"Iowa Almanac" is a copyrighted production of Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
All Rights Reserved.
No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2016 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 2016 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, July 29, 2016
"The Butter Cow Lady"
Norma Duffield Stong was born on July 29th, 1929. She got her nickname, Duffy, from her middle name. Her uncle was Phil Stong, who wrote a book called "State Fair" which was later made into a movie. Given that background, her later claim to fame was probably preordained.
In 1950, Duffy married Toledo dairy farmer Joe Lyon; they had nine children, all of whom participated in the Lyon Jerseys business at one time or another.
She took over creating the annual Iowa State Fair butter cow in 1960, and became so closely identified with it, many thought she was the first butter cow sculptor. The tradition actually dates back to 1911, but Duffy Lyon sculpted the butter cow every year for 47 years until she retired at the age of 77. Hundreds of thousands of fair visitors watched her work inside the refrigerated display case.
After a while, she created companion butter sculptures, including a butter Elvis, John Wayne, and Garth Brooks, Grant Wood's American Gothic, and her 1999 masterpiece of The Last Supper.
Near the intersection of U.S. Highways 63 and 30 in Toledo, on the top of a hill, stands a cow and calf sculpture. It's not in butter, but it does stand in tribute to Iowa's Butter Cow Lady, Duffy Lyon, who was born on this date in 1929.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Butter Cow Lady"
Norma Duffield Stong was born on July 29th, 1929. She got her nickname, Duffy, from her middle name. Her uncle was Phil Stong, who wrote a book called "State Fair" which was later made into a movie. Given that background, her later claim to fame was probably preordained.
In 1950, Duffy married Toledo dairy farmer Joe Lyon; they had nine children, all of whom participated in the Lyon Jerseys business at one time or another.
She took over creating the annual Iowa State Fair butter cow in 1960, and became so closely identified with it, many thought she was the first butter cow sculptor. The tradition actually dates back to 1911, but Duffy Lyon sculpted the butter cow every year for 47 years until she retired at the age of 77. Hundreds of thousands of fair visitors watched her work inside the refrigerated display case.
After a while, she created companion butter sculptures, including a butter Elvis, John Wayne, and Garth Brooks, Grant Wood's American Gothic, and her 1999 masterpiece of The Last Supper.
Near the intersection of U.S. Highways 63 and 30 in Toledo, on the top of a hill, stands a cow and calf sculpture. It's not in butter, but it does stand in tribute to Iowa's Butter Cow Lady, Duffy Lyon, who was born on this date in 1929.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, July 28, 2016
"On Patrol, On The Road"
As automobiles became more popular, there was a need for more roads. More roads led to more traffic. And more traffic led to the need for regulation of those roads.
In the spring of 1935, the Iowa Legislature passed a law approving the hiring of 53 men as members of the new Iowa Highway Safety Patrol. Governor Clyde Herring signed the act on May 7th of that year, and soon, 3,000 men applied to attend the safety school. One hundred of them were chosen for training at Camp Dodge.
Officers had to be at least 5 feet 10 inches tall, with 20-20 uncorrected vision. Only 60 percent of the patrol at any given time could be from the same political party, to avoid political cronyism.
The graduates patrolled the state’s roads for the first time on July 28th, 1935. The summer uniform was khaki breeches and blouses, knee-high black boots, black ties, and khaki visored caps. In the winter, the men wore wool, olive drab uniforms and heavy overcoats. The pay was $100 per month, and officers work from 6 in the morning until 6 at night.
The state patrol patch looked much the same today as it did back then. Some say it represented a kernel of corn, while others say patrol leaders were inspired by a medallion they saw commemorating the Louisiana Purchase.
Regardless, that patch adorned the uniforms of the first members of the Iowa Highway Safety Patrol, who began patrolling our state’s roads on this date in 1935.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"On Patrol, On The Road"
As automobiles became more popular, there was a need for more roads. More roads led to more traffic. And more traffic led to the need for regulation of those roads.
In the spring of 1935, the Iowa Legislature passed a law approving the hiring of 53 men as members of the new Iowa Highway Safety Patrol. Governor Clyde Herring signed the act on May 7th of that year, and soon, 3,000 men applied to attend the safety school. One hundred of them were chosen for training at Camp Dodge.
Officers had to be at least 5 feet 10 inches tall, with 20-20 uncorrected vision. Only 60 percent of the patrol at any given time could be from the same political party, to avoid political cronyism.
The graduates patrolled the state’s roads for the first time on July 28th, 1935. The summer uniform was khaki breeches and blouses, knee-high black boots, black ties, and khaki visored caps. In the winter, the men wore wool, olive drab uniforms and heavy overcoats. The pay was $100 per month, and officers work from 6 in the morning until 6 at night.
