"Iowa Almanac" is a copyrighted production of Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
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No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2017 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 2017 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, July 31, 2017
"Iowa's Woodstock"
New York had its Woodstock. Iowa had Wadena.
But if city leaders of Galena, Illinois had not gotten in the way, the 1970 rock music festival might have been held there. That was what organizers had in mind, but when they were blocked in Illinois, they came across the river and found a site on a farm near Wadena.
Some 30,000 people attended the three day music festival. Coming as it did just a year after Woodstock, some Iowans were not too happy about the event, which did feature open use of drugs and drug sales, and a fair amount of young people skinny dipping in a pond.
Johnny Winter, REO Speedwagon, Little Richard, Iowa's Everly Brothers, and Mason Proffit
were among those who performed.
Complaints went all the way to Iowa Governor Robert Ray, who showed up at the site on the first day, July 31st, and after being satisfied that adequate preparations had been made regarding health and safety, told the participants to have a good time. This came after Iowa Attorney General Richard Turner had gotten an injunction signed by an Iowa Supreme Court justice to block the event a few days before.
The party goers did not cause much trouble for the locals, but they did leave a lot of garbage behind that took a lot of cleaning up.
The story surrounding the event was voted the top news story in Iowa that year by the Associated Press, when the three-day Wadena Rock Festival began on this date in 1970.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 31st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa's Woodstock"
New York had its Woodstock. Iowa had Wadena.
But if city leaders of Galena, Illinois had not gotten in the way, the 1970 rock music festival might have been held there. That was what organizers had in mind, but when they were blocked in Illinois, they came across the river and found a site on a farm near Wadena.
Some 30,000 people attended the three day music festival. Coming as it did just a year after Woodstock, some Iowans were not too happy about the event, which did feature open use of drugs and drug sales, and a fair amount of young people skinny dipping in a pond.
Johnny Winter, REO Speedwagon, Little Richard, Iowa's Everly Brothers, and Mason Proffit
were among those who performed.
Complaints went all the way to Iowa Governor Robert Ray, who showed up at the site on the first day, July 31st, and after being satisfied that adequate preparations had been made regarding health and safety, told the participants to have a good time. This came after Iowa Attorney General Richard Turner had gotten an injunction signed by an Iowa Supreme Court justice to block the event a few days before.
The party goers did not cause much trouble for the locals, but they did leave a lot of garbage behind that took a lot of cleaning up.
The story surrounding the event was voted the top news story in Iowa that year by the Associated Press, when the three-day Wadena Rock Festival began on this date in 1970.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 31st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, July 28, 2017
"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 Thursday, July 27, 2017
"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 Wednesday, July 26, 2017
"Fail-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.
"Fail-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 Tuesday, July 25, 2017
"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 (shown below), 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 (shown below), 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 Monday, July 24, 2017
"Making His Mark...Literally"
On July 24th, 1862, Jerome Palmer of Hinkletown, Iowa, enlisted in Company B, 28th Iowa Infantry. He served in the Civil War for three years before mustering out at Savannah, Georgia on July 31st, 1865. He returned to the Foote and Keota areas, opening the first hardware store in Keota.
The flag that Company B took into battle had been hand sewn by Marengo women, and to this day, you can see evidence of artillery shots as well as blood stains of one of the flag's carriers. It's preserved at the Iowa Masonic Library and Museum in Cedar Rapids.
But this story is about Jerome Palmer, and something he did in Virginia which was not known for nearly 150 years after the end of the Civil War.
From July to October 1864, in the heat of the Shenandoah Valley campaign, the Iowa regiments under General Phillip Sheridan became known for their bravery on the valley's battlefields. They took control of a town named Newtown. Staying over at a store there, Palmer took out a drawer from a wooden cabinet, and sketched on the bottom of it. He drew the American flag and wrote the word "Union" above it, among other war-related things, and then wrote his name and company identification on the bottom of the drawer. He put the drawer back and continued his service in the war.
