"Iowa Almanac" is a copyrighted production of Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
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Copyright 2025 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
All Rights Reserved.
No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2025 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, December 31, 2025
"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.
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.
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 Tuesday, December 30, 2025
"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 layoff 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 layoff 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 Monday, December 29, 2025
"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 29, 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 29, 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 Sunday, December 28, 2025
"It's Our Birthday"
It was on this date, December 28, 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.
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 28, 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.
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 Saturday, December 27, 2025
"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 27, 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 153,000 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 27, 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 153,000 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 26, 2025
"Bowling Them Over"
When the 1984 season began, Iowa football fans were again getting used to winning. They had been to three bowl games in three seasons, and expectations were high.
Hayden Fry was in his 6th year as head coach, and the Hawks featured underclassmen such as Chuck Long and Ronnie Harmon. Four seniors wound up being drafted by the NFL, including tight end Jonathan Hayes, running back Owen Gill, linebacker Dave Strobel, and defensive tackle George Little.
The team finished the regular season 7-4-1 and unranked. When college bowl games were making their selections, a brand new game showed interest--the Freedom Bowl, in Anaheim, California. Some thought the team should go to a more established bowl, but when Fry learned the opponent would be the 19th-ranked Texas Longhorns, the native Texan jumped at the chance to play.
It was a rainy night in California, and the conditions did not seem to be conducive to a lot of scoring. But Coach Fry's pregame comments turned out to be right on the money, praising quarterback Long.
The Hawks led 24-17 at the half, but blew the game open with 31 unanswered points in the third quarter, going on to win 55-17. Chuck Long completed 29 of 39 passes for 461 yards and six touchdowns. And the Hawks wound up being ranked 15th nationally in the final coaches' poll that season.
The Freedom Bowl was played 11 times...but no team ever scored as many points, or won by as large a margin, as the Iowa Hawkeyes did in the first Freedom Bowl game, played on this date in 1984.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Bowling Them Over"
When the 1984 season began, Iowa football fans were again getting used to winning. They had been to three bowl games in three seasons, and expectations were high.
Hayden Fry was in his 6th year as head coach, and the Hawks featured underclassmen such as Chuck Long and Ronnie Harmon. Four seniors wound up being drafted by the NFL, including tight end Jonathan Hayes, running back Owen Gill, linebacker Dave Strobel, and defensive tackle George Little.
The team finished the regular season 7-4-1 and unranked. When college bowl games were making their selections, a brand new game showed interest--the Freedom Bowl, in Anaheim, California. Some thought the team should go to a more established bowl, but when Fry learned the opponent would be the 19th-ranked Texas Longhorns, the native Texan jumped at the chance to play.
It was a rainy night in California, and the conditions did not seem to be conducive to a lot of scoring. But Coach Fry's pregame comments turned out to be right on the money, praising quarterback Long.
The Hawks led 24-17 at the half, but blew the game open with 31 unanswered points in the third quarter, going on to win 55-17. Chuck Long completed 29 of 39 passes for 461 yards and six touchdowns. And the Hawks wound up being ranked 15th nationally in the final coaches' poll that season.
The Freedom Bowl was played 11 times...but no team ever scored as many points, or won by as large a margin, as the Iowa Hawkeyes did in the first Freedom Bowl game, played on this date in 1984.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, December 25, 2025
"The Founder of Iowa State"
By the time Benjamin F. Gue moved to Iowa at the age of 24, he'd already had many life experiences. He was born on December 25, 1828 on a farm in New York. His parents were Quakers and Abolitionists, and their home was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad. When Ben Gue was 10 years of age, his father died, leaving his mother to raise Ben and his siblings, and to manage the farm.
In the early 1850s, he and his younger brother migrated to Iowa and farmed in Scott County. In 1856, he was a delegate to the state convention which formally organized the Republican Party in Iowa. He was elected to the state house in 1858, then the senate in 1862. He also served a term as lieutenant governor of our state.
In 1858, Gue was one of the authors of a bill to establish a state agricultural college and model farm, which became Iowa State University. He served as president of the board of trustees for what was then Iowa Agricultural College. His leadership at that pivotal time led many to call him the founder of the school.
In addition to being a farmer and a politician, Gue was a newspaper editor and publisher. His four volume history of Iowa was published in 1903 and remains the most important work on the earliest days of our state.