The state patrol patch looked much the same today as it did back then. Some say it represented a kernel of corn, while others say patrol leaders were inspired by a medallion they saw commemorating the Louisiana Purchase.
Regardless, that patch adorned the uniforms of the first members of the Iowa Highway Safety Patrol, who began patrolling our state’s roads on this date in 1935.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, July 27, 2016
"The Giant of the World"
He stood 8 feet 8 inches tall, and weighed more than 300 pounds.
Bernard Coyne was born on July 27th, 1897, on his family’s farm in Oto, a small town in Woodbury County. He was the second of six children, and by the time he was a teenager, he was already seven feet tall.
Bernard suffered from a condition commonly called Daddy Long-Legs Syndrome, and was one of only 17 people in modern medical history to have stood at least 8 feet tall. He wore size 25 shoes.
Special rigs were required so he could ride in the family’s Model T. Often, the family drove with a door open so his five-feet-long legs could stretch out.
But despite all those issues, Bernard was a shy, gentle, and good-natured man.
He was refused induction into the U.S. Army during World War I because of his size.
His condition led to liver disease, but he kept growing until his death in May of 1921 at the age of only 23. At the time, he was the tallest man in the world. And to this day, no Iowan ever stood taller than Bernard Coyne, who was born on this date in 1897.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Giant of the World"
He stood 8 feet 8 inches tall, and weighed more than 300 pounds.
Bernard Coyne was born on July 27th, 1897, on his family’s farm in Oto, a small town in Woodbury County. He was the second of six children, and by the time he was a teenager, he was already seven feet tall.
Bernard suffered from a condition commonly called Daddy Long-Legs Syndrome, and was one of only 17 people in modern medical history to have stood at least 8 feet tall. He wore size 25 shoes.
Special rigs were required so he could ride in the family’s Model T. Often, the family drove with a door open so his five-feet-long legs could stretch out.
But despite all those issues, Bernard was a shy, gentle, and good-natured man.
He was refused induction into the U.S. Army during World War I because of his size.
His condition led to liver disease, but he kept growing until his death in May of 1921 at the age of only 23. At the time, he was the tallest man in the world. And to this day, no Iowan ever stood taller than Bernard Coyne, who was born on this date in 1897.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, July 26, 2016
"Fair-Safe"
Eugene Burdick was born in Sheldon in northwest Iowa in 1918. He and his family moved to California when he was a boy, and he wound up attending Stanford University. After earning a Ph.D. from Oxford, he worked as a professor in the political science department of the University of California.
He talent at researching the most urgent problems of our civic culture led to writing a series of scholarly articles, which gained him recognition throughout the world. But it was when he turned those talents toward fictionalized books and movies that he reached an even wider audience.
Among his best known books were 1958's "The Ugly American" and "Fail Safe", written in 1962. Both became book-of-the-month-club selections, and then major motion pictures. Audiences became concerned, some for the first time, about the basic problems of foreign policy and national defense.
"Fail Safe" starred Henry Fonda and Walter Matthau, and described how Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States led to an accidental thermonuclear first strike after an error send a group of U.S. bombers to bomb Moscow. The movie was released in 1964.
A year later, on July 26th, 1965, Burdick died suddenly from a heart attack while playing tennis. Despite living with diabetes and a chronic heart condition, Burdick was a man who could not say "no"--writing, travelling, competing in sports, and teaching, despite failing health.
Many Americans first learned of the gravity of global relations when reading books or seeing movies based on the work of Iowa native Eugene Burdick, who died at age 46, on this date in 1965.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Fair-Safe"
Eugene Burdick was born in Sheldon in northwest Iowa in 1918. He and his family moved to California when he was a boy, and he wound up attending Stanford University. After earning a Ph.D. from Oxford, he worked as a professor in the political science department of the University of California.
He talent at researching the most urgent problems of our civic culture led to writing a series of scholarly articles, which gained him recognition throughout the world. But it was when he turned those talents toward fictionalized books and movies that he reached an even wider audience.
Among his best known books were 1958's "The Ugly American" and "Fail Safe", written in 1962. Both became book-of-the-month-club selections, and then major motion pictures. Audiences became concerned, some for the first time, about the basic problems of foreign policy and national defense.
"Fail Safe" starred Henry Fonda and Walter Matthau, and described how Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States led to an accidental thermonuclear first strike after an error send a group of U.S. bombers to bomb Moscow. The movie was released in 1964.
A year later, on July 26th, 1965, Burdick died suddenly from a heart attack while playing tennis. Despite living with diabetes and a chronic heart condition, Burdick was a man who could not say "no"--writing, travelling, competing in sports, and teaching, despite failing health.