But no one knew it was there, until someone tried to restore the cabinet, and in the summer of 2009, they turned over the drawer and found what Palmer had sketched 145 years before. It's now on display in a museum there, forever memorializing the service of Iowan Jerome Palmer, who enlisted for service in the Civil War on this date in 1862.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 24th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Making His Mark...Literally"
On July 24th, 1862, Jerome Palmer of Hinkletown, Iowa, enlisted in Company B, 28th Iowa Infantry. He served in the Civil War for three years before mustering out at Savannah, Georgia on July 31st, 1865. He returned to the Foote and Keota areas, opening the first hardware store in Keota.
The flag that Company B took into battle had been hand sewn by Marengo women, and to this day, you can see evidence of artillery shots as well as blood stains of one of the flag's carriers. It's preserved at the Iowa Masonic Library and Museum in Cedar Rapids.
But this story is about Jerome Palmer, and something he did in Virginia which was not known for nearly 150 years after the end of the Civil War.
From July to October 1864, in the heat of the Shenandoah Valley campaign, the Iowa regiments under General Phillip Sheridan became known for their bravery on the valley's battlefields. They took control of a town named Newtown. Staying over at a store there, Palmer took out a drawer from a wooden cabinet, and sketched on the bottom of it. He drew the American flag and wrote the word "Union" above it, among other war-related things, and then wrote his name and company identification on the bottom of the drawer. He put the drawer back and continued his service in the war.
But no one knew it was there, until someone tried to restore the cabinet, and in the summer of 2009, they turned over the drawer and found what Palmer had sketched 145 years before. It's now on display in a museum there, forever memorializing the service of Iowan Jerome Palmer, who enlisted for service in the Civil War on this date in 1862.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 24th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, July 21, 2017
"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 Thursday, July 20, 2017
"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 Wednesday, July 19, 2017
"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 Tuesday, July 18, 2017
"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 Monday, July 17, 2017
"The Boy Murderer"
John Elkins and his wife were killed on their Clayton County farm in the early morning hours of July 17th, 1889. Mr. Elkins was shot with a rifle, while Mrs. Elkins was beaten with a stick. 11-year-old John Wesley Elkins discovered the bodies and with his infant sister in his arms, reported the gruesome scene to neighbors a few miles away.
The governor offered a $500 reward for the arrest and capture of the person responsible.
From the start, suspicion focused on John Wesley's older brother, who had been at odds with his father. John Wesley showed no emotion about the deaths, which many thought curious. He told authorities he was sleeping in the barn that night and didn't hear a shot, or any other noise while his father and stepmother were brutally killed.
Ten days after the murders, John Wesley confessed. He said he had some difficulty with his father the night before, and shortly after 2 a.m., he took a rifle that had been hanging in the family's home and shot his father in the head. To cover up the crime, he then clubbed his stepmother to death and made the whole thing look like unknown robbers were involved.
He was sentenced to life in prison and sent to the Iowa State Penitentiary before he had reached the age of 12. He spent a dozen years in prison, but by 1902, there was a feeling that his incarceration at such a young age was itself illegal. The parole board voting against his release, but the Iowa legislature intervened, passing a bill approving a pardon...and the now 23-year-old John Wesley was released.
He wound up moving to Minnesota, graduating from college with honors. He later married, and died in 1961 in California, having lived into his mid eighties. That was something denied to his father and stepmother, when 11-year-old John Wesley Elkins murdered them in their sleep, on this date, in 1889.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 17th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Boy Murderer"
John Elkins and his wife were killed on their Clayton County farm in the early morning hours of July 17th, 1889. Mr. Elkins was shot with a rifle, while Mrs. Elkins was beaten with a stick. 11-year-old John Wesley Elkins discovered the bodies and with his infant sister in his arms, reported the gruesome scene to neighbors a few miles away.
The governor offered a $500 reward for the arrest and capture of the person responsible.
From the start, suspicion focused on John Wesley's older brother, who had been at odds with his father. John Wesley showed no emotion about the deaths, which many thought curious. He told authorities he was sleeping in the barn that night and didn't hear a shot, or any other noise while his father and stepmother were brutally killed.