The founder of Iowa State University, Benjamin F. Gue, was born on this date, Christmas Day, in 1828.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Founder of Iowa State"
By the time Benjamin F. Gue moved to Iowa at the age of 24, he'd already had many life experiences. He was born on December 25, 1828 on a farm in New York. His parents were Quakers and Abolitionists, and their home was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad. When Ben Gue was 10 years of age, his father died, leaving his mother to raise Ben and his siblings, and to manage the farm.
In the early 1850s, he and his younger brother migrated to Iowa and farmed in Scott County. In 1856, he was a delegate to the state convention which formally organized the Republican Party in Iowa. He was elected to the state house in 1858, then the senate in 1862. He also served a term as lieutenant governor of our state.
In 1858, Gue was one of the authors of a bill to establish a state agricultural college and model farm, which became Iowa State University. He served as president of the board of trustees for what was then Iowa Agricultural College. His leadership at that pivotal time led many to call him the founder of the school.
In addition to being a farmer and a politician, Gue was a newspaper editor and publisher. His four volume history of Iowa was published in 1903 and remains the most important work on the earliest days of our state.
The founder of Iowa State University, Benjamin F. Gue, was born on this date, Christmas Day, in 1828.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, December 24, 2025
"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…125 years ago today.
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…125 years ago today.
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 Tuesday, December 23, 2025
"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 23, 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 186,000 visitors that first year alone.
By 1980, though, attendance had dropped off to only 43,000 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 being just a children's zoo.
Since then, there have been many other changes, and some years, attendance nears 400,000 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 23, 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 186,000 visitors that first year alone.
By 1980, though, attendance had dropped off to only 43,000 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 being just a children's zoo.
Since then, there have been many other changes, and some years, attendance nears 400,000 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 Monday, December 22, 2025
"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 22, 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 22, 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 Sunday, December 21, 2025
"Pizza, Chicken, and Then Some"
Adrie Groeneweg was a 19-year-old from Hull holding down two jobs…by day, he was a welder, by night and on weekends, he worked at a pizza parlor in Sioux Center.
He noticed lots of folks from Hull made their way to Sioux Center for pizza and wondered if his hometown could support its own pizza place. Adrie’s father Bill found a building on Main Street in Hull that could be converted into a restaurant, and agreed to sign the note at the bank to fund the start-up business.
Using a Western theme and Adrie’s own recipes created at home, the first Pizza Ranch restaurant opened on December 21, 1981. Two years later, a second location, this one in Orange City. A year after that, the first franchise opened, in Minnesota. Soon chicken was added to the menu, quickly becoming a favorite on the new buffet.
Now, more than four decades later, there are more than 200 Pizza Ranch locations in 15 states, with overall yearly revenue estimated at $140 million.
And they’ve become favorite stops for politicians looking to score in Iowa’s presidential precinct caucuses, thanks to each of the 66 Iowa locations having a meeting room for use.
The company vision statement, drafted by founder Adrie Groeneweg, reads, “To glorify God by positively impacting the world we live in through pizza.”
The very first Pizza Ranch restaurant opened in Hull on this date in 1981.
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.
"Pizza, Chicken, and Then Some"
Adrie Groeneweg was a 19-year-old from Hull holding down two jobs…by day, he was a welder, by night and on weekends, he worked at a pizza parlor in Sioux Center.
He noticed lots of folks from Hull made their way to Sioux Center for pizza and wondered if his hometown could support its own pizza place. Adrie’s father Bill found a building on Main Street in Hull that could be converted into a restaurant, and agreed to sign the note at the bank to fund the start-up business.
Using a Western theme and Adrie’s own recipes created at home, the first Pizza Ranch restaurant opened on December 21, 1981. Two years later, a second location, this one in Orange City. A year after that, the first franchise opened, in Minnesota. Soon chicken was added to the menu, quickly becoming a favorite on the new buffet.
Now, more than four decades later, there are more than 200 Pizza Ranch locations in 15 states, with overall yearly revenue estimated at $140 million.
And they’ve become favorite stops for politicians looking to score in Iowa’s presidential precinct caucuses, thanks to each of the 66 Iowa locations having a meeting room for use.
The company vision statement, drafted by founder Adrie Groeneweg, reads, “To glorify God by positively impacting the world we live in through pizza.”
The very first Pizza Ranch restaurant opened in Hull on this date in 1981.
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 Saturday, December 20, 2025
"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 19, 2025
"A River City Premiere"
By the time his musical hit the Broadway stage on December 19, 1957, he was 55 years of age, and had already had quite a career.
He attended what is now the Julliard School in New York, was a member of John Phillip Sousa's band, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the director of Arturo Toscanini. After a move to California, he scored music for films, earning Academy Award nominations in successive years, for "The Great Dictator" and "The Little Foxes".
