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Copyright 2021 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
All Rights Reserved.
No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2021 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, January 29, 2021
"The State Historian"
A certain boy, born on this date in 1871 in Elvira, Iowa, had a lot to live up to. He was given the grand name Benjamin Franklin Shambaugh. But he himself became an historic figure in Iowa.
Ben Shambaugh was a professor at the State University of Iowa in Iowa City for 44 years, from 1896 until his death in 1940. From 1900-on, he was head of the university's political science department.
His love of politics and history led to another role...as superintendent and editor at the State Historical Society of Iowa in Iowa City from 1907 to 1940.
During his leadership, the Iowa political science program came of age, producing scholarly research and articles, many focusing on local government in Iowa. And Shambaugh was a leading force in research focusing on trends and tendencies...a scientific approach toward the study of politics and government.
Benjamin Shambaugh and his wife Bertha were well known on campus for their generosity and hospitality. They bequeathed their spacious home on Clinton Street to the University, and it has since been home to the Honors Center, the International Center, and currently, the International Writing Program.
There has been a Shambaugh Auditorium on campus...a university Shambaugh lecture series...and the author of the most significant book published each year on Iowa history receives the coveted Benjamin F. Shambaugh Award. That's consistent with his vision, that historians should apply their knowledge outside the academic community, in pursuit of the greater public good.
The noted historian and professor Benjamin Franklin Shambaugh...born in Elvira, Iowa, on this date in 1871.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The State Historian"
A certain boy, born on this date in 1871 in Elvira, Iowa, had a lot to live up to. He was given the grand name Benjamin Franklin Shambaugh. But he himself became an historic figure in Iowa.
Ben Shambaugh was a professor at the State University of Iowa in Iowa City for 44 years, from 1896 until his death in 1940. From 1900-on, he was head of the university's political science department.
His love of politics and history led to another role...as superintendent and editor at the State Historical Society of Iowa in Iowa City from 1907 to 1940.
During his leadership, the Iowa political science program came of age, producing scholarly research and articles, many focusing on local government in Iowa. And Shambaugh was a leading force in research focusing on trends and tendencies...a scientific approach toward the study of politics and government.
Benjamin Shambaugh and his wife Bertha were well known on campus for their generosity and hospitality. They bequeathed their spacious home on Clinton Street to the University, and it has since been home to the Honors Center, the International Center, and currently, the International Writing Program.
There has been a Shambaugh Auditorium on campus...a university Shambaugh lecture series...and the author of the most significant book published each year on Iowa history receives the coveted Benjamin F. Shambaugh Award. That's consistent with his vision, that historians should apply their knowledge outside the academic community, in pursuit of the greater public good.
The noted historian and professor Benjamin Franklin Shambaugh...born in Elvira, Iowa, on this date in 1871.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, January 28, 2021
"The Capitol Gets Its Name"
We all know Des Moines as Iowa's largest city, and the state capital. But its beginnings were far more humble.
Back in May of 1843, Captain James Allen supervised the construction of a fort where the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers merge. Captain Allen wanted to call it Fort Raccoon...but the U.S. War Department overruled him, and declared the structure to be known as Fort Des Moines.
Archaeological excavations have found many fort-related features survived under what is now Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and First Street in Des Moines.
In May of 1851, much of the town surrounding the fort was destroyed by floods. The devastation was complete, allowing in essence a clean slate on which a new city could be built. That city was incorporated in the fall of 1851 as Fort Des Moines.
At that time, there were only 3,500 residents living in about 500 dwellings. But the city grew, with an official population of 203,433 in the last census. Being the state capital obviously helped in the city's growth. The state capital moved from Iowa City to Des Moines by declaration of Governor James Grimes in 1857.
Notice I said "Des Moines"...that's because shortly before the governor declared the city to be the state's capital city, the name "Fort Des Moines" was shortened to, simply "Des Moines".
Imagine if Captain James Allen had gotten his way when the original fort was built...Iowa's capital city might be known as Raccoon. But it's not...and the city became known as "Des Moines" on this date in 1857.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Capitol Gets Its Name"
We all know Des Moines as Iowa's largest city, and the state capital. But its beginnings were far more humble.
Back in May of 1843, Captain James Allen supervised the construction of a fort where the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers merge. Captain Allen wanted to call it Fort Raccoon...but the U.S. War Department overruled him, and declared the structure to be known as Fort Des Moines.
Archaeological excavations have found many fort-related features survived under what is now Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and First Street in Des Moines.
In May of 1851, much of the town surrounding the fort was destroyed by floods. The devastation was complete, allowing in essence a clean slate on which a new city could be built. That city was incorporated in the fall of 1851 as Fort Des Moines.
At that time, there were only 3,500 residents living in about 500 dwellings. But the city grew, with an official population of 203,433 in the last census. Being the state capital obviously helped in the city's growth. The state capital moved from Iowa City to Des Moines by declaration of Governor James Grimes in 1857.
Notice I said "Des Moines"...that's because shortly before the governor declared the city to be the state's capital city, the name "Fort Des Moines" was shortened to, simply "Des Moines".
Imagine if Captain James Allen had gotten his way when the original fort was built...Iowa's capital city might be known as Raccoon. But it's not...and the city became known as "Des Moines" on this date in 1857.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, January 27, 2021
"The Iowa Leads The Fleet"
Various ships have borne the name U.S.S. Iowa. The one with the designation BB-61 was the fourth "Iowa", and was launched in August of 1942. It carried the nickname "The Big Stick" and carried an important passenger during World War II.
The Iowa was chosen to carry President Franklin Roosevelt across the Atlantic to a 1943 meeting with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin. Later, she also witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay, the ending of the war.
The "Iowa" was re-commissioned to serve during the Korean conflict, and decades later, was again reactivated to counter the expanded Soviet Navy during the 1980s.
In 2011, the Iowa was donated to the Pacific Battleship Center and was opened to the public in 2012 as the USS Iowa Museum at the Port of Los Angeles.
But it was on this date in 1946...the year of Iowa's centennial as a state...that the U.S.S. Iowa arrived in Tokyo Bay, where she would serve with honor as the flagship of the entire Fifth Fleet, before returning to the American continent two months later to facilitate training drills for the next generation of midshipmen and reserve officers.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Iowa Leads The Fleet"
Various ships have borne the name U.S.S. Iowa. The one with the designation BB-61 was the fourth "Iowa", and was launched in August of 1942. It carried the nickname "The Big Stick" and carried an important passenger during World War II.
The Iowa was chosen to carry President Franklin Roosevelt across the Atlantic to a 1943 meeting with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin. Later, she also witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay, the ending of the war.
The "Iowa" was re-commissioned to serve during the Korean conflict, and decades later, was again reactivated to counter the expanded Soviet Navy during the 1980s.
In 2011, the Iowa was donated to the Pacific Battleship Center and was opened to the public in 2012 as the USS Iowa Museum at the Port of Los Angeles.
