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Copyright 2021 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 2021 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, December 31, 2021
"The Creator of Paul Bunyan"
James Floyd Stevens was born in Iowa, but he did not have an easy childhood. Born on a farm near Albia in 1892, his father was a so-called gypsy farmer who liked to move around, and his mother worked as a hired girl for $12 per month. Young James lived with his grandmother in Moravia for five years, from the time he was 4 years old.
He later moved to Idaho. After fighting in World War I, he returned to the Pacific Northwest and worked in the woods, logging camps, and sawmills of Oregon. It was there he first heard tall tales about a gigantic lumberjack.
He researched the character, tracing the legend back to French Canada in the early 1800s, and possibly a real logger by that name.
In 1925, Stevens collected the stories about the lumberjack and wrote a best-selling book named after the character--Paul Bunyan. And so began a fifty-year literary career, which included nine books and more than 250 stories and magazine articles. He was known for exaggeration and satire, which offended some readers who lived in the places he wrote about.
While some knew the tales of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, they only became well known through the mind and pen of an Iowan...James Stevens, who died at age 79 on this date in 1971…50 years ago today.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 31st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Creator of Paul Bunyan"
James Floyd Stevens was born in Iowa, but he did not have an easy childhood. Born on a farm near Albia in 1892, his father was a so-called gypsy farmer who liked to move around, and his mother worked as a hired girl for $12 per month. Young James lived with his grandmother in Moravia for five years, from the time he was 4 years old.
He later moved to Idaho. After fighting in World War I, he returned to the Pacific Northwest and worked in the woods, logging camps, and sawmills of Oregon. It was there he first heard tall tales about a gigantic lumberjack.
He researched the character, tracing the legend back to French Canada in the early 1800s, and possibly a real logger by that name.
In 1925, Stevens collected the stories about the lumberjack and wrote a best-selling book named after the character--Paul Bunyan. And so began a fifty-year literary career, which included nine books and more than 250 stories and magazine articles. He was known for exaggeration and satire, which offended some readers who lived in the places he wrote about.
While some knew the tales of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, they only became well known through the mind and pen of an Iowan...James Stevens, who died at age 79 on this date in 1971…50 years ago today.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 31st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, December 30, 2021
"Dissolving the Trust"
In hindsight, it sounded too good to be true. Perhaps that should have been our first clue.
Steven Wymer founded a company in Irvine, California, called Institutional Treasury Management. He set up funds in which cities and towns could invest. One was called the Iowa Trust, and 88 government agencies in Iowa invested more than $70 million in the Iowa Trust. Formed in January 1989, the Trust was designed to pool dozens of small and medium investment accounts to create better opportunities. Wymer had done business with various Iowa cities, including Marshalltown, and other cities soon joined the new venture.
It should have been safe, with investment only in government securities. But it was a fraud, with Wymer deceiving his clients, sending false monthly statements overstating the amount of money in clients' accounts and forging brokerage documents to support those false statements.
The bubble burst on December 12, 1991, when the house of cards came falling down. Wymer faced fraud charges tied to $113 million of money given him by municipalities. Officials in California and Colorado were seriously affected, but nowhere was the crisis more severe than in Iowa.
Cities and towns across the state had to put off plans to maintain roads, buildings, and cemeteries...build libraries...and they had to lay off employees. Money was lost, never to be recovered.
The Trust itself was put in the hands of a receiver to pursue claims and recover some of the money. Long before the case of Bernie Madoff hit national headlines, there was Steve Wymer and the Iowa Trust, termed the worst financial scandal in our state's history.
Lawsuits continued throughout the decade, but nearly three years to the day the fraud was discovered, the Iowa Trust itself was dissolved by order of an Iowa District Court, on this date in 1994.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 30th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Dissolving the Trust"
In hindsight, it sounded too good to be true. Perhaps that should have been our first clue.
Steven Wymer founded a company in Irvine, California, called Institutional Treasury Management. He set up funds in which cities and towns could invest. One was called the Iowa Trust, and 88 government agencies in Iowa invested more than $70 million in the Iowa Trust. Formed in January 1989, the Trust was designed to pool dozens of small and medium investment accounts to create better opportunities. Wymer had done business with various Iowa cities, including Marshalltown, and other cities soon joined the new venture.
It should have been safe, with investment only in government securities. But it was a fraud, with Wymer deceiving his clients, sending false monthly statements overstating the amount of money in clients' accounts and forging brokerage documents to support those false statements.
The bubble burst on December 12, 1991, when the house of cards came falling down. Wymer faced fraud charges tied to $113 million of money given him by municipalities. Officials in California and Colorado were seriously affected, but nowhere was the crisis more severe than in Iowa.
Cities and towns across the state had to put off plans to maintain roads, buildings, and cemeteries...build libraries...and they had to lay off employees. Money was lost, never to be recovered.
The Trust itself was put in the hands of a receiver to pursue claims and recover some of the money. Long before the case of Bernie Madoff hit national headlines, there was Steve Wymer and the Iowa Trust, termed the worst financial scandal in our state's history.
Lawsuits continued throughout the decade, but nearly three years to the day the fraud was discovered, the Iowa Trust itself was dissolved by order of an Iowa District Court, on this date in 1994.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 30th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, December 29, 2021
"A Song for A Church"
William Pitts was a Wisconsin schoolteacher who traveled to Iowa in 1857 to visit his fiancée in Fredericksburg. On the way, the stagecoach stopped in Bradford. Pitts took a walk and discovered a vacant lot in the town that had beautiful cedar and oak trees. Inspired, he wrote a poem about the site, which he later set to music. He imagined a church nestled within those trees.
After marrying his fiancée, Pitts moved to Fredericksburg. While going through Bradford on another occasion, he was stunned to see that a church was being built on the very spot of his vision. There was no furniture in it, nor a bell to ring, but the church was dedicated on December 29th, 1864. As part of the dedication, William Pitts sang his song in public for the first time.
It was called “Church in the Wildwood” and quickly became popular in the area. Not long after debuting the song, Pitts moved to Chicago to attend a medical college, but he needed money for tuition. So he sold the rights to the song to the Higgins publishing company, which had published many of the popular Civil War-era ballads and marching songs. He received $25.
The song became forgotten, as did the church when the railroad bypassed Bradford in favor of Nashua.
Finally, in 1914, interest in the church was rekindled, and along with it, interest in the song. With the reopening of what we now know as the Little Brown Church in the Vale, came national acclaim for the hymn, “Church in the Wildwood”.
That seems fitting, since the two have always been linked, ever since William Pitts first performed his composition in public, on this date in 1864.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Song for A Church"
William Pitts was a Wisconsin schoolteacher who traveled to Iowa in 1857 to visit his fiancée in Fredericksburg. On the way, the stagecoach stopped in Bradford. Pitts took a walk and discovered a vacant lot in the town that had beautiful cedar and oak trees. Inspired, he wrote a poem about the site, which he later set to music. He imagined a church nestled within those trees.
After marrying his fiancée, Pitts moved to Fredericksburg. While going through Bradford on another occasion, he was stunned to see that a church was being built on the very spot of his vision. There was no furniture in it, nor a bell to ring, but the church was dedicated on December 29th, 1864. As part of the dedication, William Pitts sang his song in public for the first time.
It was called “Church in the Wildwood” and quickly became popular in the area. Not long after debuting the song, Pitts moved to Chicago to attend a medical college, but he needed money for tuition. So he sold the rights to the song to the Higgins publishing company, which had published many of the popular Civil War-era ballads and marching songs. He received $25.
The song became forgotten, as did the church when the railroad bypassed Bradford in favor of Nashua.
Finally, in 1914, interest in the church was rekindled, and along with it, interest in the song. With the reopening of what we now know as the Little Brown Church in the Vale, came national acclaim for the hymn, “Church in the Wildwood”.