Ten days after the murders, John Wesley confessed. He said he had some difficulty with his father the night before, and shortly after 2 a.m., he took a rifle that had been hanging in the family's home and shot his father in the head. To cover up the crime, he then clubbed his stepmother to death and made the whole thing look like unknown robbers were involved.
He was sentenced to life in prison and sent to the Iowa State Penitentiary before he had reached the age of 12. He spent a dozen years in prison, but by 1902, there was a feeling that his incarceration at such a young age was itself illegal. The parole board voting against his release, but the Iowa legislature intervened, passing a bill approving a pardon...and the now 23-year-old John Wesley was released.
He wound up moving to Minnesota, graduating from college with honors. He later married, and died in 1961 in California, having lived into his mid eighties. That was something denied to his father and stepmother, when 11-year-old John Wesley Elkins murdered them in their sleep, on this date, in 1889.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 17th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, July 14, 2017
"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 Thursday, July 13, 2017
"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 1981.
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 1981.
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 Wednesday, July 12, 2017
"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, and other general nature and horticulture topics. He wrote 13 books, including Beginner's Bee Book and Productive Bee-Keeping...both of which were written before 1920, but are still available on line today.
Today, backyard bee keeping is increasing in popularity in Iowa and across the nation as a hobby. Many use the same practices advocated more than a century ago by Iowa's resident expert on the topic, Frank Chapman Pellett, who was born on this date in 1879.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"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, and other general nature and horticulture topics. He wrote 13 books, including Beginner's Bee Book and Productive Bee-Keeping...both of which were written before 1920, but are still available on line today.
Today, backyard bee keeping is increasing in popularity in Iowa and across the nation as a hobby. Many use the same practices advocated more than a century ago by Iowa's resident expert on the topic, Frank Chapman Pellett, who was born on this date in 1879.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, July 11, 2017
"The Open In Iowa"
It became the biggest sports event in Iowa history. More than a quarter million people attended part of the U.S. Senior Open golf tournament at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club which began on July 11, 1999.
It was the first time in 36 years that a United States Golf Association championship was held in Iowa. That was the 1963 U.S. Amateur tournament, held at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines.
One of those amateurs was Dave Eichelberger. Thirty-six years later, the Waco, Texas native was back in Iowa for the U.S. Senior Open, one of five golfers who played in both the 1963 amateur and 1999 senior tournaments held in our state.
Ike, as he was known on the tour, was just one shot off the lead as the final round began. By the back nine, he was putting together a string of birdies that gave him a tournament total of 7 under par and a three stroke victory...and a first place check for $315,000.
Eichelberger was a four-time winner on the PGA tour, and a six time winner on the senior tour, now called the Champions Tour. His last win came in 2002.
A total of 252,800 fans attended the event, including 51,200 on the final day, when the U.S. Senior Open golf tournament was held in Des Moines, beginning on this date in 1999.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Open In Iowa"
It became the biggest sports event in Iowa history. More than a quarter million people attended part of the U.S. Senior Open golf tournament at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club which began on July 11, 1999.
It was the first time in 36 years that a United States Golf Association championship was held in Iowa. That was the 1963 U.S. Amateur tournament, held at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines.
One of those amateurs was Dave Eichelberger. Thirty-six years later, the Waco, Texas native was back in Iowa for the U.S. Senior Open, one of five golfers who played in both the 1963 amateur and 1999 senior tournaments held in our state.
Ike, as he was known on the tour, was just one shot off the lead as the final round began. By the back nine, he was putting together a string of birdies that gave him a tournament total of 7 under par and a three stroke victory...and a first place check for $315,000.
Eichelberger was a four-time winner on the PGA tour, and a six time winner on the senior tour, now called the Champions Tour. His last win came in 2002.
A total of 252,800 fans attended the event, including 51,200 on the final day, when the U.S. Senior Open golf tournament was held in Des Moines, beginning on this date in 1999.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, July 10, 2017
"A City Without Water"
The rains fell and the rivers rose. On the night of July 10th, 1993, came the word that was unthinkable--the Des Moines Water Works Plant would soon be shut down. The water supply to Iowa's largest city would be turned off.