Many Americans first learned of the gravity of global relations when reading books or seeing movies based on the work of Iowa native Eugene Burdick, who died at age 46, on this date in 1965.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, July 25, 2016
"A Carousel, or A Merry-Go-Round?"
For many of us, it was the first ride we experienced at a fair or carnival. Wooden horses or other animals, mounted on posts...moving up and down to simulate galloping...as the entire circular platform moves in a circle, accompanied by circus music.
It was known as a carousel; less intricate, similar versions are called merry-go-rounds. Today is National Carousel Day, thanks to the Davenport man who invented the modern carousel.
On July 25th, 1871, William Schneider of Davenport obtained a United States patent for his version of the carousel. Schneider was a businessman and promoter who made significant improvements on the original design that dated back to the 1600s in Europe.
His patent was for what he called a "new and improved carousel" described as a two-story "carousel or rotary pavilion used in public parks or other places of amusement". Obviously, this was a large device that required an operator.
In the 20th Century, two other Iowans obtained patents for further variations--in 1923, Willis Peck of Des Moines patented a "rotary playground apparatus" which is what most of us think of as a merry-go-round...and four years later, John Ahrens of Grinnell patented the "Miracle Whirl", a merry-go-round that could be operated by one person.
In the early 1900s, there were 4,000 carousels with hand painted horses across the U.S. There are still two left in Iowa...a 1913 model in North Park in Story City, and at the Midwest Old Threshers site in Mt. Pleasant, one with hand carved animals dating back to 1894.
Many across the country will make a point of visiting a carousel or merry-go-round on this National Carousel Day, made possible because William Schneider of Davenport obtained a patent for the modern carousel, on this date in 1871.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Carousel, or A Merry-Go-Round?"
For many of us, it was the first ride we experienced at a fair or carnival. Wooden horses or other animals, mounted on posts...moving up and down to simulate galloping...as the entire circular platform moves in a circle, accompanied by circus music.
It was known as a carousel; less intricate, similar versions are called merry-go-rounds. Today is National Carousel Day, thanks to the Davenport man who invented the modern carousel.
On July 25th, 1871, William Schneider of Davenport obtained a United States patent for his version of the carousel. Schneider was a businessman and promoter who made significant improvements on the original design that dated back to the 1600s in Europe.
His patent was for what he called a "new and improved carousel" described as a two-story "carousel or rotary pavilion used in public parks or other places of amusement". Obviously, this was a large device that required an operator.
In the 20th Century, two other Iowans obtained patents for further variations--in 1923, Willis Peck of Des Moines patented a "rotary playground apparatus" which is what most of us think of as a merry-go-round...and four years later, John Ahrens of Grinnell patented the "Miracle Whirl", a merry-go-round that could be operated by one person.
In the early 1900s, there were 4,000 carousels with hand painted horses across the U.S. There are still two left in Iowa...a 1913 model in North Park in Story City, and at the Midwest Old Threshers site in Mt. Pleasant, one with hand carved animals dating back to 1894.
Many across the country will make a point of visiting a carousel or merry-go-round on this National Carousel Day, made possible because William Schneider of Davenport obtained a patent for the modern carousel, on this date in 1871.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, July 22, 2016
"The End of Prohibition"
Balltown in Dubuque County was settled by John Ball and his family, who first came to the area in the 1830s. Balltown is home to Breitbach's County Dining, the oldest continuous restaurant/bar in Iowa. It opened for business as a stagecoach stop in 1852, and was turned into a saloon and restaurant by the Breitbach family less than a decade later.
But for 13 years, no alcohol was served there. That's because of the national prohibition laws which went into effect on January 20, 1920. The end of America's experiment with sobriety began when Congress repealed the 18th Amendment on February 20, 1933, and citizens knew that soon, liquor could again be sold.
Preparations had to be made. And in Dubuque County, the word had spread that when the sale of alcohol would again be legal, according to Iowa law, licenses to dispense beer could only be granted to establishments that were inside incorporated places.
To that point, Balltown had been unincorporated, as was its neighbors Sherrill and Sageville. Being an incorporated village meant registering with the state, and completing on-going paperwork. But it seemed worth it to be able to again open the saloons in those areas.
So on July 22, 1933, Upper Balltown became one of ten so-called "Beer Towns" incorporated in Dubuque County in 1933, so the town's taverns could serve beer. As it turned out, the interpretation was mistaken, and a tavern could get a license regardless of whether it was in an incorporated town or not.