But it was on this date in 1946...the year of Iowa's centennial as a state...that the U.S.S. Iowa arrived in Tokyo Bay, where she would serve with honor as the flagship of the entire Fifth Fleet, before returning to the American continent two months later to facilitate training drills for the next generation of midshipmen and reserve officers.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, January 26, 2021
"Wallace Defends Himself"
By 1950, the hot war, World War II, was over...but the new cold war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union had just begun.
Iowan Henry A. Wallace served in Franklin Roosevelt's administration as secretary of agriculture, secretary of commerce, and for four years at the heart of the war, as vice president.
It was on this date in 1950 that Wallace testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee, which was investigating reports claiming he was responsible for the shipment of uranium compounds to Russia in 1943. At that time, then-Vice President Wallace was also chief of the Board of Economic Warfare, which issued export licenses. Some commentators had suggested that Wallace approved licenses for the Soviets to get atomic bomb-making materials, since the two were wartime allies.
Under oath, Wallace testified he knew nothing about the matter, saying he was in Latin America at the very time he was supposedly approving the creation and shipment of the atomic material. And he said he didn't even know the name of the Manhattan Project until May of 1945, not long before the first bomb was dropped on Japan.
"In short and in fact," he said, "I had absolutely nothing to do with any of these licenses."
He said despite his role in the government and the war effort, he was "neither responsible nor aware" of any kind of shipping to Russia. He said that was in the hands of the lend-lease program.
The story made headlines back here in Iowa, with the Cedar Rapids Gazette proclaiming "Henry Says He Wasn't in Red Deal" in a front page headline…as Iowan Henry Wallace defended his honor in Washington, on this date, in 1950.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Wallace Defends Himself"
By 1950, the hot war, World War II, was over...but the new cold war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union had just begun.
Iowan Henry A. Wallace served in Franklin Roosevelt's administration as secretary of agriculture, secretary of commerce, and for four years at the heart of the war, as vice president.
It was on this date in 1950 that Wallace testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee, which was investigating reports claiming he was responsible for the shipment of uranium compounds to Russia in 1943. At that time, then-Vice President Wallace was also chief of the Board of Economic Warfare, which issued export licenses. Some commentators had suggested that Wallace approved licenses for the Soviets to get atomic bomb-making materials, since the two were wartime allies.
Under oath, Wallace testified he knew nothing about the matter, saying he was in Latin America at the very time he was supposedly approving the creation and shipment of the atomic material. And he said he didn't even know the name of the Manhattan Project until May of 1945, not long before the first bomb was dropped on Japan.
"In short and in fact," he said, "I had absolutely nothing to do with any of these licenses."
He said despite his role in the government and the war effort, he was "neither responsible nor aware" of any kind of shipping to Russia. He said that was in the hands of the lend-lease program.
The story made headlines back here in Iowa, with the Cedar Rapids Gazette proclaiming "Henry Says He Wasn't in Red Deal" in a front page headline…as Iowan Henry Wallace defended his honor in Washington, on this date, in 1950.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, January 25, 2021
"Protecting the Public from Victimization"
The Iowa Territory was established in 1838. Soon after, on January 25th, 1839, in order to ensure the safety of the citizens of the new territory, the Territorial Legislature, meeting in Burlington, passed a law establishing creation of a penitentiary along the Mississippi River.
They initially approved $20,000 for the new facility, which was to be built on ten acres of land donated by the citizens of Fort Madison. The facility was to be able to receive, secure, and employ 136 convicts.
Obviously, it took a while to construct such a facility, so Iowa's first prison was actually, literally, a hole in the ground under the floor of the warden's residence. Little surprise that seven of the first eleven prisoners escaped.
Construction of the first cellhouse, which came to be known as Cellhouse 17, was completed in October of 1841 at a cost of $56,000. When Iowa became a state five years later, the legislature approved enlarging the prison. By 1854, Cellhouse 17 contained 133 cells.
The original facility was a two-story sandstone cell block. It was designed to house those convicted of the most serious offenses against society. A third story was added to the building in the 1870s. Additional buildings and cellhouses, as well as a large sandstone wall with regularly placed gun towers, were added as the number of inmates increased.
After 175 years, the Iowa State Penitentiary closed its original facility not long ago. Inmates were transferred from the old prison to the new one in August 2015, roughly a year behind schedule due to well-publicized construction issues. The state offered to transfer ownership of the penitentiary to the city of Fort Madison, so it could be turned into a museum.
That new prison cost more than $130 million to build. The first appropriation for a state prison was far less, only $20,000, when the Iowa legislature passed a law establishing the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, on this date in 1839.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Protecting the Public from Victimization"
The Iowa Territory was established in 1838. Soon after, on January 25th, 1839, in order to ensure the safety of the citizens of the new territory, the Territorial Legislature, meeting in Burlington, passed a law establishing creation of a penitentiary along the Mississippi River.
They initially approved $20,000 for the new facility, which was to be built on ten acres of land donated by the citizens of Fort Madison. The facility was to be able to receive, secure, and employ 136 convicts.
Obviously, it took a while to construct such a facility, so Iowa's first prison was actually, literally, a hole in the ground under the floor of the warden's residence. Little surprise that seven of the first eleven prisoners escaped.
Construction of the first cellhouse, which came to be known as Cellhouse 17, was completed in October of 1841 at a cost of $56,000. When Iowa became a state five years later, the legislature approved enlarging the prison. By 1854, Cellhouse 17 contained 133 cells.
The original facility was a two-story sandstone cell block. It was designed to house those convicted of the most serious offenses against society. A third story was added to the building in the 1870s. Additional buildings and cellhouses, as well as a large sandstone wall with regularly placed gun towers, were added as the number of inmates increased.
After 175 years, the Iowa State Penitentiary closed its original facility not long ago. Inmates were transferred from the old prison to the new one in August 2015, roughly a year behind schedule due to well-publicized construction issues. The state offered to transfer ownership of the penitentiary to the city of Fort Madison, so it could be turned into a museum.
That new prison cost more than $130 million to build. The first appropriation for a state prison was far less, only $20,000, when the Iowa legislature passed a law establishing the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, on this date in 1839.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, January 22, 2021
"Connecting the Rails"
The middle part of the 1800s saw the growth of railroad construction in America. Lines connecting various points in Iowa to one another aided in transporting goods and people. But it was the building of the transcontinental railroad that spurred completion of the main rail lines in our state.
The two major Iowa lines…the Cedar Rapids and Missouri River Railroad, and the Mississippi and Missouri…each wanted to be the connecting link between the Union Pacific to the west, and the Chicago to the east.
Under the leadership of promoter John Blair, the CR & MR moved ahead, starting west of Boone in late 1865…reaching Denison by the next spring…then continuing to move westward the rest of that year. Finally, crews laid the last rail in front of the new station in Council Bluffs on this date in 1867. And with that, Council Bluffs had a complete rail route eastward to Chicago. It would be another two years before Leland Stanford drove the ceremonial golden spike into the Utah ground, joining the rails of the original transcontinental railroad.