Then came World War II, and work for the Armed Forces Radio Service, which led to a successful career in radio, including his own programs.
But it was that Broadway show that became Meredith Willson's most famous work. "The Music Man" premiered in 1957 and became an instant hit, with some 1,375 performances. It won three Tony Awards, and Robert Preston won a Theater World Award for his portrayal of Professor Harold Hill. The cast recording won the first Grammy for its category. The show was adapted twice for film.
And to show that he had more than one Broadway show in him, Willson's second musical was "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", which ran for more than 500 performances.
The Mason City native once called the show "an Iowan's attempt to pay tribute to his home state". And the world learned of River City, through the genius of Meredith Willson, when "The Music Man" premiered on Broadway, on this date in 1957.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A River City Premiere"
By the time his musical hit the Broadway stage on December 19, 1957, he was 55 years of age, and had already had quite a career.
He attended what is now the Julliard School in New York, was a member of John Phillip Sousa's band, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the director of Arturo Toscanini. After a move to California, he scored music for films, earning Academy Award nominations in successive years, for "The Great Dictator" and "The Little Foxes".
Then came World War II, and work for the Armed Forces Radio Service, which led to a successful career in radio, including his own programs.
But it was that Broadway show that became Meredith Willson's most famous work. "The Music Man" premiered in 1957 and became an instant hit, with some 1,375 performances. It won three Tony Awards, and Robert Preston won a Theater World Award for his portrayal of Professor Harold Hill. The cast recording won the first Grammy for its category. The show was adapted twice for film.
And to show that he had more than one Broadway show in him, Willson's second musical was "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", which ran for more than 500 performances.
The Mason City native once called the show "an Iowan's attempt to pay tribute to his home state". And the world learned of River City, through the genius of Meredith Willson, when "The Music Man" premiered on Broadway, on this date in 1957.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, December 18, 2025
"The Wizard of Spirit Lake"
It’s always been a popular spot for sportsmen, the area around Spirit Lake. And it’s therefore not surprising that many well-known sportsmen hail from that area.
One of the most famous was Fred Gilbert, known to all as Dood Gilbert…and known to trap shooters as the Wizard of Spirit Lake.
He was born on December 18, 1865, just after the end of the Civil War, and it was said that young Fred Gilbert had a shotgun in his hands from the time he was able to carry one. At an early age, it was also clear he had a skill that would make him known around the world.
Trap shooting was such a big part of his life that he named his daughter Annie, after Annie Oakley, and his son Tom Marshall, after a fellow shooter and Dood’s longtime mentor.
He won the World’s Pigeon Shooting Championship in Baltimore in 1895 just before he turned 30 years of age, and from then on, shooting became his livelihood.
In the early 1900s, he traveled around the country in a private railroad car, competing at shoots for his employers, the DuPont Powder Company and the Parker Gun Company. He shot targets in every state in the union, as well as in England, Scotland, and Ireland. For years, his run of 591 straight hits in competition stood as a world record.
Dood Gilbert was inducted into the Amateur Trapshooting Association Hall of Fame in 1969, and a park toward the north end of Spirit Lake bears his name. Two others from Spirit Lake are also in the Hall—Johnny Jahn, inducted in 1976, and Bob Allen, inducted in 1982; no other town in America can claim three Hall of Famers.
Fred Gilbert…Dood…a Hall of Fame trapshooter, born in Spirit Lake, on this date in 1865...160 years ago today.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Wizard of Spirit Lake"
It’s always been a popular spot for sportsmen, the area around Spirit Lake. And it’s therefore not surprising that many well-known sportsmen hail from that area.
One of the most famous was Fred Gilbert, known to all as Dood Gilbert…and known to trap shooters as the Wizard of Spirit Lake.
He was born on December 18, 1865, just after the end of the Civil War, and it was said that young Fred Gilbert had a shotgun in his hands from the time he was able to carry one. At an early age, it was also clear he had a skill that would make him known around the world.
Trap shooting was such a big part of his life that he named his daughter Annie, after Annie Oakley, and his son Tom Marshall, after a fellow shooter and Dood’s longtime mentor.
He won the World’s Pigeon Shooting Championship in Baltimore in 1895 just before he turned 30 years of age, and from then on, shooting became his livelihood.
In the early 1900s, he traveled around the country in a private railroad car, competing at shoots for his employers, the DuPont Powder Company and the Parker Gun Company. He shot targets in every state in the union, as well as in England, Scotland, and Ireland. For years, his run of 591 straight hits in competition stood as a world record.
