman Frederick M. Hubbell was bringing his railroad as far as Jefferson, Rockwell went to Des Moines and promised to give Hubbell half of the building lots in the town if Hubbell would bring the railroad to Rockwell City. Hubbell did, and the first train arrived there on August 7th, 1882.
After the arrival of the railroad, the population of Rockwell City doubled, making John Rockwell’s trade a pretty good investment. All that growth came after the first train arrived in Rockwell City, on this date, in 1882.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Train Reaches The Station"
Calhoun County in western Iowa wasn’t always called that. In honor of the Sac and Fox Indians, two of Iowa’s counties were named Sac and Fox in 1851. But a friend of former U.S. vice-president John C. Calhoun did not like the name Fox, and got the county named for Calhoun in 1853.
The county seat wasn’t always Rockwell City, either. It was originally Lake City, but was moved when the tracks of the Illinois Central Railroad were laid through the county in 1870, and Manson and Pomeroy sought the designation. Ultimately, though, leaders decided a more central location was best, and Rockwell City became the county seat.
Rockwell City was platted in 1876 and named for its founders, John and Charlotte Rockwell.
The importance of being on a rail line with a regular train schedule was not lost on Rockwell. At that time, the survival of cities depended on it.
So in 1880, when John Rockwell learned that Des Moines businessman Frederick M. Hubbell was bringing his railroad as far as Jefferson, Rockwell went to Des Moines and promised to give Hubbell half of the building lots in the town if Hubbell would bring the railroad to Rockwell City. Hubbell did, and the first train arrived there on August 7th, 1882.
After the arrival of the railroad, the population of Rockwell City doubled, making John Rockwell’s trade a pretty good investment. All that growth came after the first train arrived in Rockwell City, on this date, in 1882.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, August 6, 2019
"The First Atomic Bomb"
As a young boy, Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr., lived in Cedar Rapids; the family later moved to Des Moines, where Paul attended Roosevelt High School for a time. Then it was off to Florida, but Paul returned each summer to Iowa to stay on his uncle’s farm.
Paul Tibbets enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1937, at the age of 22. His ability as a pilot was apparent, and he was quickly tabbed for special projects. One included flying over Hiroshima, Japan, in the pre-dawn hours of August 6, 1945. The top secret mission included dropping a new bomb, one which weighed four and a half tons, and carried the name Little Boy.
"Coming up on the bomb run, the city was visible to us. Our aiming point, the military headquarters there, stood out very clearly. After the bomb had exploded, and by the time we could turn around and get a look at it, the city was a mass of dust. … To me it appeared that it was exactly the same as antiaircraft fire. As a matter of fact, I was fooled even though I was expecting a reaction to the airplane from the blast. When it did happen, my first reaction was that it was flak."
That was Paul Tibbets, speaking with legendary journalist Jack Shelley just two days after the mission. Tibbets flew a plane called the Enola Gay…named after his mother, Enola Gay Haggard Tibbets, who hailed from Glidden, Iowa.
Some 130,000 Japanese were killed, and a ten-square mile area was obliterated, when a former Iowa resident, Paul Tibbets, piloted the plane that dropped the world’s first atomic bomb, on this date in 1945.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The First Atomic Bomb"
As a young boy, Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr., lived in Cedar Rapids; the family later moved to Des Moines, where Paul attended Roosevelt High School for a time. Then it was off to Florida, but Paul returned each summer to Iowa to stay on his uncle’s farm.
Paul Tibbets enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1937, at the age of 22. His ability as a pilot was apparent, and he was quickly tabbed for special projects. One included flying over Hiroshima, Japan, in the pre-dawn hours of August 6, 1945. The top secret mission included dropping a new bomb, one which weighed four and a half tons, and carried the name Little Boy.
"Coming up on the bomb run, the city was visible to us. Our aiming point, the military headquarters there, stood out very clearly. After the bomb had exploded, and by the time we could turn around and get a look at it, the city was a mass of dust. … To me it appeared that it was exactly the same as antiaircraft fire. As a matter of fact, I was fooled even though I was expecting a reaction to the airplane from the blast. When it did happen, my first reaction was that it was flak."