But the citizens of Balltown were ready for when prohibition finally ended in December of that year, because their community became incorporated with the state of Iowa on this date in 1933.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The End of Prohibition"
Balltown in Dubuque County was settled by John Ball and his family, who first came to the area in the 1830s. Balltown is home to Breitbach's County Dining, the oldest continuous restaurant/bar in Iowa. It opened for business as a stagecoach stop in 1852, and was turned into a saloon and restaurant by the Breitbach family less than a decade later.
But for 13 years, no alcohol was served there. That's because of the national prohibition laws which went into effect on January 20, 1920. The end of America's experiment with sobriety began when Congress repealed the 18th Amendment on February 20, 1933, and citizens knew that soon, liquor could again be sold.
Preparations had to be made. And in Dubuque County, the word had spread that when the sale of alcohol would again be legal, according to Iowa law, licenses to dispense beer could only be granted to establishments that were inside incorporated places.
To that point, Balltown had been unincorporated, as was its neighbors Sherrill and Sageville. Being an incorporated village meant registering with the state, and completing on-going paperwork. But it seemed worth it to be able to again open the saloons in those areas.
So on July 22, 1933, Upper Balltown became one of ten so-called "Beer Towns" incorporated in Dubuque County in 1933, so the town's taverns could serve beer. As it turned out, the interpretation was mistaken, and a tavern could get a license regardless of whether it was in an incorporated town or not.
But the citizens of Balltown were ready for when prohibition finally ended in December of that year, because their community became incorporated with the state of Iowa on this date in 1933.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, July 21, 2016
"The First Great Train Robbery"
By July 21st, 1873, Jesse James was already well known as a bank robber. In fact, his gang robbed a bank in Corydon just two years before. Now the James Gang expanded their business, so to speak, by robbing trains.
Around 8:30 p.m., Rock Island Lines passenger train No. 2 was climbing a steep grade and approaching a sharp curve about four miles west of Adair. The James Gang had tied a rope to a rail, and just as the train rounded the curve, they pulled the rope and the train toppled onto its side, killing the engineer.
The outlaws came out of the bushes, firing their guns into the air. Jesse and his brother Frank cocked their .44s and forced an employee to open the train's safe. Others of the Gang were masked in Ku Klux Klan outfits; they collected cash, watches and jewelry from the passengers into bags. They rode off, disappearing as quickly as they had come, making off with more than $2,300 in cash and valuables.
Why did the James Gang pick that train? Not long before, they had learned that this particular train was to carry $100,000 in gold, in transit to eastern banks. At the last minute, the shipment was instead placed on another train. So the score that Jesse and Frank James, and Jim and Cole Younger, had hoped for wasn't on the train they robbed near Adair.
But it was one of the very first train robberies west of the Mississippi, and the first one ever attempted by the James Gang, on this date, in 1873.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The First Great Train Robbery"
By July 21st, 1873, Jesse James was already well known as a bank robber. In fact, his gang robbed a bank in Corydon just two years before. Now the James Gang expanded their business, so to speak, by robbing trains.
Around 8:30 p.m., Rock Island Lines passenger train No. 2 was climbing a steep grade and approaching a sharp curve about four miles west of Adair. The James Gang had tied a rope to a rail, and just as the train rounded the curve, they pulled the rope and the train toppled onto its side, killing the engineer.
The outlaws came out of the bushes, firing their guns into the air. Jesse and his brother Frank cocked their .44s and forced an employee to open the train's safe. Others of the Gang were masked in Ku Klux Klan outfits; they collected cash, watches and jewelry from the passengers into bags. They rode off, disappearing as quickly as they had come, making off with more than $2,300 in cash and valuables.
Why did the James Gang pick that train? Not long before, they had learned that this particular train was to carry $100,000 in gold, in transit to eastern banks. At the last minute, the shipment was instead placed on another train. So the score that Jesse and Frank James, and Jim and Cole Younger, had hoped for wasn't on the train they robbed near Adair.
But it was one of the very first train robberies west of the Mississippi, and the first one ever attempted by the James Gang, on this date, in 1873.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, July 20, 2016
"Training at Fort Des Moines"
In May 1941, a Massachusetts congresswoman named Edith Rogers introduced a bill establishing the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Spurred on by the attack on Pearl Harbor later that year, Congress passed the bill a year later, and on July 20th, 1942, the first WAAC trainees arrived at Fort Des Moines.
The WAAC was established "for the purpose of making available to the national defense the knowledge, skill and special training of women of the nation". It would provide trained women to fill support role and free up more men for combat duty.
That first group included 125 enlisted women and 440 others for Officer Candidate School.
The WAAC accepted women between the ages of 21 to 45, and since no one expected women to go into combat, basic training for recruits was different, consisting primarily of marching drills, military customs and courtesies, map reading, and supply and mess management.