L.D. McMullen was director of the water works at the time. He said shutting the plant down just before the Raccoon River water came over the levee protecting it meant they could get water back to citizens in a matter of weeks, instead of months.
The Raccoon created at a record 26.75 feet, nearly two feet higher than the levee. Des Moines became the largest city in the U.S. to be without water in modern times. It brought national media and even the president to Des Moines.
After the waters receded a bit, crews spent a week pumping six feet of water out of the plant. Twelve days after the plant shut down, people could flush their toilets again. After another week, it was again safe to drink water from a faucet.
Some still have souvenirs from that time, including metal cans of drinking water produced by Anheuser-Busch. And even now, more than 20 years later, the memories are still strong of the then-record flooding that left Des Moines without its water supply, on this date in 1993.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 10th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A City Without Water"
The rains fell and the rivers rose. On the night of July 10th, 1993, came the word that was unthinkable--the Des Moines Water Works Plant would soon be shut down. The water supply to Iowa's largest city would be turned off.
L.D. McMullen was director of the water works at the time. He said shutting the plant down just before the Raccoon River water came over the levee protecting it meant they could get water back to citizens in a matter of weeks, instead of months.
The Raccoon created at a record 26.75 feet, nearly two feet higher than the levee. Des Moines became the largest city in the U.S. to be without water in modern times. It brought national media and even the president to Des Moines.
After the waters receded a bit, crews spent a week pumping six feet of water out of the plant. Twelve days after the plant shut down, people could flush their toilets again. After another week, it was again safe to drink water from a faucet.
Some still have souvenirs from that time, including metal cans of drinking water produced by Anheuser-Busch. And even now, more than 20 years later, the memories are still strong of the then-record flooding that left Des Moines without its water supply, on this date in 1993.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 10th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, July 7, 2017
"Iowa's Rosa Parks"
Edna and Stanley Griffin moved to Des Moines in 1947. Stanley attended what is now Des Moines University, and Edna raised their three children at their Beaverdale home, one of the few African-American families in the neighborhood at the time.
On July 7, 1948, Edna Griffin and her 1-year-old daughter Phyllis, along with John Bibbs and Leonard Hudson, stopped at the Katz Drug Store in downtown Des Moines. It was one of the hottest days of the summer so far, and Edna ordered an ice cream soda. But the group was refused service, since the store was, in the phrasing of the time, "not equipped to serve colored people".
That did not sit well with Edna Griffin, who organized a boycott, conducted sit-ins, and picketed in front of the drug store on the southeast corner of Seventh and Locust streets every Saturday for two months.
In addition, Bibbs, Hudson and Griffin sought criminal charges against store owner Maurice Katz for violating the 1884 Iowa Civil Rights Act, which prohibited discrimination in a public place. Katz was found guilty, a conviction upheld by the Iowa Supreme Court the next year.
Edna Griffin then sued Katz in civil court, and won. Her case meant that lunch counters, soda fountains and restaurants in Des Moines, by law, had to serve African-Americans. And the building where the drug store was located? It's now named for her.
So long before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus, long before Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his "I Have A Dream" speech, there was Edna Griffin, who fought back when she was refused service at a Des Moines drug store soda fountain, on this date in 1948.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa's Rosa Parks"
Edna and Stanley Griffin moved to Des Moines in 1947. Stanley attended what is now Des Moines University, and Edna raised their three children at their Beaverdale home, one of the few African-American families in the neighborhood at the time.
On July 7, 1948, Edna Griffin and her 1-year-old daughter Phyllis, along with John Bibbs and Leonard Hudson, stopped at the Katz Drug Store in downtown Des Moines. It was one of the hottest days of the summer so far, and Edna ordered an ice cream soda. But the group was refused service, since the store was, in the phrasing of the time, "not equipped to serve colored people".
That did not sit well with Edna Griffin, who organized a boycott, conducted sit-ins, and picketed in front of the drug store on the southeast corner of Seventh and Locust streets every Saturday for two months.