That seems fitting, since the two have always been linked, ever since William Pitts first performed his composition in public, on this date in 1864.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, December 28, 2021
"It's Our Birthday"
It was on this date, December 28th, in 1846 that Iowa officially became the 29th state admitted to the union.
What we know today as Iowa was originally part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. What was called the Iowa Territory was established in 1838, splitting off from the Wisconsin Territory. It included Iowa and parts of what is now Minnesota and North and South Dakota.
We know Des Moines as our state's capital city, but that was not always the case. The first capitol of the Iowa Territory was in Burlington. After three years there, the territory's capital moved to Iowa City in 1841. It remained the Iowa capital until 1849, when Iowa, the state, was three years old.
The name Iowa comes from the Ioway people, one of many Native American tribes living in the state at the time of European exploration. Popular lore indicates that Iowa means 'beautiful land'.
The Hawkeye State got its nickname back in territorial times. Two Burlington men, a judge and a newspaper publisher, promoted the Hawkeye name as a tribute to Chief Black Hawk; the publisher even changed the name of his paper from the Patriot to the Hawkeye, the name it still has today.
Iowa's state slogan...Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain...was developed by three members of the Iowa Senate just days after statehood. The words became part of our new state seal, and 70 years later, also part of our first official state flag.
President James K. Polk signed legislation establishing Iowa as a state, on this date in 1846…175 years ago today.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"It's Our Birthday"
It was on this date, December 28th, in 1846 that Iowa officially became the 29th state admitted to the union.
What we know today as Iowa was originally part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. What was called the Iowa Territory was established in 1838, splitting off from the Wisconsin Territory. It included Iowa and parts of what is now Minnesota and North and South Dakota.
We know Des Moines as our state's capital city, but that was not always the case. The first capitol of the Iowa Territory was in Burlington. After three years there, the territory's capital moved to Iowa City in 1841. It remained the Iowa capital until 1849, when Iowa, the state, was three years old.
The name Iowa comes from the Ioway people, one of many Native American tribes living in the state at the time of European exploration. Popular lore indicates that Iowa means 'beautiful land'.
The Hawkeye State got its nickname back in territorial times. Two Burlington men, a judge and a newspaper publisher, promoted the Hawkeye name as a tribute to Chief Black Hawk; the publisher even changed the name of his paper from the Patriot to the Hawkeye, the name it still has today.
Iowa's state slogan...Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain...was developed by three members of the Iowa Senate just days after statehood. The words became part of our new state seal, and 70 years later, also part of our first official state flag.
President James K. Polk signed legislation establishing Iowa as a state, on this date in 1846…175 years ago today.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, December 27, 2021
"Organizing Farmers"
Farmers by nature are a somewhat independent sort, sometimes going it alone when working together would suit them better. But even more than a century ago, some Iowa farmers knew there was strength in numbers as they looked to market their products fairly.
In 1912, a group of farmers in Clinton and Scott counties came together; the idea soon spread to other counties, and in addition to farmers, bankers, lawyers, merchants, and teachers joined the farmers in the common effort to help agriculture play its proper role in a stable economy.
On December 27th, 1918, representatives from these groups from 72 of Iowa's 99 counties came together in Marshalltown. They gathered on that cold, snowy day because they saw that working together with a common vision and purpose could lead to better results than if they all worked separately.
And at that meeting, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation was born.
After approving a constitution and by-laws, officers and board members were selected. James R. Howard of Marshall County was elected the group's first president by those in attendance. In that first year, the Iowa Farm Bureau lobbied state and federal legislatures, helped other ag-related organizations get established, and played a key role in joining with other state groups to form the American Farm Bureau Federation.
In the century since its founding, much has changed in agriculture and society generally. But common values such as hard work, love of community and devotion to the land have not changed.
The group now boasts more than 153-thousand member families across the state, and is still made up of a cross-section of Iowans, all with the common interest of furthering agriculture...the same as when the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation was founded in Marshalltown on this date in 1918.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Organizing Farmers"
Farmers by nature are a somewhat independent sort, sometimes going it alone when working together would suit them better. But even more than a century ago, some Iowa farmers knew there was strength in numbers as they looked to market their products fairly.
In 1912, a group of farmers in Clinton and Scott counties came together; the idea soon spread to other counties, and in addition to farmers, bankers, lawyers, merchants, and teachers joined the farmers in the common effort to help agriculture play its proper role in a stable economy.
On December 27th, 1918, representatives from these groups from 72 of Iowa's 99 counties came together in Marshalltown. They gathered on that cold, snowy day because they saw that working together with a common vision and purpose could lead to better results than if they all worked separately.
And at that meeting, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation was born.
After approving a constitution and by-laws, officers and board members were selected. James R. Howard of Marshall County was elected the group's first president by those in attendance. In that first year, the Iowa Farm Bureau lobbied state and federal legislatures, helped other ag-related organizations get established, and played a key role in joining with other state groups to form the American Farm Bureau Federation.
In the century since its founding, much has changed in agriculture and society generally. But common values such as hard work, love of community and devotion to the land have not changed.
The group now boasts more than 153-thousand member families across the state, and is still made up of a cross-section of Iowans, all with the common interest of furthering agriculture...the same as when the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation was founded in Marshalltown on this date in 1918.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, December 24, 2021
"A Raffle...Or A Scam"
To some in Sioux City, John Peirce was an upstanding citizen and land developer. To others, he was a wheeler-dealer and a scam artist.
Peirce was a veteran of the Civil War from the Sixth Iowa Infantry and a major promoter of Sioux City during the late 1800s, a boom time for that area of Iowa.
Like many in business, Peirce had been hurt by the national financial panic of 1893. To pay back his debts, Peirce looked for an easy answer. He decided to raffle off his well known mansion on the city's north side. He charged a dollar a ticket with the drawing to be at the Union passenger depot on Christmas Eve 1900. Some 40,000 tickets were sold. That would be worth more than $1.1 million today.
It was announced that the winner was a jeweler from Vinton. But it was soon discovered that the winning ticket was actually held by a New York millionaire, William Barbour...the same William Barbour to whom John Peirce owed a substantial debt.
To make matters worse, legal documents showed that Peirce had signed a deed transferring ownership of the mansion to Barbour nine days before the Christmas Eve drawing.
Barbour quickly sold the mansion to another party in exchange for bonds in a local bridge company. As for Peirce, he took the money and ran...literally. He wrote a farewell letter to the city that was published in the newspaper and moved with his family to Seattle. He never returned.
John Peirce's fraudulent house raffle, where he made off with what would be more than a million dollars in today's money, happened in Sioux City on this date, Christmas Eve, in 1900.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 24th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Raffle...Or A Scam"
To some in Sioux City, John Peirce was an upstanding citizen and land developer. To others, he was a wheeler-dealer and a scam artist.
Peirce was a veteran of the Civil War from the Sixth Iowa Infantry and a major promoter of Sioux City during the late 1800s, a boom time for that area of Iowa.
Like many in business, Peirce had been hurt by the national financial panic of 1893. To pay back his debts, Peirce looked for an easy answer. He decided to raffle off his well known mansion on the city's north side. He charged a dollar a ticket with the drawing to be at the Union passenger depot on Christmas Eve 1900. Some 40,000 tickets were sold. That would be worth more than $1.1 million today.
It was announced that the winner was a jeweler from Vinton. But it was soon discovered that the winning ticket was actually held by a New York millionaire, William Barbour...the same William Barbour to whom John Peirce owed a substantial debt.
To make matters worse, legal documents showed that Peirce had signed a deed transferring ownership of the mansion to Barbour nine days before the Christmas Eve drawing.
Barbour quickly sold the mansion to another party in exchange for bonds in a local bridge company. As for Peirce, he took the money and ran...literally. He wrote a farewell letter to the city that was published in the newspaper and moved with his family to Seattle. He never returned.