Dood Gilbert was inducted into the Amateur Trapshooting Association Hall of Fame in 1969, and a park toward the north end of Spirit Lake bears his name. Two others from Spirit Lake are also in the Hall—Johnny Jahn, inducted in 1976, and Bob Allen, inducted in 1982; no other town in America can claim three Hall of Famers.
Fred Gilbert…Dood…a Hall of Fame trapshooter, born in Spirit Lake, on this date in 1865...160 years ago today.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, December 17, 2025
"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 17, 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 17, 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 Tuesday, December 16, 2025
"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 Monday, December 15, 2025
"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 15, 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 15, 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 Sunday, December 14, 2025
"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.
Branstadwound 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 streakcame to an endin 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…10 years ago today.
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.
Branstadwound 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 streakcame to an endin 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…10 years ago today.
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 Saturday, December 13, 2025
"It Changed His Heart"
The 2000 Iowa Caucuses were held on January 24 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 13, 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 24 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 13, 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 12, 2025
"The Oldest Co-op"
The oldest active cooperative elevator in the United States was incorporated in Marcus, in Cherokee County, on December 12, 1887.
The inspiration for co-ops comes from an English society that was formed in 1844, where supplies were sold at market price and savings returned to purchasers in proportion to the volume of their patronage.
There was a need for a fairer deal for farmers in the post-Civil War era. Railroads often constructed elevators in towns along the rail line. Those elevators were typically controlled by a single individual, and the price was fixed at each elevator along the rail line. That meant no competition and poor results for farmers. It was not uncommon for the rail line elevator to realize a 50 percent profit margin on grain.
Co-op elevators started to pop up in Iowa around this time, but the one in Marcus was the earliest one to become permanent.
It was originally called the Marcus Shipping Association, and as a result, the town was soon recognized as the second most important shipping point between Dubuque and Sioux City. While it was authorized to be a general purchasing and shipping business, it soon was known as "the farmers elevator" because of the large amount of small grain, wheat and oats, barley and flax, received there.
By 1912, the entity was reincorporated as the Farmers Elevator Company, and the Shipping Association name was used for a separate livestock marketing service.
In more recent years, the Farmers Coop of Marcus merged with entities in Cleghorn, Cherokee, Meriden and Larrabee, taking the name First Farmers Cooperative Elevator in honor of being the country's oldest active co-op, which was organized in Marcus on this date in 1887.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Oldest Co-op"
The oldest active cooperative elevator in the United States was incorporated in Marcus, in Cherokee County, on December 12, 1887.
The inspiration for co-ops comes from an English society that was formed in 1844, where supplies were sold at market price and savings returned to purchasers in proportion to the volume of their patronage.
There was a need for a fairer deal for farmers in the post-Civil War era. Railroads often constructed elevators in towns along the rail line. Those elevators were typically controlled by a single individual, and the price was fixed at each elevator along the rail line. That meant no competition and poor results for farmers. It was not uncommon for the rail line elevator to realize a 50 percent profit margin on grain.
Co-op elevators started to pop up in Iowa around this time, but the one in Marcus was the earliest one to become permanent.
It was originally called the Marcus Shipping Association, and as a result, the town was soon recognized as the second most important shipping point between Dubuque and Sioux City. While it was authorized to be a general purchasing and shipping business, it soon was known as "the farmers elevator" because of the large amount of small grain, wheat and oats, barley and flax, received there.
By 1912, the entity was reincorporated as the Farmers Elevator Company, and the Shipping Association name was used for a separate livestock marketing service.
In more recent years, the Farmers Coop of Marcus merged with entities in Cleghorn, Cherokee, Meriden and Larrabee, taking the name First Farmers Cooperative Elevator in honor of being the country's oldest active co-op, which was organized in Marcus on this date in 1887.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, December 11, 2025
"Partnering With The Soviets"
It was no surprise that young John Chrystal would be involved in agriculture and dealings with the Soviet Union.
Chrystal's uncle was Roswell Garst, who hosted Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev on his farm in 1959. John Chrystal was there that day, and soon followed in his uncle's footsteps, making his own first trip to the Soviet Union in 1960, touring key agricultural areas and offering criticism of Soviet farming methods.
John Chrystal was invited back more than 30 times over the years, and became a confidant not only of Khrushchev, but of a then-obscure official named Mikhail Gorbachev.