That was Paul Tibbets, speaking with legendary journalist Jack Shelley just two days after the mission. Tibbets flew a plane called the Enola Gay…named after his mother, Enola Gay Haggard Tibbets, who hailed from Glidden, Iowa.
Some 130,000 Japanese were killed, and a ten-square mile area was obliterated, when a former Iowa resident, Paul Tibbets, piloted the plane that dropped the world’s first atomic bomb, on this date in 1945.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, August 5, 2019
"The First Alert"
In 1996, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas. She was dragged from her bicycle while riding near her home. Her murder led Dallas/Fort Worth radio and television stations to work with police to broadcast alerts when children were abducted.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children endorsed the Texas plan, and soon Amber Alert programs spread around the country.
In August of 2002, Governor Tom Vilsack called on Iowa law enforcement officials and broadcasters to come up with their Amber Alert plan. By the end of the year, a plan was recommended, and on March 13th, 2003, Iowa became the 36th state with an Amber Alert plan.
Iowa's first Amber Alert was issued August 5th, 2003 from Des Moines. The mother of six month old Hessona Bolen reported that he was abducted from a Washington Street address there shortly before 2 by Hesson Mock. The mother stated that the child was in danger. The child was safely located at a relative's home.
Not all Amber Alerts have an ending like that one. But in many cases, the Amber Alert has been instrumental in safely returning children to their homes. Iowa's first Amber Alert was one of those, on this date in 2003.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The First Alert"
In 1996, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas. She was dragged from her bicycle while riding near her home. Her murder led Dallas/Fort Worth radio and television stations to work with police to broadcast alerts when children were abducted.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children endorsed the Texas plan, and soon Amber Alert programs spread around the country.
In August of 2002, Governor Tom Vilsack called on Iowa law enforcement officials and broadcasters to come up with their Amber Alert plan. By the end of the year, a plan was recommended, and on March 13th, 2003, Iowa became the 36th state with an Amber Alert plan.
Iowa's first Amber Alert was issued August 5th, 2003 from Des Moines. The mother of six month old Hessona Bolen reported that he was abducted from a Washington Street address there shortly before 2 by Hesson Mock. The mother stated that the child was in danger. The child was safely located at a relative's home.
Not all Amber Alerts have an ending like that one. But in many cases, the Amber Alert has been instrumental in safely returning children to their homes. Iowa's first Amber Alert was one of those, on this date in 2003.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, August 2, 2019
"Baby Jessica"
On February 8, 1991, Clara Clausen of Cedar Rapids gave birth to a daughter. Two days later, she signed adoption papers, as did the girl's biological father, Scott Seefeldt. The baby girl was adopted by Jan and Roberta DeBoer of Ann Arbor, Michigan. They named the girl Jessica.
But Seefeldt was not actually Jessica's biological father. Instead, a man named Dan Schmidt was. Schmidt and Clausen broke up shortly after Clausen discovered she was pregnant, and she never told him about the baby.
Less than a month after the baby was adopted, Clausen had second thoughts about the adoption and contacted Schmidt. They filed a legal action to have the adoption nullified since Schmidt as the biological father had not signed away his parental rights. They also got married.
After a district court ruled that the baby needed to be returned to Iowa, the DeBoers filed an appeal. In December 1992, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in favor of the Schmidts. The DeBoers appealed, this time in Michigan since that's where the child was living. They lost in court there, too, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case.
By this time, the case had drawn massive national publicity.
On August 2nd, 1993, while a television audience watched, a crying Jessica was returned to her biological parents in Cedar Rapids.
The stress of the situation was apparent. Both the Schmidts and DeBoers wound up divorcing. But the girl, now named Anna Schmidt, appears to have grown up normally and has avoided the spotlight. In fact, she says she has no recollection of the custody change which happened on live television on this date in 1993.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 2nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Baby Jessica"
On February 8, 1991, Clara Clausen of Cedar Rapids gave birth to a daughter. Two days later, she signed adoption papers, as did the girl's biological father, Scott Seefeldt. The baby girl was adopted by Jan and Roberta DeBoer of Ann Arbor, Michigan. They named the girl Jessica.