John Peirce's fraudulent house raffle, where he made off with what would be more than a million dollars in today's money, happened in Sioux City on this date, Christmas Eve, in 1900.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 24th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, December 23, 2021
"Planning A Zoo"
For generations in the 1900s, a zoo was a place for families to go to view animals from around the world. But you can't simply start a zoo. It's a long process, as citizens of Des Moines found out.
Back in 1961, the federal government approached the city of Des Moines about donating some land near Fort Des Moines to be used for recreational purposes. The idea of a zoo in Iowa's capital city was discussed, and on December 23rd, 1963, the city signed an agreement to create the Des Moines Children's Zoo. A.H. Blank donated $150,000 to the city to build the zoo, and civic leaders and citizens worked to raise additional funds.
On May 8, 1966, the Des Moines Children's Zoo opened. Designed primarily around nursery rhyme themes, it included a castle with a moat, Monkey Island, an animal petting area, and miniature train. Zoo director Bob Elgin welcomed 186-thousand visitors that first year alone.
By 1980, though, attendance had dropped off to only 43-thousand a year. That led to the founding of the Blank Park Zoo Foundation. Voters approved a $1.8-million bond referendum, and a community campaign raised another $1.4-million. The zoo was closed for three years for renovation, and under its new name, the Blank Park Zoo opened again in 1986, broadening its focus from just being a children's zoo.
Since then, there have been many other changes, and some years, attendance nears 400-thousand people. But it all began when the city signed off on a development agreement to create a zoo in Des Moines, on this date in 1963.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 23rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Planning A Zoo"
For generations in the 1900s, a zoo was a place for families to go to view animals from around the world. But you can't simply start a zoo. It's a long process, as citizens of Des Moines found out.
Back in 1961, the federal government approached the city of Des Moines about donating some land near Fort Des Moines to be used for recreational purposes. The idea of a zoo in Iowa's capital city was discussed, and on December 23rd, 1963, the city signed an agreement to create the Des Moines Children's Zoo. A.H. Blank donated $150,000 to the city to build the zoo, and civic leaders and citizens worked to raise additional funds.
On May 8, 1966, the Des Moines Children's Zoo opened. Designed primarily around nursery rhyme themes, it included a castle with a moat, Monkey Island, an animal petting area, and miniature train. Zoo director Bob Elgin welcomed 186-thousand visitors that first year alone.
By 1980, though, attendance had dropped off to only 43-thousand a year. That led to the founding of the Blank Park Zoo Foundation. Voters approved a $1.8-million bond referendum, and a community campaign raised another $1.4-million. The zoo was closed for three years for renovation, and under its new name, the Blank Park Zoo opened again in 1986, broadening its focus from just being a children's zoo.
Since then, there have been many other changes, and some years, attendance nears 400-thousand people. But it all began when the city signed off on a development agreement to create a zoo in Des Moines, on this date in 1963.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 23rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, December 22, 2021
"Dying in the Line of Service"
It was one of the deadliest fires in Iowa history, and prompted sweeping changes in the way fire departments train.
Shortly after 8 in the morning on December 22nd, 1999, fire broke out in Melissa Cooper's Keokuk apartment, one of three in a century-old two-story house. She was awakened by her 4-year-old son Jacob, who said there was a fire. She and Jacob escaped, and fire fighters soon arrived to put out the fire and rescue Melissa's other three children.
They rescued her 2-year-old twins, Robert and Rebecca, but they died a short time later. Three fire fighters re-entered the building to save 7-year-old Jessica, but they were caught in a deadly flashover.
The body of one of the fire fighters was found on the first floor of the building. The bodies of the other two were found on the second floor. One of them had little Jessica in his arms.
The fire that killed three children and three fire fighters was caused by food left on a kitchen stove.
In its 120-year history, the Keokuk Fire Department had never experienced a line-of-duty death. Then three of the department's 19 full-time members died in a single morning--Dave McNally, Jason Bitting, and Nate Tuck.
The fire was used in nationwide training for other departments, in hopes that lessons learned from the Iowa tragedy could save other lives.
But despite training and best efforts, six lives...those of three fire fighters and three children...were lost in Keokuk, on this date in 1999.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Dying in the Line of Service"
It was one of the deadliest fires in Iowa history, and prompted sweeping changes in the way fire departments train.
Shortly after 8 in the morning on December 22nd, 1999, fire broke out in Melissa Cooper's Keokuk apartment, one of three in a century-old two-story house. She was awakened by her 4-year-old son Jacob, who said there was a fire. She and Jacob escaped, and fire fighters soon arrived to put out the fire and rescue Melissa's other three children.
They rescued her 2-year-old twins, Robert and Rebecca, but they died a short time later. Three fire fighters re-entered the building to save 7-year-old Jessica, but they were caught in a deadly flashover.
The body of one of the fire fighters was found on the first floor of the building. The bodies of the other two were found on the second floor. One of them had little Jessica in his arms.
The fire that killed three children and three fire fighters was caused by food left on a kitchen stove.
In its 120-year history, the Keokuk Fire Department had never experienced a line-of-duty death. Then three of the department's 19 full-time members died in a single morning--Dave McNally, Jason Bitting, and Nate Tuck.
The fire was used in nationwide training for other departments, in hopes that lessons learned from the Iowa tragedy could save other lives.
But despite training and best efforts, six lives...those of three fire fighters and three children...were lost in Keokuk, on this date in 1999.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, December 21, 2021
"The Diplomat from Des Moines"
George Wildman Ball was born on December 21st, 1909 in Des Moines. His family later moved to Illinois, and he graduated from Evanston High School and Northwestern University.
After earning his law degree, Ball joined a Chicago law firm which included Adlai Stevenson II as one of its partners. Stevenson became a lifelong mentor to Ball.
Ball’s career in government began during World War II when, in 1942, he became an official of the U.S. Lend Lease program with Great Britain.
When Adlai Stevenson was the Democrat presidential nominee in 1952, George Ball was one of the campaign speechwriters, served as liaison between Stevenson and President Harry Truman, and was executive director of Volunteers for Stevenson, targeting independent and Republican voters. Ball was also a major part of Stevenson's 1956 bid for the White House.
While Stevenson did not make it there, Ball did. He was Under Secretary of State for Economic and Agricultural Affairs in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. He became well known for his opposition to escalating the Vietnam War.
During the turbulent summer of 1968, Ball was Ambassador to the United Nations, defending the right of Czechoslovakia to freedom against Soviet invasion. He later advised the Nixon administration on American policy in the Persian Gulf.
An advisor to three presidents, and our country's ambassador to the United Nations...George Ball...born in Des Moines on this date in 1909.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Diplomat from Des Moines"
George Wildman Ball was born on December 21st, 1909 in Des Moines. His family later moved to Illinois, and he graduated from Evanston High School and Northwestern University.
After earning his law degree, Ball joined a Chicago law firm which included Adlai Stevenson II as one of its partners. Stevenson became a lifelong mentor to Ball.
Ball’s career in government began during World War II when, in 1942, he became an official of the U.S. Lend Lease program with Great Britain.
When Adlai Stevenson was the Democrat presidential nominee in 1952, George Ball was one of the campaign speechwriters, served as liaison between Stevenson and President Harry Truman, and was executive director of Volunteers for Stevenson, targeting independent and Republican voters. Ball was also a major part of Stevenson's 1956 bid for the White House.
While Stevenson did not make it there, Ball did. He was Under Secretary of State for Economic and Agricultural Affairs in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. He became well known for his opposition to escalating the Vietnam War.
During the turbulent summer of 1968, Ball was Ambassador to the United Nations, defending the right of Czechoslovakia to freedom against Soviet invasion. He later advised the Nixon administration on American policy in the Persian Gulf.