After training, a WAAC would either remaining at the Fort Des Moines training center to replace a male staff member, or transfer to a special company to serve as clerks, typists, drivers, or cooks.
Stateside, the basic rate of pay for enlisted women and men was the same--$21 per month.
From the start, the WAACs exceeded their recruiting goals, and in only three months, the Fort Des Moines center was at capacity. The Army had to create four additional training centers to handle the demand.
But the original Women's Army Auxiliary Corps training center opened at Fort Des Moines, on this date, in 1942.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Training at Fort Des Moines"
In May 1941, a Massachusetts congresswoman named Edith Rogers introduced a bill establishing the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Spurred on by the attack on Pearl Harbor later that year, Congress passed the bill a year later, and on July 20th, 1942, the first WAAC trainees arrived at Fort Des Moines.
The WAAC was established "for the purpose of making available to the national defense the knowledge, skill and special training of women of the nation". It would provide trained women to fill support role and free up more men for combat duty.
That first group included 125 enlisted women and 440 others for Officer Candidate School.
The WAAC accepted women between the ages of 21 to 45, and since no one expected women to go into combat, basic training for recruits was different, consisting primarily of marching drills, military customs and courtesies, map reading, and supply and mess management.
After training, a WAAC would either remaining at the Fort Des Moines training center to replace a male staff member, or transfer to a special company to serve as clerks, typists, drivers, or cooks.
Stateside, the basic rate of pay for enlisted women and men was the same--$21 per month.
From the start, the WAACs exceeded their recruiting goals, and in only three months, the Fort Des Moines center was at capacity. The Army had to create four additional training centers to handle the demand.
But the original Women's Army Auxiliary Corps training center opened at Fort Des Moines, on this date, in 1942.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, July 19, 2016
"The Sioux City Crash"
United Airlines Flight 232 was en route from Denver to Chicago on July 19th, 1989. Suddenly, the plane suffered a catastrophic failure of its tail-mounted engine, which led to loss of all flight controls when the plane's three hydraulic systems were punctured.
Air traffic control was contacted, and an emergency landing at Sioux Gateway Airport was organized.
The flight crew, led by Captain Al Haynes, tried to fly the plane using their control columns while also throttling the remaining engines. Due to the tail damage, the plane had a tendency to keep turning right, so the crew had to adapt, making wide loops to the right to eventually get close to the landing site in Sioux City.
Haynes asked air traffic controllers to keep the plane away from the city, fearful that the crew would lose control of the craft.
The plan was for the plane to land on a 9,000-foot runway, but lining up the aircraft was nearly impossible. It wound up headed toward a shorter, adjacent runway--one where emergency vehicles and fire trucks had lined up. Those vehicles moved quickly as the crippled plane came to the ground.
The plane banked to the right, with the right wing tip hitting the runway first and spilling fuel, which ignited. The tail section broke off, and the rest of the aircraft bounced several times, breaking into pieces. The main cabin ultimately broke off, skidded, and came to rest upside down.
There were 296 people on board the plane; 111 died in the crash or later from injuries. But that meant 185 survived, thanks to the actions of the flight crew led by Captain Alfred C. Haynes in steering the crippled United Flight 232 to the ground in Sioux City, on this date in 1989.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Sioux City Crash"
United Airlines Flight 232 was en route from Denver to Chicago on July 19th, 1989. Suddenly, the plane suffered a catastrophic failure of its tail-mounted engine, which led to loss of all flight controls when the plane's three hydraulic systems were punctured.
Air traffic control was contacted, and an emergency landing at Sioux Gateway Airport was organized.
The flight crew, led by Captain Al Haynes, tried to fly the plane using their control columns while also throttling the remaining engines. Due to the tail damage, the plane had a tendency to keep turning right, so the crew had to adapt, making wide loops to the right to eventually get close to the landing site in Sioux City.
Haynes asked air traffic controllers to keep the plane away from the city, fearful that the crew would lose control of the craft.
The plan was for the plane to land on a 9,000-foot runway, but lining up the aircraft was nearly impossible. It wound up headed toward a shorter, adjacent runway--one where emergency vehicles and fire trucks had lined up. Those vehicles moved quickly as the crippled plane came to the ground.
The plane banked to the right, with the right wing tip hitting the runway first and spilling fuel, which ignited. The tail section broke off, and the rest of the aircraft bounced several times, breaking into pieces. The main cabin ultimately broke off, skidded, and came to rest upside down.