Chrystal was criticized at times for this close association with the Soviets, but in his view, if they prospered from learning better ag methods, they would become better customers of the U.S.
"And if we can be less afraid of each other," he said, "we have a better chance of stopping the arms race and not blowing each other up."
He became chairman and CEO of the Bankers Trust Company in the 1980s, while maintaining a partnership with his brother, running the family farm. He even ran for the Democrat nomination for governor.
As a country banker in Iowa, he helped farmers achieve their dreams by providing money to grow their corn and hog operations. As an international ag expert, he lent advice on growing methods and trade relations. John Chrystal of Coon Rapids, born on this date in 1925…100 years ago today.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Partnering With The Soviets"
It was no surprise that young John Chrystal would be involved in agriculture and dealings with the Soviet Union.
Chrystal's uncle was Roswell Garst, who hosted Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev on his farm in 1959. John Chrystal was there that day, and soon followed in his uncle's footsteps, making his own first trip to the Soviet Union in 1960, touring key agricultural areas and offering criticism of Soviet farming methods.
John Chrystal was invited back more than 30 times over the years, and became a confidant not only of Khrushchev, but of a then-obscure official named Mikhail Gorbachev.
Chrystal was criticized at times for this close association with the Soviets, but in his view, if they prospered from learning better ag methods, they would become better customers of the U.S.
"And if we can be less afraid of each other," he said, "we have a better chance of stopping the arms race and not blowing each other up."
He became chairman and CEO of the Bankers Trust Company in the 1980s, while maintaining a partnership with his brother, running the family farm. He even ran for the Democrat nomination for governor.
As a country banker in Iowa, he helped farmers achieve their dreams by providing money to grow their corn and hog operations. As an international ag expert, he lent advice on growing methods and trade relations. John Chrystal of Coon Rapids, born on this date in 1925…100 years ago today.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, December 10, 2025
"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 10, 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 10, 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 Tuesday, December 09, 2025
"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, held 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…90 years ago today.
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, held 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…90 years ago today.
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 Monday, December 08, 2025
"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 8, 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…110 years ago today.
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 8, 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…110 years ago today.
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 Sunday, December 07, 2025
"The First to Make the Ultimate Sacrifice"
Father Aloysius Schmitt had just finished saying Sunday mass on the battleship USS Oklahoma on December 7, 1941. Then, the unthinkable happened.
Aloysius Schmitt was born in St. Lucas, Iowa on December 4, 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 7, 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 7, 1941. Then, the unthinkable happened.
Aloysius Schmitt was born in St. Lucas, Iowa on December 4, 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 7, 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 Saturday, December 06, 2025
"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 05, 2025
"Angels At Rest"
It's every parent's nightmare...a call that says your child is missing.
On July 13, 2012, cousins Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins were being watched by their grandmotherin Evansdale, a city of about 4,700 residents in Black Hawk County. Around the noon hour, the girls went for a bike ride. They were seen shortly before 1 p.m. on their bikes near Meyers Lake, a popular fishing and recreation area.
That was the last time the girls were seen. When they did not return from the bike ride, people began looking for the girls. Both their bikes and Elizabeth's purse were found on a trail on the southeast corner of the lake later that afternoon, but there was no sign of the girls.
In the early afternoon of December 5, 2012, nearly five months after the girls disappeared, hunters found their bodies in the Seven Bridges Park, a remote wildlife area near Readlyn in Bremer County, some 25 miles from where the girls were last seen.
Early in 2013, officials renamed the trail and park at Meyers Lake to honor the girls' memory and those of others in the area who were killed. It's now called "Angels' Park" and a small island at the lake is "Angels' Park Memorial Island".
While rumors and theories are abundant, the identity of the person or persons who abducted and killed the girls is still not known. In order to help the investigation, how the girls were killed has not been released to the public.
The case of two missing Black Hawk County girls became a murder investigation, when the bodies of 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 10-year-old Lyric Cook were found, on this date in 2012.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Angels At Rest"
It's every parent's nightmare...a call that says your child is missing.
On July 13, 2012, cousins Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins were being watched by their grandmotherin Evansdale, a city of about 4,700 residents in Black Hawk County. Around the noon hour, the girls went for a bike ride. They were seen shortly before 1 p.m. on their bikes near Meyers Lake, a popular fishing and recreation area.
That was the last time the girls were seen. When they did not return from the bike ride, people began looking for the girls. Both their bikes and Elizabeth's purse were found on a trail on the southeast corner of the lake later that afternoon, but there was no sign of the girls.