An advisor to three presidents, and our country's ambassador to the United Nations...George Ball...born in Des Moines on this date in 1909.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, December 20, 2021
"Retreading Globally"
Muscatine was home to a family-owned manufacturing firm, Carver Pump Company. Roy J. Carver was the owner, and had great interest in supporting new business ideas. In 1957, he was on a business trip to West Germany when he learned about a new tire-retreading process invented by Bernard A. Nowak. The Nowak method used lower temperatures than in other retreading processes, meaning less damage to casings, and longer durability.
Carver was intrigued and bought the U.S. rights to the process from Nowak. The inventor, however, insisted that his name be a part of the new American company. So Carver used Nowak's initials...BAN, plus the first letter of Nowak's hometown, Darmstadt, and the letters AG, the German abbreviation for incorporated. And that's how the BANDAG company got its name.
The early days of the business were not easy, but Carver and his engineers improved upon the Nowak method, receiving their own patents on the improved process in 1962.
Growth was explosive. By 1971, Bandag held 10 percent of the U.S. truck tire-retreading market. By 1980, it was the world's largest producer of tread rubber and retreading equipment, with 20 percent of the global retreading market.
Roy Carver died suddenly of a heart attack in 1981, and was succeeded by his son Martin. Martin Carver's aggressive refocus on the company's core business and employee-centered management style was a success. By the end of the 1980s, Bandag held half the U.S. truck tire-retreading market.
Still headquartered in Muscatine, Bandag is now a part of the Bridgestone company but remains the global market leader for retreading materials and equipment. Since its founding, the Bandag retread process has kept some 300 million tires out of the waste stream, saving 4 billion gallons of oil. And it all started when the company licensed a West German process and formally incorporated on this date in 1957.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Retreading Globally"
Muscatine was home to a family-owned manufacturing firm, Carver Pump Company. Roy J. Carver was the owner, and had great interest in supporting new business ideas. In 1957, he was on a business trip to West Germany when he learned about a new tire-retreading process invented by Bernard A. Nowak. The Nowak method used lower temperatures than in other retreading processes, meaning less damage to casings, and longer durability.
Carver was intrigued and bought the U.S. rights to the process from Nowak. The inventor, however, insisted that his name be a part of the new American company. So Carver used Nowak's initials...BAN, plus the first letter of Nowak's hometown, Darmstadt, and the letters AG, the German abbreviation for incorporated. And that's how the BANDAG company got its name.
The early days of the business were not easy, but Carver and his engineers improved upon the Nowak method, receiving their own patents on the improved process in 1962.
Growth was explosive. By 1971, Bandag held 10 percent of the U.S. truck tire-retreading market. By 1980, it was the world's largest producer of tread rubber and retreading equipment, with 20 percent of the global retreading market.
Roy Carver died suddenly of a heart attack in 1981, and was succeeded by his son Martin. Martin Carver's aggressive refocus on the company's core business and employee-centered management style was a success. By the end of the 1980s, Bandag held half the U.S. truck tire-retreading market.
Still headquartered in Muscatine, Bandag is now a part of the Bridgestone company but remains the global market leader for retreading materials and equipment. Since its founding, the Bandag retread process has kept some 300 million tires out of the waste stream, saving 4 billion gallons of oil. And it all started when the company licensed a West German process and formally incorporated on this date in 1957.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, December 17, 2021
"Life is a Terrible Thing to Sleep Through"
Peter Hedges was born in West Des Moines in 1962. His mother was a psychotherapist; his father, a retired Episcopalian minister. The Valley High School grad was active in theater while in school, and went on to study drama in college.
Before he was 30 years of age, Hedges published his first novel. "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" told the story of a young man in Endora, Iowa, who has to care for his challenged brother Arnie and his obese mother, all of which gets in the way when love walks into his life. One review called it a classic American novel. The book was made into a movie, which premiered on December 17th, 1993.
The movie starred a young Johnny Depp as Gilbert Grape, and an even younger Leonardo DiCaprio as his brother Arnie.
DiCaprio earned an Academy Award nomination for his role in the film, which grossed more than $10 million nationally at the box office.
Hedges wrote the screenplay, adapting his own novel. In 2002, he received his own Academy Award nomination for adapting the screenplay for the film "About A Boy". More recently, he not only writes but directs his films.
The movie poster used the phrase "life is a terrible thing to sleep through" to promote the story of a young man whose life is at a crossroads in small town Iowa. The movie, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", from the book written by Iowa native Peter Hedges, premiered on this date in 1993.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 17th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Life is a Terrible Thing to Sleep Through"
Peter Hedges was born in West Des Moines in 1962. His mother was a psychotherapist; his father, a retired Episcopalian minister. The Valley High School grad was active in theater while in school, and went on to study drama in college.
Before he was 30 years of age, Hedges published his first novel. "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" told the story of a young man in Endora, Iowa, who has to care for his challenged brother Arnie and his obese mother, all of which gets in the way when love walks into his life. One review called it a classic American novel. The book was made into a movie, which premiered on December 17th, 1993.
The movie starred a young Johnny Depp as Gilbert Grape, and an even younger Leonardo DiCaprio as his brother Arnie.
DiCaprio earned an Academy Award nomination for his role in the film, which grossed more than $10 million nationally at the box office.
Hedges wrote the screenplay, adapting his own novel. In 2002, he received his own Academy Award nomination for adapting the screenplay for the film "About A Boy". More recently, he not only writes but directs his films.
The movie poster used the phrase "life is a terrible thing to sleep through" to promote the story of a young man whose life is at a crossroads in small town Iowa. The movie, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", from the book written by Iowa native Peter Hedges, premiered on this date in 1993.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 17th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, December 16, 2021
"Catch Wrestling Champion"
Professional wrestling today is nothing like it was a century ago. In the early 1900s, championship wrestling matches were like championship boxing fights decades later—major events, which were publicized for months in advance.
And the first national star of the sport was Iowa’s Frank Gotch.
Born on a farm three miles south of Humboldt, Gotch took up wrestling as a teenager. He was fearless, taking on all comers…and winning the American heavyweight championship in 1904.
Back then, catch wrestling matches had no time limit; those competing stayed in the ring until one could pin the other, often by use of submission holds. That’s where Gotch’s signature move, the toe hold, worked to his advantage, forcing opponents to roll over onto their back to avoid the pain.
Gotch aimed to become the world champion, and challenged the “Russian Lion”, George Hackenschmidt. They met in Chicago in 1908. The two stood on their feet for two full hours before Gotch was able to get Hackenschmidt down and win the title.
Gotch became a national hero, in demand for public appearances across the country. He even wrestled in the East Hall of the White House for President Theodore Roosevelt.
Frank Gotch held the world title for five years, retiring in 1913. He died four years later at the age of 40 due to a blood condition that caused his well-toned body to wither away.
As his biographer Mike Chapman noted, upon Gotch’s death, “the whole state went into mourning. In Humboldt, his home town, every store closed down, the schoolhouse was shuttered and empty on the day of his funeral…to bid a final farewell to the farm boy who had been the greatest wrestling champion in history.”
Chapman led the effort to have a statue erected in Humboldt in memory of Frank Gotch, America’s first pro wrestling star, who died on this date in 1917.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 16th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Catch Wrestling Champion"
Professional wrestling today is nothing like it was a century ago. In the early 1900s, championship wrestling matches were like championship boxing fights decades later—major events, which were publicized for months in advance.
And the first national star of the sport was Iowa’s Frank Gotch.
Born on a farm three miles south of Humboldt, Gotch took up wrestling as a teenager. He was fearless, taking on all comers…and winning the American heavyweight championship in 1904.
Back then, catch wrestling matches had no time limit; those competing stayed in the ring until one could pin the other, often by use of submission holds. That’s where Gotch’s signature move, the toe hold, worked to his advantage, forcing opponents to roll over onto their back to avoid the pain.