As for the Mississippi and Missouri…that line was taken over by the Rock Island, and did not reach Council Bluffs until May…two years later. The Cedar Rapids and Missouri River would later become the Chicago and North Western.
The desire to connect railroads westward across Iowa led to another development…the city of Ames, which was chartered in 1864 for the railroad, and named by CR & MR president John Blair after a Massachusetts congressman, Oakes Ames.
But Council Bluffs became the eastern terminus of the First Transcontinental Railroad, when the last spike was driven, and the rail line from there to Chicago was completed, on this date in 1867.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Connecting the Rails"
The middle part of the 1800s saw the growth of railroad construction in America. Lines connecting various points in Iowa to one another aided in transporting goods and people. But it was the building of the transcontinental railroad that spurred completion of the main rail lines in our state.
The two major Iowa lines…the Cedar Rapids and Missouri River Railroad, and the Mississippi and Missouri…each wanted to be the connecting link between the Union Pacific to the west, and the Chicago to the east.
Under the leadership of promoter John Blair, the CR & MR moved ahead, starting west of Boone in late 1865…reaching Denison by the next spring…then continuing to move westward the rest of that year. Finally, crews laid the last rail in front of the new station in Council Bluffs on this date in 1867. And with that, Council Bluffs had a complete rail route eastward to Chicago. It would be another two years before Leland Stanford drove the ceremonial golden spike into the Utah ground, joining the rails of the original transcontinental railroad.
As for the Mississippi and Missouri…that line was taken over by the Rock Island, and did not reach Council Bluffs until May…two years later. The Cedar Rapids and Missouri River would later become the Chicago and North Western.
The desire to connect railroads westward across Iowa led to another development…the city of Ames, which was chartered in 1864 for the railroad, and named by CR & MR president John Blair after a Massachusetts congressman, Oakes Ames.
But Council Bluffs became the eastern terminus of the First Transcontinental Railroad, when the last spike was driven, and the rail line from there to Chicago was completed, on this date in 1867.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, January 21, 2021
"A Secret Society Is Formed"
There's some pressure among college students today to get into the "right" fraternity or sorority. Not being invited to join can have an effect on a young person.
Back in 1869, sororities were not common...in fact, there was only one in existence in the country, now known as Pi Beta Phi. At Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, there was a new chapter of that sorority, and seven close friends were among those who wanted to be the first members. But when invitations went out, not all of the seven were included.
Not wanting anything to come between their friendship, the seven decided to form their own sisterhood. Hattie Briggs and Franc (Frances) Roads came up with the idea, and soon enlisted Allie Bird, Ella Stewart, Mary Allen, Suela Pearson, and Alice Coffin in the cause.
They called it the P.E.O. Sisterhood, and for more than a century, the meaning of P.E.O. was an official secret. In 2008, the group's website indicated that the letters stand for Philanthropic Educational Organization.
Today, that original membership of 7 women on one Iowa campus has grown to nearly a quarter of a million members in chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada, with headquarters in Des Moines. The second sorority to be founded in the country now sponsors six international projects to help women with their educational goals.
And it all started when seven young women decided not to join an Iowa Wesleyan sorority that wouldn't take their friends as well...choosing friendship over membership...on this date, in 1869.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Secret Society Is Formed"
There's some pressure among college students today to get into the "right" fraternity or sorority. Not being invited to join can have an effect on a young person.
Back in 1869, sororities were not common...in fact, there was only one in existence in the country, now known as Pi Beta Phi. At Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, there was a new chapter of that sorority, and seven close friends were among those who wanted to be the first members. But when invitations went out, not all of the seven were included.
Not wanting anything to come between their friendship, the seven decided to form their own sisterhood. Hattie Briggs and Franc (Frances) Roads came up with the idea, and soon enlisted Allie Bird, Ella Stewart, Mary Allen, Suela Pearson, and Alice Coffin in the cause.
They called it the P.E.O. Sisterhood, and for more than a century, the meaning of P.E.O. was an official secret. In 2008, the group's website indicated that the letters stand for Philanthropic Educational Organization.
Today, that original membership of 7 women on one Iowa campus has grown to nearly a quarter of a million members in chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada, with headquarters in Des Moines. The second sorority to be founded in the country now sponsors six international projects to help women with their educational goals.
And it all started when seven young women decided not to join an Iowa Wesleyan sorority that wouldn't take their friends as well...choosing friendship over membership...on this date, in 1869.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, January 20, 2021
"Ozzy And The Bat"
Concert goers at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines got more than they bargained for on this date in 1982. For that matter, so did the performer.
The bat was a kind of an accident, which I did milk somewhat.
Today's generation knows Ozzy Osbourne as the bumbling patriarch of a TV reality show family. But back then, he was the former lead singer of the band "Black Sabbath" and was known as the "Prince of Darkness".
He was touring the country, promoting his album "Diary of a Madman". At the end of concerts, Osbourne had taken to tossing raw meat into the audience. Before long, audience members started bringing meat, animals and other items to the shows, and returned the favor.
And somebody threw a bat, and I thought it was one of those Halloween rubber things and I just bit into it and it was a real bat.
That fan was 17-year-old Mark Neal of Des Moines. Neal says the bat was actually dead...but certainly real, and not rubber.
Unbeknownst to me, bats are the biggest carriers of rabies in the world. So I had to go straight from the gig to a hospital and the guy says we've got to give you some precautionary rabies shots. I had one in each rear, one in each arm, and one in the top of my leg and I had to have that each night.
Of all his antics over time, Ozzy Osbourne says the bat story is still what he's asked about most.
By October, Veterans Auditorium officials prohibited performers from using live animals as part of any show without prior consent. As you now know, the stunt was not exactly planned. But it was memorable...and it happened on this date in 1982.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Ozzy And The Bat"
Concert goers at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines got more than they bargained for on this date in 1982. For that matter, so did the performer.
The bat was a kind of an accident, which I did milk somewhat.
Today's generation knows Ozzy Osbourne as the bumbling patriarch of a TV reality show family. But back then, he was the former lead singer of the band "Black Sabbath" and was known as the "Prince of Darkness".
He was touring the country, promoting his album "Diary of a Madman". At the end of concerts, Osbourne had taken to tossing raw meat into the audience. Before long, audience members started bringing meat, animals and other items to the shows, and returned the favor.
And somebody threw a bat, and I thought it was one of those Halloween rubber things and I just bit into it and it was a real bat.
That fan was 17-year-old Mark Neal of Des Moines. Neal says the bat was actually dead...but certainly real, and not rubber.
Unbeknownst to me, bats are the biggest carriers of rabies in the world. So I had to go straight from the gig to a hospital and the guy says we've got to give you some precautionary rabies shots. I had one in each rear, one in each arm, and one in the top of my leg and I had to have that each night.
Of all his antics over time, Ozzy Osbourne says the bat story is still what he's asked about most.