In the early afternoon of December 5, 2012, nearly five months after the girls disappeared, hunters found their bodies in the Seven Bridges Park, a remote wildlife area near Readlyn in Bremer County, some 25 miles from where the girls were last seen.
Early in 2013, officials renamed the trail and park at Meyers Lake to honor the girls' memory and those of others in the area who were killed. It's now called "Angels' Park" and a small island at the lake is "Angels' Park Memorial Island".
While rumors and theories are abundant, the identity of the person or persons who abducted and killed the girls is still not known. In order to help the investigation, how the girls were killed has not been released to the public.
The case of two missing Black Hawk County girls became a murder investigation, when the bodies of 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 10-year-old Lyric Cook were found, on this date in 2012.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, December 04, 2025
"Playing The Back Nine With Ease"
In the summer of 1924, Talbert Dick formed a partnership with Earl Sinclair to practice intellectual property law in Des Moines. A note in the Des Moines Sunday Register noted “New Patent Company Organized in City,” and said the pair “will practice law and plan to specialize in the trial of patent, trademark and copyright cases in federal court,” and would also have an office in the nation’s capital.
But Talbert Dick himself became an inventor, with a patent granted on December 4, 1928, number 1,693,889 for what he called “a golf bag support.”
Prior to this time, golfers would put their clubs in a long tube-like bag with a shoulder strap, slinging the bag over their shoulders as they walked, dropping the bag to the ground after selecting a club for the next shot, then repeating the process; depending on the size of the bag, or the golfer…and the weather…that might make playing a full 18 holes tiresome.
Talbert Dick’s invention was simply a pair of metal rods on hinges attached to a collar. The collar would be put around the neck of the golf bag and carried as normal…but instead of dropping the bag to the ground for the next shot, the two metal rods would be pulled out to create a v-shaped stand with the bag. It made it easier to select clubs, and avoided all the stooping to pick up a bag from the ground some six dozen times a round or more.
Later inventors added wheels to the metal rods, so the cart could be pulled by a handle and rolled along. And of course, motorized carts now allow golfers to drive themselves around the course, eliminating walking in between shots.
Some analysts say the first golf bag stand actually stimulated transaction of business deals on the golf course, because now players could maintain eye contact and conversation, without the need to bend over to grab their bag.
For nearly a century, a mechanism with retractable legs made golfing more convenient and faster—the golf bag stand, invented by Des Moines attorney Talbert Dick, was granted a federal patent on this date in 1928.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Playing The Back Nine With Ease"
In the summer of 1924, Talbert Dick formed a partnership with Earl Sinclair to practice intellectual property law in Des Moines. A note in the Des Moines Sunday Register noted “New Patent Company Organized in City,” and said the pair “will practice law and plan to specialize in the trial of patent, trademark and copyright cases in federal court,” and would also have an office in the nation’s capital.
But Talbert Dick himself became an inventor, with a patent granted on December 4, 1928, number 1,693,889 for what he called “a golf bag support.”
Prior to this time, golfers would put their clubs in a long tube-like bag with a shoulder strap, slinging the bag over their shoulders as they walked, dropping the bag to the ground after selecting a club for the next shot, then repeating the process; depending on the size of the bag, or the golfer…and the weather…that might make playing a full 18 holes tiresome.
Talbert Dick’s invention was simply a pair of metal rods on hinges attached to a collar. The collar would be put around the neck of the golf bag and carried as normal…but instead of dropping the bag to the ground for the next shot, the two metal rods would be pulled out to create a v-shaped stand with the bag. It made it easier to select clubs, and avoided all the stooping to pick up a bag from the ground some six dozen times a round or more.
Later inventors added wheels to the metal rods, so the cart could be pulled by a handle and rolled along. And of course, motorized carts now allow golfers to drive themselves around the course, eliminating walking in between shots.
Some analysts say the first golf bag stand actually stimulated transaction of business deals on the golf course, because now players could maintain eye contact and conversation, without the need to bend over to grab their bag.
For nearly a century, a mechanism with retractable legs made golfing more convenient and faster—the golf bag stand, invented by Des Moines attorney Talbert Dick, was granted a federal patent on this date in 1928.
And that's Iowa Almanac for December 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, December 03, 2025
"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 Tuesday, December 02, 2025
"The Ames Project"
Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 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 of 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 2, 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 6, 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 7, 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 of 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 2, 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 6, 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 Monday, December 01, 2025
"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 30, 1887, and the next day, December 1, 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 30, 1887, and the next day, December 1, 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.