Gotch aimed to become the world champion, and challenged the “Russian Lion”, George Hackenschmidt. They met in Chicago in 1908. The two stood on their feet for two full hours before Gotch was able to get Hackenschmidt down and win the title.
Gotch became a national hero, in demand for public appearances across the country. He even wrestled in the East Hall of the White House for President Theodore Roosevelt.
Frank Gotch held the world title for five years, retiring in 1913. He died four years later at the age of 40 due to a blood condition that caused his well-toned body to wither away.
As his biographer Mike Chapman noted, upon Gotch’s death, “the whole state went into mourning. In Humboldt, his home town, every store closed down, the schoolhouse was shuttered and empty on the day of his funeral…to bid a final farewell to the farm boy who had been the greatest wrestling champion in history.”
Chapman led the effort to have a statue erected in Humboldt in memory of Frank Gotch, America’s first pro wrestling star, who died on this date in 1917.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 16th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, December 15, 2021
"Completing the Road"
Interstate 80 runs from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey. In Iowa, the east/west roadway enters our state at the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, cuts through the capital city of Des Moines, through the former capital city of Iowa City, and passes along the northern edges of Davenport and Bettendorf before leaving the state via the Congressman Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River into Illinois.
The most common roadway connecting east to west along the southern half of the state, prior to the interstate, was what became U.S. Highway 6. In fact, it became the busiest highway in the state.
It took 14 years to complete I-80 in Iowa. The first section opened in the western suburbs of Des Moines in 1958. Construction in eastern Iowa was finished in 1966. The final piece of I-80 in Iowa, the Missouri River bridge to Omaha, opened on December 15th, 1972.
The majority of I-80 runs through farmland, yet roughly one-third of Iowa’s total population lives along the Interstate 80 corridor.
The Iowa Department of Transportation operates 9 rest areas along the I-80 route. And near Walcott on the eastern end of the state is the world’s largest truck stop, Iowa 80.
The final stretch of Interstate 80 in Iowa, the bridge over the Missouri River between Council Bluffs and Omaha, opened on this date, in 1972.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 15th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Completing the Road"
Interstate 80 runs from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey. In Iowa, the east/west roadway enters our state at the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, cuts through the capital city of Des Moines, through the former capital city of Iowa City, and passes along the northern edges of Davenport and Bettendorf before leaving the state via the Congressman Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River into Illinois.
The most common roadway connecting east to west along the southern half of the state, prior to the interstate, was what became U.S. Highway 6. In fact, it became the busiest highway in the state.
It took 14 years to complete I-80 in Iowa. The first section opened in the western suburbs of Des Moines in 1958. Construction in eastern Iowa was finished in 1966. The final piece of I-80 in Iowa, the Missouri River bridge to Omaha, opened on December 15th, 1972.
The majority of I-80 runs through farmland, yet roughly one-third of Iowa’s total population lives along the Interstate 80 corridor.
The Iowa Department of Transportation operates 9 rest areas along the I-80 route. And near Walcott on the eastern end of the state is the world’s largest truck stop, Iowa 80.
The final stretch of Interstate 80 in Iowa, the bridge over the Missouri River between Council Bluffs and Omaha, opened on this date, in 1972.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 15th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, December 14, 2021
"Iowa's Record-Setting Governor"
When Terry Branstad woke up on the morning of December 14, 2015, he made history.
That was his 7,642nd day serving as Iowa's governor, over two different tenures in office. That is longer than any other governor has served in American history. He broke the record of New York governor George Clinton, who also served during two different tenures--from 1777 to 1795, and again from 1801 to 1804.
Branstad long before set the record for Iowa's longest-serving governor. That all happened when he was governor the first time, from 1983 to 1999. He returned to office in 2011.
Branstad wound up extending that national record-setting streak, serving as governor for just over 23 years. When he was first elected, he was 36, and set a record then for becoming the youngest governor in state history.
Prior to being elected as governor, he served a four-year term as Robert Ray's last lieutenant governor, and before that, he served three terms in the Iowa House.
That's 33 years of elected service. But he has a longer string going than that; he and his wife Chris have been married since 1972.
The record streak came to an end in 2017, when Governor Branstad became Ambassador Branstad…approved by the U.S. Senate to become our nation’s Ambassador to China.
Terry Edward Branstad, the 39th and 42nd governor of the state of Iowa, and the longest serving governor in American history, surpassing the all-time record on this date, in 2015.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa's Record-Setting Governor"
When Terry Branstad woke up on the morning of December 14, 2015, he made history.
That was his 7,642nd day serving as Iowa's governor, over two different tenures in office. That is longer than any other governor has served in American history. He broke the record of New York governor George Clinton, who also served during two different tenures--from 1777 to 1795, and again from 1801 to 1804.
Branstad long before set the record for Iowa's longest-serving governor. That all happened when he was governor the first time, from 1983 to 1999. He returned to office in 2011.
Branstad wound up extending that national record-setting streak, serving as governor for just over 23 years. When he was first elected, he was 36, and set a record then for becoming the youngest governor in state history.
Prior to being elected as governor, he served a four-year term as Robert Ray's last lieutenant governor, and before that, he served three terms in the Iowa House.
That's 33 years of elected service. But he has a longer string going than that; he and his wife Chris have been married since 1972.
The record streak came to an end in 2017, when Governor Branstad became Ambassador Branstad…approved by the U.S. Senate to become our nation’s Ambassador to China.
Terry Edward Branstad, the 39th and 42nd governor of the state of Iowa, and the longest serving governor in American history, surpassing the all-time record on this date, in 2015.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, December 13, 2021
"It Changed His Heart"
The 2000 Iowa Caucuses were held on January 24th that year. Candidate debates were more limited then, just two decades ago. So it was quite an event when all six remaining Republican candidates were on the same stage in Des Moines on December 13th, 1999, some six weeks before our first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Six seemed like a lot of candidates...they included Alan Keyes, Steve Forbes, Gary Bauer, Orrin Hatch, John McCain, and George W. Bush.
Bush was leading in the polls, but he truly made news with his answer to a question posed by one of the debate moderators, John Bachman of Channel 13 in Des Moines. Bachman asked the candidates, "What political philosopher or thinker do you most identify with and why?" When it was his turn, the Texas governor gave a somewhat unique answer.
BUSH: Christ, because he changed my heart.
BACHMAN: I think that the viewer would like to know more on how He has changed your heart.
BUSH: Well, if they don't know it is going to be hard to explain. When you turn your heart and your life over to Christ, when you accept Christ as the savior, it changes your heart, it changes your life
Bush went on to win the Iowa Caucus and his party's nomination, then won the presidency in one of the closest votes in American history, not decided until a U.S. Supreme Court decision 35 days after election day.
But it was during a Des Moines debate that he identified Christ as a political philosopher he admired, on this date in 1999.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"It Changed His Heart"
The 2000 Iowa Caucuses were held on January 24th that year. Candidate debates were more limited then, just two decades ago. So it was quite an event when all six remaining Republican candidates were on the same stage in Des Moines on December 13th, 1999, some six weeks before our first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Six seemed like a lot of candidates...they included Alan Keyes, Steve Forbes, Gary Bauer, Orrin Hatch, John McCain, and George W. Bush.
Bush was leading in the polls, but he truly made news with his answer to a question posed by one of the debate moderators, John Bachman of Channel 13 in Des Moines. Bachman asked the candidates, "What political philosopher or thinker do you most identify with and why?" When it was his turn, the Texas governor gave a somewhat unique answer.
BUSH: Christ, because he changed my heart.
BACHMAN: I think that the viewer would like to know more on how He has changed your heart.