By October, Veterans Auditorium officials prohibited performers from using live animals as part of any show without prior consent. As you now know, the stunt was not exactly planned. But it was memorable...and it happened on this date in 1982.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, January 19, 2021
"From Peanuts To President"
The Iowa Presidential Precinct Caucuses started in 1972, and Senator George McGovern of South Dakota used them to attract national attention that year...but the Caucuses really came into their own four years later.
Former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter spent most of 1975 in Iowa, and on January 19, 1976, Iowa's new first-in-the-nation test catapulted Carter into national prominence.
Carter actually did not "win" the 1976 Iowa Democrat caucus...more Democrats--37 percent--declared themselves as uncommitted than for a single candidate. But Carter scored 27 percent, which was more support than any other candidate, and more than double the tally of his closest competitor, Indiana senator Birch Bayh. Carter parlayed that showing into national attention going into other states, like New Hampshire. And candidates from both parties have used that Iowa strategy successfully ever since.
Iowa Republicans held their caucuses on the same date as the Democrats in 1976...and along with the Carter story, much was made of the fact that President Gerald Ford barely defeated Ronald Reagan in the party's straw poll...an early sign of Ford's possible weakness in his own party.
One year and one day after the Iowa caucuses, Jimmy Carter was sworn in as the 39th president of the United States. But he got his start with his showing in the Iowa Caucus on this date in 1976.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"From Peanuts To President"
The Iowa Presidential Precinct Caucuses started in 1972, and Senator George McGovern of South Dakota used them to attract national attention that year...but the Caucuses really came into their own four years later.
Former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter spent most of 1975 in Iowa, and on January 19, 1976, Iowa's new first-in-the-nation test catapulted Carter into national prominence.
Carter actually did not "win" the 1976 Iowa Democrat caucus...more Democrats--37 percent--declared themselves as uncommitted than for a single candidate. But Carter scored 27 percent, which was more support than any other candidate, and more than double the tally of his closest competitor, Indiana senator Birch Bayh. Carter parlayed that showing into national attention going into other states, like New Hampshire. And candidates from both parties have used that Iowa strategy successfully ever since.
Iowa Republicans held their caucuses on the same date as the Democrats in 1976...and along with the Carter story, much was made of the fact that President Gerald Ford barely defeated Ronald Reagan in the party's straw poll...an early sign of Ford's possible weakness in his own party.
One year and one day after the Iowa caucuses, Jimmy Carter was sworn in as the 39th president of the United States. But he got his start with his showing in the Iowa Caucus on this date in 1976.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, January 18, 2021
"Starting The Presses"
Iowa had barely been a state for a dozen years when a new weekly publication was born in Waterloo.
It was called The Blackhawk Courier, and the first issue was published on January 18, 1859. Published on Tuesday evenings, the newspaper was founded by W.H. Hartman and George Ingersoll. Subscriptions went for $1.50 per year, payable in advance.
Under the masthead on the front page, the new newspaper declared itself to be "devoted to general news, agriculture, science and the diffusion of Republican principles". The Republican Party was not even five years old at the time, having been founded in Iowa in 1854, but it was growing in popularity. The Republicans elected their first president just one year later in 1860--Abraham Lincoln.
That first edition of the paper featured headings for front page stories such as House and Farm, Poetical, and Miscellaneous. Stories on that first front page included information about the penalties of slave trading, how to properly ascertain the gross and net weight of swine, the production of sorghum in Iowa, and a new law regulating elections that were tied to schools.
The Blackhawk Courier was a weekly until 1890, when it began publishing on weekday afternoons. The name of the paper changed over time, as well, to the Waterloo Evening Courier and Waterloo Daily Courier. For a while after a merger with a newspaper in Cedar Falls, the official name was Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, but we now know it as simply The Courier, published with a circulation of nearly 40,000 on weekday afternoons and a few thousand more than that on Sunday mornings.
But that first edition, of the weekly Blackhawk Courier, was published on this date in 1859.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Starting The Presses"
Iowa had barely been a state for a dozen years when a new weekly publication was born in Waterloo.
It was called The Blackhawk Courier, and the first issue was published on January 18, 1859. Published on Tuesday evenings, the newspaper was founded by W.H. Hartman and George Ingersoll. Subscriptions went for $1.50 per year, payable in advance.
Under the masthead on the front page, the new newspaper declared itself to be "devoted to general news, agriculture, science and the diffusion of Republican principles". The Republican Party was not even five years old at the time, having been founded in Iowa in 1854, but it was growing in popularity. The Republicans elected their first president just one year later in 1860--Abraham Lincoln.
That first edition of the paper featured headings for front page stories such as House and Farm, Poetical, and Miscellaneous. Stories on that first front page included information about the penalties of slave trading, how to properly ascertain the gross and net weight of swine, the production of sorghum in Iowa, and a new law regulating elections that were tied to schools.
The Blackhawk Courier was a weekly until 1890, when it began publishing on weekday afternoons. The name of the paper changed over time, as well, to the Waterloo Evening Courier and Waterloo Daily Courier. For a while after a merger with a newspaper in Cedar Falls, the official name was Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, but we now know it as simply The Courier, published with a circulation of nearly 40,000 on weekday afternoons and a few thousand more than that on Sunday mornings.
But that first edition, of the weekly Blackhawk Courier, was published on this date in 1859.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, January 15, 2021
"It's The Oldest of Its Kind"
The city of Fairfield has a long history when it comes to libraries. The first library there dates back to 1852 when some of the town’s prominent citizens founded the Jefferson County Library Association. But for 40 years, the collection of 500 volumes moved around a lot from one location to another.
In 1891, Senator James Falconer Wilson of Fairfield approached the Pittsburgh steel-industry magnate Andrew Carnegie, to ask for help in building a permanent library for Fairfield.
Carnegie was already known for funding some libraries, but this one would be different. You see, Andrew Carnegie didn’t have any ties to Fairfield and had never visited there. His other donations were to places he had personally seen.
But Wilson was persuasive, and on January 15, 1892, Carnegie pledged $30,000 for a library in Fairfield. Wilson himself donated the land, and the next year, the permanent Jefferson County Library opened.
That library in Fairfield served the town well for almost a hundred years…a new library was built in 1996, and the building Carnegie supported now is operated by Indian Hills Community College.
That gift to Fairfield was the first for a library west of Pittsburgh, then known as Allegheny City. But it was even more than that. It was the gift that started one of the more remarkable funding efforts ever. Between 1892 and 1917, Carnegie provided grants for 1,689 public library buildings in the U.S., at a cost of 41 and a half million dollars. Iowa cities took advantage, and by 1918, Carnegie had provided funds for 97 of the 136 public libraries in our state…Waterloo and Sioux City, in fact, each received grants for 2 libraries in their respective cities.
Worldwide, the massive Carnegie library project supported more than 28-hundred libraries…but it all started with a grant to Fairfield, on this date in 1892.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 15th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"It's The Oldest of Its Kind"
The city of Fairfield has a long history when it comes to libraries. The first library there dates back to 1852 when some of the town’s prominent citizens founded the Jefferson County Library Association. But for 40 years, the collection of 500 volumes moved around a lot from one location to another.