There were 296 people on board the plane; 111 died in the crash or later from injuries. But that meant 185 survived, thanks to the actions of the flight crew led by Captain Alfred C. Haynes in steering the crippled United Flight 232 to the ground in Sioux City, on this date in 1989.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, July 18, 2016
"The First Dog Track"
In 1984, the Iowa Legislature passed the Pari-mutuel Wagering Act, which allowed greyhound and horse racing in Iowa. Many cities looked to the new option as a revenue source for their respective regions.
Dubuque voters overwhelmingly approved a bond referendum for construction of a greyhound racing track in April of that year. Dubuque was in competition with Waterloo and Cedar Rapids for a greyhound racing license. Cedar Rapids also put in a bid for a horse racing license, as did Des Moines.
The Iowa Racing Commission spent six weeks studying the various applications, each of which was hundreds of pages long. Finally, on July 18, 1984, the Commission announced that Dubuque would receive the first license. A week later came word that the track would be assigned the more lucrative summer racing schedule.
Around 5,750 people applied for the 300 track jobs. The first greyhounds began training at the facility on May 7th, and the Dubuque Greyhound Park opened for business on July 1, 1985.
The first years were strong for the track, but increased competition from Waterloo, including overlapping summer racing seasons, hurt both tracks. The greyhound park in Dubuque lost $850,000 in 1992 alone. Changes in state law allowed slot machines at racetracks, and that allowed some to stay in business, but quickly the casino portion overshadowed the tracks.
The Dubuque facility is now called the Iowa Greyhound Park, operated by the Iowa Greyhound Association, and features four-day-a-week racing in the summer.
In its first 30 years of operation, the Dubuque Racing Association gave $43 million to charitable organizations. But the license for Dubuque Greyhound Park, the nation's first non-profit greyhound track, and Iowa's first pari-mutuel race track of any kind, was granted by the Iowa Gaming Commission on this date in 1984.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The First Dog Track"
In 1984, the Iowa Legislature passed the Pari-mutuel Wagering Act, which allowed greyhound and horse racing in Iowa. Many cities looked to the new option as a revenue source for their respective regions.
Dubuque voters overwhelmingly approved a bond referendum for construction of a greyhound racing track in April of that year. Dubuque was in competition with Waterloo and Cedar Rapids for a greyhound racing license. Cedar Rapids also put in a bid for a horse racing license, as did Des Moines.
The Iowa Racing Commission spent six weeks studying the various applications, each of which was hundreds of pages long. Finally, on July 18, 1984, the Commission announced that Dubuque would receive the first license. A week later came word that the track would be assigned the more lucrative summer racing schedule.
Around 5,750 people applied for the 300 track jobs. The first greyhounds began training at the facility on May 7th, and the Dubuque Greyhound Park opened for business on July 1, 1985.
The first years were strong for the track, but increased competition from Waterloo, including overlapping summer racing seasons, hurt both tracks. The greyhound park in Dubuque lost $850,000 in 1992 alone. Changes in state law allowed slot machines at racetracks, and that allowed some to stay in business, but quickly the casino portion overshadowed the tracks.
The Dubuque facility is now called the Iowa Greyhound Park, operated by the Iowa Greyhound Association, and features four-day-a-week racing in the summer.
In its first 30 years of operation, the Dubuque Racing Association gave $43 million to charitable organizations. But the license for Dubuque Greyhound Park, the nation's first non-profit greyhound track, and Iowa's first pari-mutuel race track of any kind, was granted by the Iowa Gaming Commission on this date in 1984.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, July 15, 2016
"Reporting For Duty"
Iowa did not become a state until December 1846. But Iowans answered the call to duty to serve the nation before seeing a star added to the American flag.
The land we now call Iowa was originally part of the Wisconsin Territory, and in 1838, part of that land was re-designated as the Iowa Territory.
On July 15, 1846, less than six months before Iowa became a state, a group of Iowans reported for duty, to represent the U.S. in the Mexican War.
The war started over boundary disputes between the U.S. and Mexican governments in the current state of Texas. In addition to increasing the Regular Army, Congress authorized the recruitment of 50,000 volunteer soldiers from the states and territories in May 1846. Iowa Territory by organizing 12 companies of men, but only three were called into federal service.
One of them, Captain James Morgan’s Company of Iowa Infantry Volunteers served from July 15, 1846 to July 15, 1847. The group was reconstituted exactly one year later, serving as Captain James Morgan’s Company of Iowa Mounted Volunteers from July 15, 1847 to September 11, 1848.
Morgan was from Burlington, and his company of volunteers was unique. Records are incomplete, but it appears that of 135 who served, only 3 died, and none during battle; 2 more deserted and the fate of 3 is not certain. But that means 127 were either discharged or mustered out.