BUSH: Well, if they don't know it is going to be hard to explain. When you turn your heart and your life over to Christ, when you accept Christ as the savior, it changes your heart, it changes your life
Bush went on to win the Iowa Caucus and his party's nomination, then won the presidency in one of the closest votes in American history, not decided until a U.S. Supreme Court decision 35 days after election day.
But it was during a Des Moines debate that he identified Christ as a political philosopher he admired, on this date in 1999.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, December 10, 2021
"On The Cover"
Albert Cummins was a powerful Iowa political figure. He served as our state's 18th governor, and later for 18 years as a U.S. Senator from the state. He even ran for president twice, in both 1912 and 1916.
After an early career as a civil engineer building railroads, he became a lawyer. In his most famous case, he represented a group of farmers in an attempt to break an eastern syndicate's control of the production of barbed wire.
A Republican, he generally supported Democrat President Woodrow Wilson's efforts to regulate business, and even wrote a clause of the Sherman Anti-trust Act. But on foreign policy matters, especially as they related to the First World War, he stuck to his party's platform.
Cummins was president pro tem of the U.S. Senate for six years, from 1919 to 1925. He also chaired the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee and the body's committee on interstate commerce.
It was because of that power in Washington that a new weekly newsmagazine put Albert Cummins on the cover of its December 10th, 1923 issue. The magazine had only been around for six months at that point, but it would come to be one of the most recognized names in American journalism--Time magazine.
Cummins lost a primary fight for re-election in 1926, and died a month after at the age of 76.
A national political figure from Iowa, governor and U.S. senator Albert Cummins was pictured on the cover of Time magazine, on this date in 1923.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 10th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"On The Cover"
Albert Cummins was a powerful Iowa political figure. He served as our state's 18th governor, and later for 18 years as a U.S. Senator from the state. He even ran for president twice, in both 1912 and 1916.
After an early career as a civil engineer building railroads, he became a lawyer. In his most famous case, he represented a group of farmers in an attempt to break an eastern syndicate's control of the production of barbed wire.
A Republican, he generally supported Democrat President Woodrow Wilson's efforts to regulate business, and even wrote a clause of the Sherman Anti-trust Act. But on foreign policy matters, especially as they related to the First World War, he stuck to his party's platform.
Cummins was president pro tem of the U.S. Senate for six years, from 1919 to 1925. He also chaired the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee and the body's committee on interstate commerce.
It was because of that power in Washington that a new weekly newsmagazine put Albert Cummins on the cover of its December 10th, 1923 issue. The magazine had only been around for six months at that point, but it would come to be one of the most recognized names in American journalism--Time magazine.
Cummins lost a primary fight for re-election in 1926, and died a month after at the age of 76.
A national political figure from Iowa, governor and U.S. senator Albert Cummins was pictured on the cover of Time magazine, on this date in 1923.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 10th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, December 09, 2021
"The First Heisman"
John Jay Berwanger was born in Dubuque on March 19, 1914. He was a talented athlete and played football at the University of Chicago in the 1930s, when the school was part of the Big Ten Conference.
Berwanger played halfback for the Maroons. But that wasn't all. He called plays, ran, passed, punted, blocked, tackled, kicked off, kicked extra points, and returned punts and kickoffs.
In a 1934 game against Michigan, he was tackled by future president Gerald Ford. But the tackle was more memorable for Ford, who suffered a gash under his left eye while making the tackle, and bore the scar the rest of his life.
In November 1935, Jay Berwanger received a telegram from Manhattan's Downtown Athletic Club, informing him he had won a trophy for being the most valuable football player east of the Mississippi. It included a trip for two to New York, which Berwanger later said was more important than the trophy, because it included his first airplane flight.
That first trophy actually didn't have a name. It was named for athletic club director John W. Heisman the following year.
That wasn't the end of firsts for Jay Berwanger. In the first National Football League draft in the spring of 1936, he was the first player selected by the Philadelphia Eagles. They traded his rights to the Chicago Bears, but Berwanger and legendary Bears coach George Halas could not agree on a salary. So he never played pro ball.
For some years, that trophy was actually used as a doorstop in his aunt's house. Later, as the award became more prestigious, the trophy was placed on display at the university.
The first winner of what became the Heisman Trophy, Dubuque native Jay Berwanger, picked up his trophy in New York on this date in 1935.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 9th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The First Heisman"
John Jay Berwanger was born in Dubuque on March 19, 1914. He was a talented athlete and played football at the University of Chicago in the 1930s, when the school was part of the Big Ten Conference.
Berwanger played halfback for the Maroons. But that wasn't all. He called plays, ran, passed, punted, blocked, tackled, kicked off, kicked extra points, and returned punts and kickoffs.
In a 1934 game against Michigan, he was tackled by future president Gerald Ford. But the tackle was more memorable for Ford, who suffered a gash under his left eye while making the tackle, and bore the scar the rest of his life.
In November 1935, Jay Berwanger received a telegram from Manhattan's Downtown Athletic Club, informing him he had won a trophy for being the most valuable football player east of the Mississippi. It included a trip for two to New York, which Berwanger later said was more important than the trophy, because it included his first airplane flight.
That first trophy actually didn't have a name. It was named for athletic club director John W. Heisman the following year.
That wasn't the end of firsts for Jay Berwanger. In the first National Football League draft in the spring of 1936, he was the first player selected by the Philadelphia Eagles. They traded his rights to the Chicago Bears, but Berwanger and legendary Bears coach George Halas could not agree on a salary. So he never played pro ball.
For some years, that trophy was actually used as a doorstop in his aunt's house. Later, as the award became more prestigious, the trophy was placed on display at the university.
The first winner of what became the Heisman Trophy, Dubuque native Jay Berwanger, picked up his trophy in New York on this date in 1935.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 9th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, December 08, 2021
"Marking The Trail"
It was the Great National North and South Highway...the Daniel Boone Trail. While many groups tried to connect the United States from east to west during the early 1900s, the Daniel Boone Trail Association was one of the first to connect the country with a reliable roadway from north to south...from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
The path was to honor two of the greatest pioneers of the Mississippi Valley--Daniel Boone and his youngest son, Nathan. Colonel Nathan Boone was responsible for making the trail known when he marched with his U.S. troops through Iowa to Minnesota in 1835.
On December 8th, 1915, the Boone Commercial Association met in Fort Dodge to begin retracing and resurrecting the northern portion of the Boone Trail. Less than two months later, a similar meeting was held in Moberly, Missouri to revive the southern part of the trail.
The day after the Fort Dodge meeting, representatives wrote to the Iowa State Highway Commission, seeking registration of the official Daniel Boone Trail stretching from Des Moines to St. Paul, traveling through Polk City, Madrid, Boone, Boxholm, Ogden, Fort Dodge, Dakota City, Humboldt, Algona, Burt, Bancroft, and Elmore in Iowa.
It took a year for the trail supporters to gather enough funds to make the project a reality. Finally, in January 1917, the route was approved by state officials and construction began.
The Daniel Boone Trail connected the United States from north to south, connecting cities in what was called the very garden of the Mississippi Valley, over a route laid out by nature herself. And it all started with a planning meeting in Fort Dodge, on this date in 1915.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 8th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Marking The Trail"
It was the Great National North and South Highway...the Daniel Boone Trail. While many groups tried to connect the United States from east to west during the early 1900s, the Daniel Boone Trail Association was one of the first to connect the country with a reliable roadway from north to south...from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
The path was to honor two of the greatest pioneers of the Mississippi Valley--Daniel Boone and his youngest son, Nathan. Colonel Nathan Boone was responsible for making the trail known when he marched with his U.S. troops through Iowa to Minnesota in 1835.
On December 8th, 1915, the Boone Commercial Association met in Fort Dodge to begin retracing and resurrecting the northern portion of the Boone Trail. Less than two months later, a similar meeting was held in Moberly, Missouri to revive the southern part of the trail.