But Seefeldt was not actually Jessica's biological father. Instead, a man named Dan Schmidt was. Schmidt and Clausen broke up shortly after Clausen discovered she was pregnant, and she never told him about the baby.
Less than a month after the baby was adopted, Clausen had second thoughts about the adoption and contacted Schmidt. They filed a legal action to have the adoption nullified since Schmidt as the biological father had not signed away his parental rights. They also got married.
After a district court ruled that the baby needed to be returned to Iowa, the DeBoers filed an appeal. In December 1992, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in favor of the Schmidts. The DeBoers appealed, this time in Michigan since that's where the child was living. They lost in court there, too, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case.
By this time, the case had drawn massive national publicity.
On August 2nd, 1993, while a television audience watched, a crying Jessica was returned to her biological parents in Cedar Rapids.
The stress of the situation was apparent. Both the Schmidts and DeBoers wound up divorcing. But the girl, now named Anna Schmidt, appears to have grown up normally and has avoided the spotlight. In fact, she says she has no recollection of the custody change which happened on live television on this date in 1993.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 2nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, August 1, 2019
"Talley's War"
When Iowa was admitted to the Union in 1846, it was a free state, meaning slavery was prohibited. But many in our state had loyalty to the south...perhaps they had relatives living there, or believed that states should make their own choice on what we now see as a moral issue.
Those in the North who became involved in helping the South during the Civil War, secretly raising money for guns and other supplies, were called Copperheads. They got the name because the loyal Union people thought they were as deadly as the copperhead snake.
One of the leaders of the Copperheads in Eastern Iowa was a Baptist preacher named Cyphert Talley. He was actually pro-peace, and spoke often at rallies.
One of those was a Democratic party rally held near the English River on Saturday, August 1st, 1863. Hundreds attended. After the rally, Talley and his party rode in wagons to the town of South English nearby, where a meeting of Republicans had taken place. Talley was warned not to go to the town, but did anyway.
The Democrats in wagons displayed weapons, and soon gunfire was exchanged between Talley's people and the equally well-armed people in the town. Hundreds of shots were fired, but only one person died--Cyphert Talley.
By the next day, hundreds came to South English, demanding vengeance. They formed what was called the Skunk River Army, itching for a fight. Some townspeople travelled to Davenport to meet with Governor Samuel Kirkwood about the matter. The governor travelled with several hundred troops and cannons to the area, but the so-called Army lost its nerve along the way and had disbanded by the time the governor arrived.
No one was ever indicted for shooting Cyphert Talley, whose death led to high tension in South English for a month, beginning on this date in 1863.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 1st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Talley's War"
When Iowa was admitted to the Union in 1846, it was a free state, meaning slavery was prohibited. But many in our state had loyalty to the south...perhaps they had relatives living there, or believed that states should make their own choice on what we now see as a moral issue.
Those in the North who became involved in helping the South during the Civil War, secretly raising money for guns and other supplies, were called Copperheads. They got the name because the loyal Union people thought they were as deadly as the copperhead snake.
One of the leaders of the Copperheads in Eastern Iowa was a Baptist preacher named Cyphert Talley. He was actually pro-peace, and spoke often at rallies.
One of those was a Democratic party rally held near the English River on Saturday, August 1st, 1863. Hundreds attended. After the rally, Talley and his party rode in wagons to the town of South English nearby, where a meeting of Republicans had taken place. Talley was warned not to go to the town, but did anyway.
The Democrats in wagons displayed weapons, and soon gunfire was exchanged between Talley's people and the equally well-armed people in the town. Hundreds of shots were fired, but only one person died--Cyphert Talley.
By the next day, hundreds came to South English, demanding vengeance. They formed what was called the Skunk River Army, itching for a fight. Some townspeople travelled to Davenport to meet with Governor Samuel Kirkwood about the matter. The governor travelled with several hundred troops and cannons to the area, but the so-called Army lost its nerve along the way and had disbanded by the time the governor arrived.
No one was ever indicted for shooting Cyphert Talley, whose death led to high tension in South English for a month, beginning on this date in 1863.
And that's Iowa Almanac for August 1st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.