Captain James Morgan died in Burlington in 1862. But his Company of Iowa Infantry Volunteers reported for duty on this date in 1846.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 15th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Reporting For Duty"
Iowa did not become a state until December 1846. But Iowans answered the call to duty to serve the nation before seeing a star added to the American flag.
The land we now call Iowa was originally part of the Wisconsin Territory, and in 1838, part of that land was re-designated as the Iowa Territory.
On July 15, 1846, less than six months before Iowa became a state, a group of Iowans reported for duty, to represent the U.S. in the Mexican War.
The war started over boundary disputes between the U.S. and Mexican governments in the current state of Texas. In addition to increasing the Regular Army, Congress authorized the recruitment of 50,000 volunteer soldiers from the states and territories in May 1846. Iowa Territory by organizing 12 companies of men, but only three were called into federal service.
One of them, Captain James Morgan’s Company of Iowa Infantry Volunteers served from July 15, 1846 to July 15, 1847. The group was reconstituted exactly one year later, serving as Captain James Morgan’s Company of Iowa Mounted Volunteers from July 15, 1847 to September 11, 1848.
Morgan was from Burlington, and his company of volunteers was unique. Records are incomplete, but it appears that of 135 who served, only 3 died, and none during battle; 2 more deserted and the fate of 3 is not certain. But that means 127 were either discharged or mustered out.
Captain James Morgan died in Burlington in 1862. But his Company of Iowa Infantry Volunteers reported for duty on this date in 1846.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 15th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, July 14, 2016
"From Farm Implements to Washing Machines"
Frederick Louis Maytag the first was born in Newton on July 14th, 1857, the eldest of 10 children born to German/Jewish immigrants.
In 1893, F.L. Maytag, his two brothers-in-law, and George Parsons each contributed $600 to start a new farm implement company, making threshing machines, band-cutters, and self-feeder attachments that Parsons invented. After a while, F.L. took sole control of the company and renamed it the Maytag Company.
He also dabbled in other businesses, and by 1910 concentrated on developing a washing machine with a gas powered motor, and another with an agitator that forced the water through the clothes, which he called the Gyrafoam. Those inventions proved popular, and by 1927, Maytag was producing more than twice the number of washers of its nearest competitor. The company’s growth doubled for five consecutive years.
To help support Newton, Maytag donated a 40-acre park and swimming pool. He built and donated the Maytag Hotel, and also built hundreds of homes for his workers, selling them on easy terms.
F.L. Maytag died of a heart ailment in 1937. At the time, his estate was worth $10 million; that would be $168 million today. An estimated 10,000 factory workers and salesmen formed a line five blocks long to observe the casket processional. Those who could not fit into the First Methodist Church were taken to four other churches and two halls to pay their final respects.
He once said, “In all business, there is a factor which cannot be compensated for in dollars and cents…and is represented only by the spirit of love which the true craftsman holds for his job and the things he is trying to accomplish.”
Developing a better washing machine and building a global business there put his hometown on the map; Newton, where F.L. Maytag was born on this date in 1857.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"From Farm Implements to Washing Machines"
Frederick Louis Maytag the first was born in Newton on July 14th, 1857, the eldest of 10 children born to German/Jewish immigrants.
In 1893, F.L. Maytag, his two brothers-in-law, and George Parsons each contributed $600 to start a new farm implement company, making threshing machines, band-cutters, and self-feeder attachments that Parsons invented. After a while, F.L. took sole control of the company and renamed it the Maytag Company.
He also dabbled in other businesses, and by 1910 concentrated on developing a washing machine with a gas powered motor, and another with an agitator that forced the water through the clothes, which he called the Gyrafoam. Those inventions proved popular, and by 1927, Maytag was producing more than twice the number of washers of its nearest competitor. The company’s growth doubled for five consecutive years.
To help support Newton, Maytag donated a 40-acre park and swimming pool. He built and donated the Maytag Hotel, and also built hundreds of homes for his workers, selling them on easy terms.
F.L. Maytag died of a heart ailment in 1937. At the time, his estate was worth $10 million; that would be $168 million today. An estimated 10,000 factory workers and salesmen formed a line five blocks long to observe the casket processional. Those who could not fit into the First Methodist Church were taken to four other churches and two halls to pay their final respects.
He once said, “In all business, there is a factor which cannot be compensated for in dollars and cents…and is represented only by the spirit of love which the true craftsman holds for his job and the things he is trying to accomplish.”
Developing a better washing machine and building a global business there put his hometown on the map; Newton, where F.L. Maytag was born on this date in 1857.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, July 13, 2016
"Sacrifice in the Line of Duty"
Waterloo Police Officers Wayne Rice and Michael Hoing were working the overnight shift when they responded to a call of loud music coming from a house. Those involved turned down the music, and the officers returned to their squad car.