The day after the Fort Dodge meeting, representatives wrote to the Iowa State Highway Commission, seeking registration of the official Daniel Boone Trail stretching from Des Moines to St. Paul, traveling through Polk City, Madrid, Boone, Boxholm, Ogden, Fort Dodge, Dakota City, Humboldt, Algona, Burt, Bancroft, and Elmore in Iowa.
It took a year for the trail supporters to gather enough funds to make the project a reality. Finally, in January 1917, the route was approved by state officials and construction began.
The Daniel Boone Trail connected the United States from north to south, connecting cities in what was called the very garden of the Mississippi Valley, over a route laid out by nature herself. And it all started with a planning meeting in Fort Dodge, on this date in 1915.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 8th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, December 07, 2021
"The First To Make The Ultimate Sacrifice"
Father Aloysius Schmitt had just finished saying Sunday mass on the battleship USS Oklahoma on December 7th, 1941. Then, the unthinkable happened.
Aloysius Schmitt was born in St. Lucas, Iowa on December 4th, 1909. He studied at Loras College in Dubuque, and then prepared for the priesthood as a seminarian in Rome. After serving in parishes in Dubuque and Cheyenne, Wyoming, Father Schmitt received permission to become a chaplain and joined the United States Navy in the summer of 1939, shortly before turning age 30.
As he prepared for mass on December 7th, 1941, Schmitt had just celebrated his 32nd birthday three days earlier, and was one day away from the sixth anniversary of being ordained.
No sooner had he finished the service, than the call went out on the battleship for "general quarters". The USS Oklahoma was near Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the Japanese were attacking.
The Oklahoma capsized, trapping a number of sailors and Father Schmitt in a compartment with a small porthole as the only means of escape. Father Schmitt helped a number of men through that porthole, and when it was his turn, he declined and turned back to help more men get out. A dozen men escaped thanks to his efforts.
But Father Schmitt made the ultimate sacrifice. He died that day on board the Oklahoma. But it was only in 2016 that DNA identification advancements made it possible for his remains to be identified, and he was laid to rest in Iowa nearly three quarters of a century after his death.
A destroyer escort named the USS Schmitt was commissioned in his honor in 1943. The chapel at his alma mater was dedicated in his memory. And in 2017, he was posthumously awarded the U.S. military’s third-highest personal decoration, the Silver Star Medal, for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States.
The first chaplain of any faith to have died in World War II, Iowa native Father Aloysius Schmitt, died in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on this date in 1941.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The First To Make The Ultimate Sacrifice"
Father Aloysius Schmitt had just finished saying Sunday mass on the battleship USS Oklahoma on December 7th, 1941. Then, the unthinkable happened.
Aloysius Schmitt was born in St. Lucas, Iowa on December 4th, 1909. He studied at Loras College in Dubuque, and then prepared for the priesthood as a seminarian in Rome. After serving in parishes in Dubuque and Cheyenne, Wyoming, Father Schmitt received permission to become a chaplain and joined the United States Navy in the summer of 1939, shortly before turning age 30.
As he prepared for mass on December 7th, 1941, Schmitt had just celebrated his 32nd birthday three days earlier, and was one day away from the sixth anniversary of being ordained.
No sooner had he finished the service, than the call went out on the battleship for "general quarters". The USS Oklahoma was near Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the Japanese were attacking.
The Oklahoma capsized, trapping a number of sailors and Father Schmitt in a compartment with a small porthole as the only means of escape. Father Schmitt helped a number of men through that porthole, and when it was his turn, he declined and turned back to help more men get out. A dozen men escaped thanks to his efforts.
But Father Schmitt made the ultimate sacrifice. He died that day on board the Oklahoma. But it was only in 2016 that DNA identification advancements made it possible for his remains to be identified, and he was laid to rest in Iowa nearly three quarters of a century after his death.
A destroyer escort named the USS Schmitt was commissioned in his honor in 1943. The chapel at his alma mater was dedicated in his memory. And in 2017, he was posthumously awarded the U.S. military’s third-highest personal decoration, the Silver Star Medal, for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States.
The first chaplain of any faith to have died in World War II, Iowa native Father Aloysius Schmitt, died in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on this date in 1941.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, December 06, 2021
"Iowa's OSCAR Winner"
Dominic Felix Amici's father was concerned that the Kenosha, Wisconsin boy might fall in with the wrong elements. So the Italian immigrant saloon-keeper sent his 11 year old son to Iowa in 1919.
Young Dom attended St. Birchman's Boys Academy in Marion, where as an 8th grader, he first tried acting, and found it to his liking. He later attended what is now Loras College in Dubuque, where the yearbook described him as one of the most promising actors at the school.
In the early 1930s, actors were making a living performing in radio dramas, and Chicago was one of the nation's broadcasting centers at the time. Amici's rich baritone voice put him in demand, and it wasn't long before he parlayed his radio career into a Hollywood movie career.
Now known as Don Ameche, he made his movie debut in 1936, playing dual roles in the movie "Sins of Man". His portrayal of Alexander Graham Bell in 1939 won him rave reviews, as did the 1943 comedy "Heaven Can Wait". He was part of radio's quarrelsome couple "The Bickersons" and starred on Broadway.
Don Ameche turned to directing in the 1960s and 1970s, but made his return to the movie screen in 1983's "Trading Places". And he was discovered by a new generation for his Oscar-winning performance in the 1985 film "Cocoon".
Don Ameche always considered Iowa his home base, marrying a woman from Dubuque and raising their six children there part-time.
For seven decades, Don Ameche found fame in show business, appearing regularly in major films until his death from prostate cancer, on this date in 1993.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa's OSCAR Winner"
Dominic Felix Amici's father was concerned that the Kenosha, Wisconsin boy might fall in with the wrong elements. So the Italian immigrant saloon-keeper sent his 11 year old son to Iowa in 1919.
Young Dom attended St. Birchman's Boys Academy in Marion, where as an 8th grader, he first tried acting, and found it to his liking. He later attended what is now Loras College in Dubuque, where the yearbook described him as one of the most promising actors at the school.
In the early 1930s, actors were making a living performing in radio dramas, and Chicago was one of the nation's broadcasting centers at the time. Amici's rich baritone voice put him in demand, and it wasn't long before he parlayed his radio career into a Hollywood movie career.
Now known as Don Ameche, he made his movie debut in 1936, playing dual roles in the movie "Sins of Man". His portrayal of Alexander Graham Bell in 1939 won him rave reviews, as did the 1943 comedy "Heaven Can Wait". He was part of radio's quarrelsome couple "The Bickersons" and starred on Broadway.
Don Ameche turned to directing in the 1960s and 1970s, but made his return to the movie screen in 1983's "Trading Places". And he was discovered by a new generation for his Oscar-winning performance in the 1985 film "Cocoon".
Don Ameche always considered Iowa his home base, marrying a woman from Dubuque and raising their six children there part-time.
For seven decades, Don Ameche found fame in show business, appearing regularly in major films until his death from prostate cancer, on this date in 1993.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, December 03, 2021
"The First Inauguration"
Iowa became a state in December of 1846. The territorial government was converted to a state government, and Iowa's first state governor was an unlikely choice.
Ansel Briggs was a Vermont native who moved from Ohio to Iowa in 1839 after hearing of great opportunities in the new land. He opened a stagecoach business and earned a good living transporting mail for the government.
His travel in eastern Iowa for his business led him to become well known, and he soon held various positions, declaring himself a Democrat.
As Iowa was forming its state government, Briggs became a candidate for governor, using as his slogan a toast he had once made at a banquet--"No banks but earth, and they well tilled." He won the nomination against two opponents, and then won the general election against his Whig opponent by only 247 votes out of more than 15,000 cast. (The Republican party had yet to be formed; that would still be eight years away.)