In 1891, Senator James Falconer Wilson of Fairfield approached the Pittsburgh steel-industry magnate Andrew Carnegie, to ask for help in building a permanent library for Fairfield.
Carnegie was already known for funding some libraries, but this one would be different. You see, Andrew Carnegie didn’t have any ties to Fairfield and had never visited there. His other donations were to places he had personally seen.
But Wilson was persuasive, and on January 15, 1892, Carnegie pledged $30,000 for a library in Fairfield. Wilson himself donated the land, and the next year, the permanent Jefferson County Library opened.
That library in Fairfield served the town well for almost a hundred years…a new library was built in 1996, and the building Carnegie supported now is operated by Indian Hills Community College.
That gift to Fairfield was the first for a library west of Pittsburgh, then known as Allegheny City. But it was even more than that. It was the gift that started one of the more remarkable funding efforts ever. Between 1892 and 1917, Carnegie provided grants for 1,689 public library buildings in the U.S., at a cost of 41 and a half million dollars. Iowa cities took advantage, and by 1918, Carnegie had provided funds for 97 of the 136 public libraries in our state…Waterloo and Sioux City, in fact, each received grants for 2 libraries in their respective cities.
Worldwide, the massive Carnegie library project supported more than 28-hundred libraries…but it all started with a grant to Fairfield, on this date in 1892.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 15th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, January 14, 2021
"The Undefeated Champions"
There has only been one national football league team in history that has won the Super Bowl as an undefeated champion. The Miami Dolphins capped their 1972 perfect regular season with a win in Super Bowl 7 on this date in 1973.
One of the stalwarts on that team was a young man from Iowa…Vern Den Herder.
Born in LeMars in 1948, the Sioux Center high school graduate played his college football at Central in Pella. He was a 9th round draft pick for Miami, back when the draft had that many rounds.
After a rookie year when he played primarily on special teams, Den Herder became a starting defensive end just before the 1972 season started. The Dolphins had incentive that year…they lost to Dallas in the Super Bowl the year before, and looked to avenge that loss. And did they ever…winning all 14 regular season games, two playoff games, and then the Super Bowl over Washington 14-7. It was a tackle by Den Herder near the end of the game that sealed the win and the perfect season for Miami. The Dolphins went on to win the Super Bowl the next year as well…all tolled, Vern Den Herder played in three Super Bowls for Miami before he retired after the 1982 season.
He still lives in Sioux Center today, engaged in farming.
It’s now traditional for championship sports teams to visit the White House for a ceremony with the president. That undefeated Dolphins team never had such a ceremony…the Watergate scandal was unraveling at that time…but to mark the 40th anniversary of the team, President Obama invited them to the White House in 2013. Vern Den Harder couldn’t make it…he said he was needed on the farm in Iowa.
Now more than 40 years later, there’s still only been one undefeated Super Bowl champion…and Iowan Vern Den Herder was a big part of that championship game, on this date in 1973.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Undefeated Champions"
There has only been one national football league team in history that has won the Super Bowl as an undefeated champion. The Miami Dolphins capped their 1972 perfect regular season with a win in Super Bowl 7 on this date in 1973.
One of the stalwarts on that team was a young man from Iowa…Vern Den Herder.
Born in LeMars in 1948, the Sioux Center high school graduate played his college football at Central in Pella. He was a 9th round draft pick for Miami, back when the draft had that many rounds.
After a rookie year when he played primarily on special teams, Den Herder became a starting defensive end just before the 1972 season started. The Dolphins had incentive that year…they lost to Dallas in the Super Bowl the year before, and looked to avenge that loss. And did they ever…winning all 14 regular season games, two playoff games, and then the Super Bowl over Washington 14-7. It was a tackle by Den Herder near the end of the game that sealed the win and the perfect season for Miami. The Dolphins went on to win the Super Bowl the next year as well…all tolled, Vern Den Herder played in three Super Bowls for Miami before he retired after the 1982 season.
He still lives in Sioux Center today, engaged in farming.
It’s now traditional for championship sports teams to visit the White House for a ceremony with the president. That undefeated Dolphins team never had such a ceremony…the Watergate scandal was unraveling at that time…but to mark the 40th anniversary of the team, President Obama invited them to the White House in 2013. Vern Den Harder couldn’t make it…he said he was needed on the farm in Iowa.
Now more than 40 years later, there’s still only been one undefeated Super Bowl champion…and Iowan Vern Den Herder was a big part of that championship game, on this date in 1973.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, January 13, 2021
"Honoring A Native Son"
Clarinda was justifiably proud of one of their own, trombonist and band leader Glenn Miller, who was born in that southwest Iowa town in 1904 and tragically lost in World War II.
Miller was memorialized by Hollywood in a movie, “The Glenn Miller Story” in 1954, around what would have been his 50th birthday. Producers decided to premiere the film in Clarinda, which declared January 13th, 1954, to be Glenn Miller Day…and all the stars turned out.
Jimmy Stewart played Miller in the movie, and he himself accompanied 82 year old Mattie Lou Miller, Glenn Miller’s mother, on a visit to the home where Miller was born. Then they went to the country school where Mrs. Miller taught at the turn of the century, and the church the family attended.
There was a Glenn Miller Day queen, a parade around the city square complete with performances by the Clarinda high school band, and the Offutt Air Force band.
And at night, after Gov. William Beardsley dedicated the new Glenn Miller National Guard armory, the movie premiered as the climax of the celebration.
Even now, more than six decades later, the Glenn Miller Story…both the movie and the life…remain classic. And it was on this date in 1954 that the film premiered in Clarinda.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Honoring A Native Son"
Clarinda was justifiably proud of one of their own, trombonist and band leader Glenn Miller, who was born in that southwest Iowa town in 1904 and tragically lost in World War II.
Miller was memorialized by Hollywood in a movie, “The Glenn Miller Story” in 1954, around what would have been his 50th birthday. Producers decided to premiere the film in Clarinda, which declared January 13th, 1954, to be Glenn Miller Day…and all the stars turned out.
Jimmy Stewart played Miller in the movie, and he himself accompanied 82 year old Mattie Lou Miller, Glenn Miller’s mother, on a visit to the home where Miller was born. Then they went to the country school where Mrs. Miller taught at the turn of the century, and the church the family attended.
There was a Glenn Miller Day queen, a parade around the city square complete with performances by the Clarinda high school band, and the Offutt Air Force band.
And at night, after Gov. William Beardsley dedicated the new Glenn Miller National Guard armory, the movie premiered as the climax of the celebration.
Even now, more than six decades later, the Glenn Miller Story…both the movie and the life…remain classic. And it was on this date in 1954 that the film premiered in Clarinda.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, January 12, 2021
"The Black Blizzard"
The winter of 1888 had been fairly moderate, with only light amounts of precipitation in the Hohenzollern area of Crawford County in western Iowa. You know the area today as Schleswig, but our story today happened 11 years before that town was even mapped out.