In addition, Bibbs, Hudson and Griffin sought criminal charges against store owner Maurice Katz for violating the 1884 Iowa Civil Rights Act, which prohibited discrimination in a public place. Katz was found guilty, a conviction upheld by the Iowa Supreme Court the next year.
Edna Griffin then sued Katz in civil court, and won. Her case meant that lunch counters, soda fountains and restaurants in Des Moines, by law, had to serve African-Americans. And the building where the drug store was located? It's now named for her.
So long before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus, long before Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his "I Have A Dream" speech, there was Edna Griffin, who fought back when she was refused service at a Des Moines drug store soda fountain, on this date in 1948.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, July 6, 2017
"A Teenage Heroine"
Today if a storm is in the distance, we can turn to a radio, television or computer to see how bad the weather will be. But on July 6th, 1881, no such devices existed, and a 15-year-old girl living near Moingona, Iowa risked her own life to save others, gaining national fame and lasting gratitude from a railroad company.
Kate Shelley lived with her mother and three younger siblings on a farm. Their homestead was on the side of a hill with a view of two railroad bridges that spanned Honey Creek, just to the east of the Des Moines River.
Normally, Honey Creek was calm. But that night, a storm dropped heavy rains into streams and rivers that were already bank-full. Around midnight, the family was startled to hear two taps of an engine bell, followed by what Kate later recalled to be a "horrible crash". It was the sound of a locomotive, whose crew was checking for washouts, dropping into Honey Creek.
She put on an old jacket and straw hat, and with only a partially damaged lantern to light her path, Kate set out in the storm, traveling through dense woods to reach the bridge.
Two members of the four-man crew had drowned, but two others were still alive, clinging to nearby trees. Kate said she would go to the Moingona depot for help.
That meant crossing a 637-foot-long bridge over the Des Moines River, crawling on her hands and knees in the dark, onto spiked railroad ties spaced a full foot apart, while the storm continued to rage.
She made her way across the bridge and ran to the depot. She told of the bridge failure, and urged that a forthcoming passenger train be stopped. The two men were saved and all trains approaching the bridge were stopped.
The next time you cross the Kate Shelley Bridge in Boone County, now you'll remember the heroics of a 15-year-old girl, whose bravery saved lives on this date in 1881.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Teenage Heroine"
Today if a storm is in the distance, we can turn to a radio, television or computer to see how bad the weather will be. But on July 6th, 1881, no such devices existed, and a 15-year-old girl living near Moingona, Iowa risked her own life to save others, gaining national fame and lasting gratitude from a railroad company.
Kate Shelley lived with her mother and three younger siblings on a farm. Their homestead was on the side of a hill with a view of two railroad bridges that spanned Honey Creek, just to the east of the Des Moines River.
Normally, Honey Creek was calm. But that night, a storm dropped heavy rains into streams and rivers that were already bank-full. Around midnight, the family was startled to hear two taps of an engine bell, followed by what Kate later recalled to be a "horrible crash". It was the sound of a locomotive, whose crew was checking for washouts, dropping into Honey Creek.
She put on an old jacket and straw hat, and with only a partially damaged lantern to light her path, Kate set out in the storm, traveling through dense woods to reach the bridge.
Two members of the four-man crew had drowned, but two others were still alive, clinging to nearby trees. Kate said she would go to the Moingona depot for help.
That meant crossing a 637-foot-long bridge over the Des Moines River, crawling on her hands and knees in the dark, onto spiked railroad ties spaced a full foot apart, while the storm continued to rage.
She made her way across the bridge and ran to the depot. She told of the bridge failure, and urged that a forthcoming passenger train be stopped. The two men were saved and all trains approaching the bridge were stopped.
The next time you cross the Kate Shelley Bridge in Boone County, now you'll remember the heroics of a 15-year-old girl, whose bravery saved lives on this date in 1881.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, July 5, 2017
"The Voice of Nancy Drew"
For many young women in the 1920s and 1930s, role models were somewhat hard to find. After all, women only had the right to vote for about a decade at the time.