On December 3, 1846, an informal inauguration was held for Iowa's first governor. A committee of two Senators and two Representatives escorted Briggs into the House Chamber of the Capitol in Iowa City. The Chief Justice administered an oath. Then the governor sat and listened as his inaugural address was read aloud by a friend who was a member of the state Senate. He asked for the General Assembly's "aid and indulgence" as he began the job.
Briggs declined to serve more than that first four-year term, believing the job should be placed in more capable hands. A consistently humble man, he did not live in Iowa City, the capitol, while governor. He lived in his Iowa home town of Andrew in Jackson County, despite the fact there were no traveled roads from there to Iowa City. Briggs would make the trips on horseback and on foot, days and nights at a time.
That's how Ansel Briggs got to Iowa City to be sworn in as Iowa's first governor, on this date in 1846.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 3rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The First Inauguration"
Iowa became a state in December of 1846. The territorial government was converted to a state government, and Iowa's first state governor was an unlikely choice.
Ansel Briggs was a Vermont native who moved from Ohio to Iowa in 1839 after hearing of great opportunities in the new land. He opened a stagecoach business and earned a good living transporting mail for the government.
His travel in eastern Iowa for his business led him to become well known, and he soon held various positions, declaring himself a Democrat.
As Iowa was forming its state government, Briggs became a candidate for governor, using as his slogan a toast he had once made at a banquet--"No banks but earth, and they well tilled." He won the nomination against two opponents, and then won the general election against his Whig opponent by only 247 votes out of more than 15,000 cast. (The Republican party had yet to be formed; that would still be eight years away.)
On December 3, 1846, an informal inauguration was held for Iowa's first governor. A committee of two Senators and two Representatives escorted Briggs into the House Chamber of the Capitol in Iowa City. The Chief Justice administered an oath. Then the governor sat and listened as his inaugural address was read aloud by a friend who was a member of the state Senate. He asked for the General Assembly's "aid and indulgence" as he began the job.
Briggs declined to serve more than that first four-year term, believing the job should be placed in more capable hands. A consistently humble man, he did not live in Iowa City, the capitol, while governor. He lived in his Iowa home town of Andrew in Jackson County, despite the fact there were no traveled roads from there to Iowa City. Briggs would make the trips on horseback and on foot, days and nights at a time.
That's how Ansel Briggs got to Iowa City to be sworn in as Iowa's first governor, on this date in 1846.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 3rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, December 02, 2021
"The Ames Project"
Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, the head of physical chemistry at Iowa State College, Professor Frank Spedding, was quietly recruited by the federal government for a war-related project. After travelling to meetings in Chicago and elsewhere, Spedding convinced his colleagues that his portion of the research should be done in his lab in Ames. Iowa State president Charles Friley gave his permission, even though details at the project were top secret and he didn't have the proper security clearance at the time.
Spedding had expertise in spectroscopy and separation of rare earth elements. That was important because he now was part of the Manhattan Project, which led to development of the atomic bomb. Spedding and his team in Ames, including chemist Harley Wilhelm, were tasked with the job of transforming bulk uranium ore into highly purified uranium metal. By February 1942, only two months after the U.S. entered World War II, a new team was up and running in Ames.
By September of that year, they had their first breakthrough...creation of small blocks of pure uranium metal, the first ones ever manufactured. On December 2nd, 1942, Spedding and a group of 40 scientists, including the noted physicist Enrico Fermi, watched a test of the Iowa State discovery at the University of Chicago. Workers there had converted an old squash court into a mini-reactor. The material developed in Ames was the key component leading to a reaction and production of nuclear energy, which would later be channeled into development of the most destructive bomb ever created.
Work continued in Ames secretly, and then on August 6th, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped from a plane piloted by a former Iowan. The work of the Ames Project then became known.
The Manhattan Project's first breakthrough, converting theory to practice, was made possible because of research done at Iowa State, successfully tested on this date in 1942.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 2nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Ames Project"
Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, the head of physical chemistry at Iowa State College, Professor Frank Spedding, was quietly recruited by the federal government for a war-related project. After travelling to meetings in Chicago and elsewhere, Spedding convinced his colleagues that his portion of the research should be done in his lab in Ames. Iowa State president Charles Friley gave his permission, even though details at the project were top secret and he didn't have the proper security clearance at the time.
Spedding had expertise in spectroscopy and separation of rare earth elements. That was important because he now was part of the Manhattan Project, which led to development of the atomic bomb. Spedding and his team in Ames, including chemist Harley Wilhelm, were tasked with the job of transforming bulk uranium ore into highly purified uranium metal. By February 1942, only two months after the U.S. entered World War II, a new team was up and running in Ames.
By September of that year, they had their first breakthrough...creation of small blocks of pure uranium metal, the first ones ever manufactured. On December 2nd, 1942, Spedding and a group of 40 scientists, including the noted physicist Enrico Fermi, watched a test of the Iowa State discovery at the University of Chicago. Workers there had converted an old squash court into a mini-reactor. The material developed in Ames was the key component leading to a reaction and production of nuclear energy, which would later be channeled into development of the most destructive bomb ever created.
Work continued in Ames secretly, and then on August 6th, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped from a plane piloted by a former Iowan. The work of the Ames Project then became known.
The Manhattan Project's first breakthrough, converting theory to practice, was made possible because of research done at Iowa State, successfully tested on this date in 1942.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 2nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, December 01, 2021
"A Home for Veterans"
The Civil War claimed the lives of 13,001 Iowans. Many others returned home, in need of care.
Governor Samuel Kirkwood proposed building a home for disabled Civil War veterans from Iowa. 75 of Iowa's 99 counties competed to have the soldiers home located in their county.
Marshalltown citizens, many of whom still remembered the city's failed attempt to locate the state capitol in their city, followed by a failed attempt to house a land grant college, raised $30,000 to show the Iowa House and Senate the community was serious about providing a place for Iowa's veterans.
In March 1886, the General Assembly appropriated $75,000 to purchase land and another $25,000 to run the home for its first year. A month later, Marshalltown was officially chosen as the site.
The Main Building of the Iowa Soldier's Home was completed on November 30th, 1887, and the next day, December 1st, the first resident was admitted--Amos Fox of Livermore.
The Main Building, with its capacity of 200 residents, became the men's dormitory, and was used for 76 years, until it was demolished in 1963.
In 1892, cottages were constructed, to be used by veterans and their spouses who wanted to live together.
Today, what is now the Iowa Veterans Home is the third largest state veterans home in the country with 755 available beds.
But the first resident of the Iowa Soldiers Home, Civil War veteran Amos Fox, entered the facility in Marshalltown on this date in 1887.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 1st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Home for Veterans"
The Civil War claimed the lives of 13,001 Iowans. Many others returned home, in need of care.
Governor Samuel Kirkwood proposed building a home for disabled Civil War veterans from Iowa. 75 of Iowa's 99 counties competed to have the soldiers home located in their county.
Marshalltown citizens, many of whom still remembered the city's failed attempt to locate the state capitol in their city, followed by a failed attempt to house a land grant college, raised $30,000 to show the Iowa House and Senate the community was serious about providing a place for Iowa's veterans.
In March 1886, the General Assembly appropriated $75,000 to purchase land and another $25,000 to run the home for its first year. A month later, Marshalltown was officially chosen as the site.
The Main Building of the Iowa Soldier's Home was completed on November 30th, 1887, and the next day, December 1st, the first resident was admitted--Amos Fox of Livermore.
The Main Building, with its capacity of 200 residents, became the men's dormitory, and was used for 76 years, until it was demolished in 1963.
In 1892, cottages were constructed, to be used by veterans and their spouses who wanted to live together.
Today, what is now the Iowa Veterans Home is the third largest state veterans home in the country with 755 available beds.
But the first resident of the Iowa Soldiers Home, Civil War veteran Amos Fox, entered the facility in Marshalltown on this date in 1887.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 1st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