January 12, 1888 began mild, but people noticed an ominous still in the air. Long before the days of weather warnings, folks were caught completely by surprise when suddenly, a low howl was heard. It was the wind, bringing with it a blizzard from Nebraska and what was then called the Dakota Territory.
By 4:30 in the afternoon, the storm arrived. The lack of snow cover meant that clouds of dust were stirred up by the strong wind…then came an enormous amount of snow…together they created blackout conditions…which is why the storm got the name, the Black Blizzard.
Then the temperature dropped…as low as 42 degrees below zero in some points in Iowa. In Hohenzollern, the storm raged throughout the night, piling snowdrifts 15 feet deep.
Jurgen Jepsen and his family were returning home from helping nearby relatives with a butchering job when the storm hit. His wagon broke and his horses ran off, so Jepsen turned the wagon box over to shield his family and went to find help. When he failed to return, his wife went looking for him. They found her body the next day. One of the Jepsen children who survived suffered such extreme frostbite that his left hand became crippled.
The next morning, residents were greeted by sunshine and blue skies. The winds were calm. But they would long remember the fury of the Black Blizzard, which killed 235 people across the Plains…many of them, children on their way home from school…on this date in 1888.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Black Blizzard"
The winter of 1888 had been fairly moderate, with only light amounts of precipitation in the Hohenzollern area of Crawford County in western Iowa. You know the area today as Schleswig, but our story today happened 11 years before that town was even mapped out.
January 12, 1888 began mild, but people noticed an ominous still in the air. Long before the days of weather warnings, folks were caught completely by surprise when suddenly, a low howl was heard. It was the wind, bringing with it a blizzard from Nebraska and what was then called the Dakota Territory.
By 4:30 in the afternoon, the storm arrived. The lack of snow cover meant that clouds of dust were stirred up by the strong wind…then came an enormous amount of snow…together they created blackout conditions…which is why the storm got the name, the Black Blizzard.
Then the temperature dropped…as low as 42 degrees below zero in some points in Iowa. In Hohenzollern, the storm raged throughout the night, piling snowdrifts 15 feet deep.
Jurgen Jepsen and his family were returning home from helping nearby relatives with a butchering job when the storm hit. His wagon broke and his horses ran off, so Jepsen turned the wagon box over to shield his family and went to find help. When he failed to return, his wife went looking for him. They found her body the next day. One of the Jepsen children who survived suffered such extreme frostbite that his left hand became crippled.
The next morning, residents were greeted by sunshine and blue skies. The winds were calm. But they would long remember the fury of the Black Blizzard, which killed 235 people across the Plains…many of them, children on their way home from school…on this date in 1888.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, January 11, 2021
"Gaveling Into Session"
The 7th Iowa General Assembly gaveled into session on January 11th, in the year 1858.
What was unique about that was it was the first time the legislature met in what was then the new state capitol city of Des Moines, with most governmental offices moving from Iowa City the previous summer.
Lawmakers who met that day in the first session under the new state Constitution represented Iowans who were in severe financial hardship. The prior year had ended with great financial depression across the country, with a number of banks failing. It was impossible to get good money in sufficient quantities to buy farm produce or carry on ordinary business. Historian Ben Gue lived through the era, and more than a hundred years ago, he wrote that "Thousands were reduced from being prosperous farmers, merchants and mechanics--to poverty and destitution."
One of the most important acts of that 1858 legislative session was a set of banking laws, including organization of a state bank and issuance of money. The state's school system was also enacted.
Now, more than a century and a half later, lawmakers still face issues such as money and education. When the 1858 legislature convened, the state had not quite $14 thousand in its treasury, after spending about $299 thousand the year before. Today's lawmakers will approve a budget of more than $7 billion.
But the first legislative session under the new Iowa Constitution, and the first to be held in Des Moines, began on this date in 1858.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Gaveling Into Session"
The 7th Iowa General Assembly gaveled into session on January 11th, in the year 1858.
What was unique about that was it was the first time the legislature met in what was then the new state capitol city of Des Moines, with most governmental offices moving from Iowa City the previous summer.
Lawmakers who met that day in the first session under the new state Constitution represented Iowans who were in severe financial hardship. The prior year had ended with great financial depression across the country, with a number of banks failing. It was impossible to get good money in sufficient quantities to buy farm produce or carry on ordinary business. Historian Ben Gue lived through the era, and more than a hundred years ago, he wrote that "Thousands were reduced from being prosperous farmers, merchants and mechanics--to poverty and destitution."
One of the most important acts of that 1858 legislative session was a set of banking laws, including organization of a state bank and issuance of money. The state's school system was also enacted.
Now, more than a century and a half later, lawmakers still face issues such as money and education. When the 1858 legislature convened, the state had not quite $14 thousand in its treasury, after spending about $299 thousand the year before. Today's lawmakers will approve a budget of more than $7 billion.
But the first legislative session under the new Iowa Constitution, and the first to be held in Des Moines, began on this date in 1858.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, January 8, 2021
"The First of Her Kind"
Nancy Hill wasn't born in Iowa, but she certainly made her mark here. Born in West Cambridge, Massachusetts in November of 1833, she served as an army nurse during the Civil War, stationed at Washington's Armory Square Hospital, within 75 miles of such bloody battles as those fought at Antietam, Chancellorsville, and the Battle of the Wilderness. The chief surgeon there was so impressed with her work that he encouraged her to study medicine, so after the war, she went to the University of Michigan, which was the only medical school at that time to accept women. She graduated second in her class at the age of 41...and that's when her Iowa story begins.
Dr. Nancy Hill moved to Dubuque in 1875, shortly after graduating from medical school. She was the first female doctor in Dubuque, and one of fewer than a dozen in the whole state. She practiced medicine there for nearly 40 years, specializing in obstetrics; by her own count, she delivered a thousand babies during that time.
In 1896, feeling great concern for unwed mothers and lack of care their babies received, Dr. Hill founded the Women's Rescue Society of Dubuque and operated the home until her 80th birthday; you know it today as Hillcrest Family Services, serving tens of thousands of clients each year with vital social services throughout the state of Iowa.
Dr. Nancy Hill was also president of the Dubuque Women's Suffrage Association, and stirred up controversy when she called out the Daughters of the American Revolution for not supporting suffrage strongly enough, saying they were too content to tell of the glory of their ancestors, instead of battling to gain the same principles of law for themselves.
Dr. Nancy Hill was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame 70 years after her death, which was on this date in 1919.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 8th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The First of Her Kind"
Nancy Hill wasn't born in Iowa, but she certainly made her mark here. Born in West Cambridge, Massachusetts in November of 1833, she served as an army nurse during the Civil War, stationed at Washington's Armory Square Hospital, within 75 miles of such bloody battles as those fought at Antietam, Chancellorsville, and the Battle of the Wilderness. The chief surgeon there was so impressed with her work that he encouraged her to study medicine, so after the war, she went to the University of Michigan, which was the only medical school at that time to accept women. She graduated second in her class at the age of 41...and that's when her Iowa story begins.