But a series of detective novels for young people featured a female character, Nancy Drew, who despite her young age solved mystery after mystery.
And despite her true identity being a secret for more than 50 years, the original author of the series was Ladora, Iowa native Mildred Wirt Benson, who was born Mildred Augustine on July 5th, 1905.
A born writer, at age 12, Millie sold her first story to St. Nicholas magazine. She earned her journalism degree at the University of Iowa in 1925, and two years later, was the first person to earn a masters degree in journalism there.
In 1929, she received a slim outline of an idea for a book, and for $125 and no royalties, she wrote the first Nancy Drew novel, "The Secret of the Old Clock". It was an immediate hit, featuring a smart, curious, independent and thoughtful character that soon became a role model for millions of girls.
Millie wrote 22 of the first 25 Nancy Drew books in the 1930s and 1940s, and then wrote another in 1953. But all the while, she kept her identity a secret...the author of all the books was listed as Carolyn Keene.
She worked for newspapers in Toledo, Ohio from 1944 until her death in 2002, just short of her 97th birthday.
In the last decade of her life, she was celebrated as the original author of the famous series, including being at the center of a national Nancy Drew conference at the University of Iowa.
The woman who gave life to teenage detective Nancy Drew...Mildred Wirt Benson...was born in Ladora on this date in 1905.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Voice of Nancy Drew"
For many young women in the 1920s and 1930s, role models were somewhat hard to find. After all, women only had the right to vote for about a decade at the time.
But a series of detective novels for young people featured a female character, Nancy Drew, who despite her young age solved mystery after mystery.
And despite her true identity being a secret for more than 50 years, the original author of the series was Ladora, Iowa native Mildred Wirt Benson, who was born Mildred Augustine on July 5th, 1905.
A born writer, at age 12, Millie sold her first story to St. Nicholas magazine. She earned her journalism degree at the University of Iowa in 1925, and two years later, was the first person to earn a masters degree in journalism there.
In 1929, she received a slim outline of an idea for a book, and for $125 and no royalties, she wrote the first Nancy Drew novel, "The Secret of the Old Clock". It was an immediate hit, featuring a smart, curious, independent and thoughtful character that soon became a role model for millions of girls.
Millie wrote 22 of the first 25 Nancy Drew books in the 1930s and 1940s, and then wrote another in 1953. But all the while, she kept her identity a secret...the author of all the books was listed as Carolyn Keene.
She worked for newspapers in Toledo, Ohio from 1944 until her death in 2002, just short of her 97th birthday.
In the last decade of her life, she was celebrated as the original author of the famous series, including being at the center of a national Nancy Drew conference at the University of Iowa.
The woman who gave life to teenage detective Nancy Drew...Mildred Wirt Benson...was born in Ladora on this date in 1905.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, July 4, 2017
"Liquor By The Drink"
Last month, we told you a bit about Iowa's history as a state with alcohol. After prohibition was lifted in 1934, Iowa sold liquor, but only through a series of state-run liquor stores. The first ones opened in Des Moines, Marshalltown, Mason City, Atlantic, and Oelwein in June of that year.
Customers had to carry log books, in which clerks would write down what they bought, how much, and when. Employees had the right to refuse to sell a bottle of alcohol to a customer whose log book appeared to be too full.
Those log books were required until July 4, 1963. That's when a state law took effect that also legalized liquor by the drink in our state.
Prior to that time, only beer could be consumed over the bar. Liquor was only available in private clubs.
It was a major issue in the 1962 campaign for governor. Democrat Harold Hughes (pictured above), himself a recovering alcoholic, advocated more liberal liquor laws, and after he was elected, the Iowa Legislature in 1963 passed a law that allowed liquor by the drink in bars. However, counties had the right of opting out of the law and remaining dry. That option remained in effect until 1972. And Sunday liquor sales were not allowed until 1973.
It didn't take long for that first legal drink in a bar to be served. Just a day after the law took effect, a restaurant in the lakes resort area of northwest Iowa served the first legal drink in the state in more than 40 years.