Then four of the individuals started yelling and cursing at the officers. Rice and Hoing returned to the house and placed one person under arrest for disturbing the peace; he then started fighting with Officer Hoing. Another tackled Officer Rice, and the two struggled on the ground, the officer even getting hit in the head with a chair.
James Taylor, who had recently been released from a federal prison in Missouri, then joined the fight, punching Rice with his fist, and then removing the officer’s gun from its holster. Taylor fired two shots into Officer Rice’s chest. Not satisfied, he moved to where Officer Hoing was involved in the first fight and shot and killed him.
Taylor then fled the scene, leading to a manhunt featuring helicopters searching from the air, and officers from a number of law enforcement agencies searching from the ground.
Four days later, two women ran into Taylor on a farm near LaPorte City. Officers armed with shotguns swarmed the farm fields. Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Marvin Messerschmidt saw crops moving and chased Taylor through a soybean field. Taylor tripped, fell, and was captured.
He was convicted of double murder and sentenced to life in prison, a life that ended when Taylor died in 2014 at the age of 60; ironically, just a few weeks after the state trooper who captured him also died.
It was the largest manhunt in Iowa history, when James “T-Bone” Taylor was caught after killing two Waterloo police officers, on this date, in 1993.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Sacrifice in the Line of Duty"
Waterloo Police Officers Wayne Rice and Michael Hoing were working the overnight shift when they responded to a call of loud music coming from a house. Those involved turned down the music, and the officers returned to their squad car.
Then four of the individuals started yelling and cursing at the officers. Rice and Hoing returned to the house and placed one person under arrest for disturbing the peace; he then started fighting with Officer Hoing. Another tackled Officer Rice, and the two struggled on the ground, the officer even getting hit in the head with a chair.
James Taylor, who had recently been released from a federal prison in Missouri, then joined the fight, punching Rice with his fist, and then removing the officer’s gun from its holster. Taylor fired two shots into Officer Rice’s chest. Not satisfied, he moved to where Officer Hoing was involved in the first fight and shot and killed him.
Taylor then fled the scene, leading to a manhunt featuring helicopters searching from the air, and officers from a number of law enforcement agencies searching from the ground.
Four days later, two women ran into Taylor on a farm near LaPorte City. Officers armed with shotguns swarmed the farm fields. Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Marvin Messerschmidt saw crops moving and chased Taylor through a soybean field. Taylor tripped, fell, and was captured.
He was convicted of double murder and sentenced to life in prison, a life that ended when Taylor died in 2014 at the age of 60; ironically, just a few weeks after the state trooper who captured him also died.
It was the largest manhunt in Iowa history, when James “T-Bone” Taylor was caught after killing two Waterloo police officers, on this date, in 1993.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, July 12, 2016
"The Beekeeper"
Frank Chapman Pellett was born on a farm in Cass County on July 12th, 1879. He attended schools near Atlantic, but was forced to leave school due to health reasons. At age 23, he moved to Salem, Missouri, where he operated a fruit farm and studied to become a lawyer. But after only two years in private practice, he returned to his first love--nature and wildlife.
In the spring of 1907, Frank Pellett moved his wife and the two children they had at the time back to Cass County. Even then, many of the wildflowers that were plentiful during Frank's childhood were threatened with extinction. He set aside an 8 acre tract of native woodland as a wildflower preserve. It's now part of the 20-acre Frank Chapman Pellett Memorial Woods, and contains more than 120 species or plants.
Pellett was appointed Iowa's first state apiary inspector in 1912, and soon after became associated with the American Bee Journal. He quickly became one of the nation's foremost authorities on beekeeping, honey plants,
"The Beekeeper"
Frank Chapman Pellett was born on a farm in Cass County on July 12th, 1879. He attended schools near Atlantic, but was forced to leave school due to health reasons. At age 23, he moved to Salem, Missouri, where he operated a fruit farm and studied to become a lawyer. But after only two years in private practice, he returned to his first love--nature and wildlife.
In the spring of 1907, Frank Pellett moved his wife and the two children they had at the time back to Cass County. Even then, many of the wildflowers that were plentiful during Frank's childhood were threatened with extinction. He set aside an 8 acre tract of native woodland as a wildflower preserve. It's now part of the 20-acre Frank Chapman Pellett Memorial Woods, and contains more than 120 species or plants.
Pellett was appointed Iowa's first state apiary inspector in 1912, and soon after became associated with the American Bee Journal. He quickly became one of the nation's foremost authorities on beekeeping, honey plants,