Dr. Nancy Hill moved to Dubuque in 1875, shortly after graduating from medical school. She was the first female doctor in Dubuque, and one of fewer than a dozen in the whole state. She practiced medicine there for nearly 40 years, specializing in obstetrics; by her own count, she delivered a thousand babies during that time.
In 1896, feeling great concern for unwed mothers and lack of care their babies received, Dr. Hill founded the Women's Rescue Society of Dubuque and operated the home until her 80th birthday; you know it today as Hillcrest Family Services, serving tens of thousands of clients each year with vital social services throughout the state of Iowa.
Dr. Nancy Hill was also president of the Dubuque Women's Suffrage Association, and stirred up controversy when she called out the Daughters of the American Revolution for not supporting suffrage strongly enough, saying they were too content to tell of the glory of their ancestors, instead of battling to gain the same principles of law for themselves.
Dr. Nancy Hill was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame 70 years after her death, which was on this date in 1919.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 8th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, January 7, 2021
"Trapped by Fire"
It was the deadliest fire in Davenport history. Around 2:30 in the morning, on January 7, 1950, Davenport firefighters responded to a call at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, a mental ward operated by Mercy Hospital on the city's west side.
When they arrived, flames were coming from the windows...which, because of the nature of the facility, had metal bars on the outside. The patients were trapped inside, with no way out except through corridors that were filled with smoke, or actually on fire themselves.
It was no surprise something like this happened. The three-story, 78-year-old brick building had wood framing...no sprinkler system or fire alarms...and thickly varnished floors that encouraged the spread of fire...especially with the winter wind that cold January night.
The fire was started by a patient who ignited curtains with a cigarette lighter. Of the 65 people in St. Elizabeth's that night, firefighters did rescue 24. But for years, they carried the guilt of not saving more.
For four hours, 14 fire companies fought the blaze. But 41 people, all women, lost their lives that night--including Anna Neal, the only nurse on duty--in the deadliest fire ever in Davenport...on this date, in 1950.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Trapped by Fire"
It was the deadliest fire in Davenport history. Around 2:30 in the morning, on January 7, 1950, Davenport firefighters responded to a call at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, a mental ward operated by Mercy Hospital on the city's west side.
When they arrived, flames were coming from the windows...which, because of the nature of the facility, had metal bars on the outside. The patients were trapped inside, with no way out except through corridors that were filled with smoke, or actually on fire themselves.
It was no surprise something like this happened. The three-story, 78-year-old brick building had wood framing...no sprinkler system or fire alarms...and thickly varnished floors that encouraged the spread of fire...especially with the winter wind that cold January night.
The fire was started by a patient who ignited curtains with a cigarette lighter. Of the 65 people in St. Elizabeth's that night, firefighters did rescue 24. But for years, they carried the guilt of not saving more.
For four hours, 14 fire companies fought the blaze. But 41 people, all women, lost their lives that night--including Anna Neal, the only nurse on duty--in the deadliest fire ever in Davenport...on this date, in 1950.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, January 6, 2021
"How We Got To Be 'A Place To Grow' "
The turbulent decade of the 1960s was over, and as the 1970 began, state leaders decided they needed a fresh image to promote economic growth and development.
That led to development of a slogan, "Iowa, A Place to Grow". It obviously related to the state's agricultural heritage, along with the concept of growing in other ways.
To make that point, a four-loop cloverleaf symbol was developed, representing growth in all directions, and strength in unity. The loops were said to represent individual growth in education, spiritual awareness, friends, and family.
But not everyone thought it was a good idea. They worried that somehow the economic development slogan and symbol would take the place of the state's slogan, or even the state flag...concerns that Gov. Robert Ray had to address publicly.
"It is merely a pleasing architectural design which calls attention to the theme, 'Iowa, A Place to Grow' -- a place to grow agriculturally, a place to grow industrially, a place to grow individually, philosophically, socially, culturally."
"Iowa, A Place to Grow" was the state's official marketing slogan throughout Gov. Ray's time in office, into the early 1980s.
We've had a few other slogans over time...in 1994, "Iowa, You Make Me Smile" started appearing in marketing campaigns...that gave way to "Fields of Opportunities" in 1999...and so on.
A large concrete representation of the symbol can still be found in downtown Des Moines today; it's displayed north of the Grimes State Office Building, at East 14th Street and Grand Avenue.
If you're nearby, you might want to visit it today...because "Iowa, A Place to Grow" and the four-loop clover leaf symbol were officially adopted, on this date, in 1970.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"How We Got To Be 'A Place To Grow' "
The turbulent decade of the 1960s was over, and as the 1970 began, state leaders decided they needed a fresh image to promote economic growth and development.
That led to development of a slogan, "Iowa, A Place to Grow". It obviously related to the state's agricultural heritage, along with the concept of growing in other ways.
To make that point, a four-loop cloverleaf symbol was developed, representing growth in all directions, and strength in unity. The loops were said to represent individual growth in education, spiritual awareness, friends, and family.
But not everyone thought it was a good idea. They worried that somehow the economic development slogan and symbol would take the place of the state's slogan, or even the state flag...concerns that Gov. Robert Ray had to address publicly.
"It is merely a pleasing architectural design which calls attention to the theme, 'Iowa, A Place to Grow' -- a place to grow agriculturally, a place to grow industrially, a place to grow individually, philosophically, socially, culturally."
"Iowa, A Place to Grow" was the state's official marketing slogan throughout Gov. Ray's time in office, into the early 1980s.
We've had a few other slogans over time...in 1994, "Iowa, You Make Me Smile" started appearing in marketing campaigns...that gave way to "Fields of Opportunities" in 1999...and so on.
A large concrete representation of the symbol can still be found in downtown Des Moines today; it's displayed north of the Grimes State Office Building, at East 14th Street and Grand Avenue.
If you're nearby, you might want to visit it today...because "Iowa, A Place to Grow" and the four-loop clover leaf symbol were officially adopted, on this date, in 1970.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, January 5, 2021
"Blazing the Trail"
If you travel on Interstate 35 today, you've got some fellow Iowans to thank for their work.
Back in March of 1911, a group called the Des Moines/Kansas City/St. Joseph interstate trail association was organized in Lamoni and a route between those cities was marked, with thanks from farmers, automobile clubs, and citizens in towns along the way. Officially, the highway then was a direct route between Fort Des Moines and Fort Leavenworth, making it a practical road for transporting troops as well as a way to improve business.
On January 5th, 1915, a meeting of the association was held at Mason City. The result was to extend the original trail 271 miles north from Des Moines, through Nevada, Iowa Falls, Mason City, and Northwood, Iowa...and Albert Lea, Owatonna, Faribault, and Northfield to St. Paul, Minnesota.