Over time, society and laws changed, and now liquor is available in grocery stores and convenience stores, and establishments can get licenses to serve liquor far more easily than in the past.
But the law allowing liquor to be sold by the drink for the first time since prohibition took effect on this date in 1963.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Liquor By The Drink"
Last month, we told you a bit about Iowa's history as a state with alcohol. After prohibition was lifted in 1934, Iowa sold liquor, but only through a series of state-run liquor stores. The first ones opened in Des Moines, Marshalltown, Mason City, Atlantic, and Oelwein in June of that year.
Customers had to carry log books, in which clerks would write down what they bought, how much, and when. Employees had the right to refuse to sell a bottle of alcohol to a customer whose log book appeared to be too full.
Those log books were required until July 4, 1963. That's when a state law took effect that also legalized liquor by the drink in our state.
Prior to that time, only beer could be consumed over the bar. Liquor was only available in private clubs.
It was a major issue in the 1962 campaign for governor. Democrat Harold Hughes (pictured above), himself a recovering alcoholic, advocated more liberal liquor laws, and after he was elected, the Iowa Legislature in 1963 passed a law that allowed liquor by the drink in bars. However, counties had the right of opting out of the law and remaining dry. That option remained in effect until 1972. And Sunday liquor sales were not allowed until 1973.
It didn't take long for that first legal drink in a bar to be served. Just a day after the law took effect, a restaurant in the lakes resort area of northwest Iowa served the first legal drink in the state in more than 40 years.
Over time, society and laws changed, and now liquor is available in grocery stores and convenience stores, and establishments can get licenses to serve liquor far more easily than in the past.
But the law allowing liquor to be sold by the drink for the first time since prohibition took effect on this date in 1963.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, July 3, 2017
"The Earth Shook"
When you think of earthquakes, Iowa normally does not come to mind. However, the land that is now the state of Iowa has had a few over time.
The area around Sioux City is actually more prone to earth tremors than many other parts of the state, due to the Missouri River and hilly terrain. The likelihood is still quite low, however.
On July 3rd, 1858, the Sioux City area was shaken by an earthquake. It was the first earthquake in Iowa documented by reliable historical records. The New Madrid, Missouri earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 may have been stronger, but the lack of good data makes it hard to accurately assess that incident.
The 1858 earthquake was followed relatively soon after by another moderately strong one, on October 9, 1872. That quake was felt by a 3,000 square mile area, including adjoining portions of the Dakotas.
Just five years later, on November 15, 1877, another earthquake was felt throughout Iowa and eastern Nebraska, and in parts of Missouri, Kansas, the Dakotas, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. While the strongest effects were noted in Nebraska, large cracks in the walls of several buildings in Sioux City resulted from this shock. A second earthquake was reported 45 minutes later.
But newspaper reports described the tremors as of sufficient force to shake pictures and crockery from their places, when an earthquake struck Sioux City, on this date in 1858.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 3rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Earth Shook"
When you think of earthquakes, Iowa normally does not come to mind. However, the land that is now the state of Iowa has had a few over time.
The area around Sioux City is actually more prone to earth tremors than many other parts of the state, due to the Missouri River and hilly terrain. The likelihood is still quite low, however.
On July 3rd, 1858, the Sioux City area was shaken by an earthquake. It was the first earthquake in Iowa documented by reliable historical records. The New Madrid, Missouri earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 may have been stronger, but the lack of good data makes it hard to accurately assess that incident.
The 1858 earthquake was followed relatively soon after by another moderately strong one, on October 9, 1872. That quake was felt by a 3,000 square mile area, including adjoining portions of the Dakotas.
Just five years later, on November 15, 1877, another earthquake was felt throughout Iowa and eastern Nebraska, and in parts of Missouri, Kansas, the Dakotas, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. While the strongest effects were noted in Nebraska, large cracks in the walls of several buildings in Sioux City resulted from this shock. A second earthquake was reported 45 minutes later.
But newspaper reports described the tremors as of sufficient force to shake pictures and crockery from their places, when an earthquake struck Sioux City, on this date in 1858.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 3rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