That route may sound familiar, as it closely follows the path of today's Interstate 35. But there's more. Later in 1915, Edwin Meredith, the publisher of Successful Farming magazine, organized a meeting in New Orleans, with the goal of creating a great north and south highway, named for the president who was responsible for the Louisiana Purchase...the new Jefferson Highway Association extended the road southward, completing the north-south run across the country.
But it was made possible because of the success of the original trails that connected Iowa to our neighbors...and the connection that completed the run through Iowa was organized on this date, in 1915.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Blazing the Trail"
If you travel on Interstate 35 today, you've got some fellow Iowans to thank for their work.
Back in March of 1911, a group called the Des Moines/Kansas City/St. Joseph interstate trail association was organized in Lamoni and a route between those cities was marked, with thanks from farmers, automobile clubs, and citizens in towns along the way. Officially, the highway then was a direct route between Fort Des Moines and Fort Leavenworth, making it a practical road for transporting troops as well as a way to improve business.
On January 5th, 1915, a meeting of the association was held at Mason City. The result was to extend the original trail 271 miles north from Des Moines, through Nevada, Iowa Falls, Mason City, and Northwood, Iowa...and Albert Lea, Owatonna, Faribault, and Northfield to St. Paul, Minnesota.
That route may sound familiar, as it closely follows the path of today's Interstate 35. But there's more. Later in 1915, Edwin Meredith, the publisher of Successful Farming magazine, organized a meeting in New Orleans, with the goal of creating a great north and south highway, named for the president who was responsible for the Louisiana Purchase...the new Jefferson Highway Association extended the road southward, completing the north-south run across the country.
But it was made possible because of the success of the original trails that connected Iowa to our neighbors...and the connection that completed the run through Iowa was organized on this date, in 1915.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, January 4, 2021
"A Life-Saving Operation"
In the late 1800s, medical science was not nearly as advanced as today. What is considered a routine procedure today hadn't even been invented then.
Dr. William West Grant had a distinguished medical career. He was a U.S. Army Medical Corps major during World War I, served as Colorado's Surgeon General, and was elected president of seven different medical societies.
But perhaps his greatest claim to fame came before that, on January 4th, 1885.
Mary Gartside of Davenport was a 22-year-old school teacher. She had a sharp pain in her gut, and was near death. Dr. Grant's diagnosis was that Mary was suffering from acute appendicitis, which was almost always deadly since there was no known treatment.
Dr. Grant knew he had to try something, so he administered anesthesia and cut into Mary's side. He found the infected appendix and removed it. Mary made a full recovery.
It was the first successful appendectomy in medical history.
Some have quibbled about the exact nature of the procedure. Did Dr. Grant remove the organ, or merely tie it off from the rest of the body and prevent further harm?
That's for others to decide. All Mary Gartside's family knew is that the young woman was saved from a formerly fatal illness, thanks to Dr. William Grant performing the first appendectomy in Davenport, on this date in 1885.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Life-Saving Operation"
In the late 1800s, medical science was not nearly as advanced as today. What is considered a routine procedure today hadn't even been invented then.
Dr. William West Grant had a distinguished medical career. He was a U.S. Army Medical Corps major during World War I, served as Colorado's Surgeon General, and was elected president of seven different medical societies.
But perhaps his greatest claim to fame came before that, on January 4th, 1885.
Mary Gartside of Davenport was a 22-year-old school teacher. She had a sharp pain in her gut, and was near death. Dr. Grant's diagnosis was that Mary was suffering from acute appendicitis, which was almost always deadly since there was no known treatment.
Dr. Grant knew he had to try something, so he administered anesthesia and cut into Mary's side. He found the infected appendix and removed it. Mary made a full recovery.
It was the first successful appendectomy in medical history.
Some have quibbled about the exact nature of the procedure. Did Dr. Grant remove the organ, or merely tie it off from the rest of the body and prevent further harm?
That's for others to decide. All Mary Gartside's family knew is that the young woman was saved from a formerly fatal illness, thanks to Dr. William Grant performing the first appendectomy in Davenport, on this date in 1885.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, January 1, 2021
"The 48-Horse Hitch"
By the time he was 3 years old, Elmer Richard Sparrow had learned how to lead horses through farm gates at the family homestead near Zearing. By the time he was 4, he was riding the farm's Percherons by himself. So it was hardly surprising that horsemanship became Dick Sparrow's claim to fame, becoming the nation's best driver of draft-class horses.
The Barnum & Bailey Circus had stopped using a 40-horse hitch in 1904, but Dick Sparrow recreated the feat in 1972 at the request of a beer company for a parade in Milwaukee.
Perched atop an elegant antique circus wagon, Sparrow maneuvered reins weighing 50 to 75 pounds when slack, and much more when the 40 horses attached to those reins pulled. Forty matched Belgian horses, stretching out 120 feet in front of him...ten rows, of four horses abreast...more than 80,000 pounds of literal horsepower.
On Labor Day 1972, Gov. Robert Ray rode alongside Sparrow as he brought the 40-horse hitch to a parade in Zearing, attracting 60,000 people to the town of barely more than 500 people.
Then he outdid himself, first at the 1976 Iowa State Fair, then on New Year's Day 1977 at the Cotton Bowl Parade in Dallas, Texas...a 48-horse hitch, earning him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Sparrow continued to drive 16-horse hitches long after others would have retired. He died at Christmastime in 2010 of leukemia at age 81.
Dick Sparrow once said it was like holding back a locomotive under a full head of steam...driving a 48-horse hitch like he did at the Cotton Bowl Parade in Dallas, on this date in 1977.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 1st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The 48-Horse Hitch"
By the time he was 3 years old, Elmer Richard Sparrow had learned how to lead horses through farm gates at the family homestead near Zearing. By the time he was 4, he was riding the farm's Percherons by himself. So it was hardly surprising that horsemanship became Dick Sparrow's claim to fame, becoming the nation's best driver of draft-class horses.
The Barnum & Bailey Circus had stopped using a 40-horse hitch in 1904, but Dick Sparrow recreated the feat in 1972 at the request of a beer company for a parade in Milwaukee.
Perched atop an elegant antique circus wagon, Sparrow maneuvered reins weighing 50 to 75 pounds when slack, and much more when the 40 horses attached to those reins pulled. Forty matched Belgian horses, stretching out 120 feet in front of him...ten rows, of four horses abreast...more than 80,000 pounds of literal horsepower.
On Labor Day 1972, Gov. Robert Ray rode alongside Sparrow as he brought the 40-horse hitch to a parade in Zearing, attracting 60,000 people to the town of barely more than 500 people.
Then he outdid himself, first at the 1976 Iowa State Fair, then on New Year's Day 1977 at the Cotton Bowl Parade in Dallas, Texas...a 48-horse hitch, earning him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Sparrow continued to drive 16-horse hitches long after others would have retired. He died at Christmastime in 2010 of leukemia at age 81.
Dick Sparrow once said it was like holding back a locomotive under a full head of steam...driving a 48-horse hitch like he did at the Cotton Bowl Parade in Dallas, on this date in 1977.
And that's Iowa Almanac for January 1st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.