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Copyright 2020 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 2020 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, July 31, 2020
"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 in Fayette County.
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 fair amount 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…50 years ago today
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 in Fayette County.
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 fair amount 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…50 years ago today
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 Thursday, July 30, 2020
"Winning Olympic Gold"
Over the past few years, you've heard a lot about the 1976 Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon for reasons other than sports. But while training and attending Graceland College in Lamoni, he was known as Bruce Jenner.
Jenner actually attended Graceland on a football scholarship, but had to stop playing due to a knee injury. Graceland track coach L.D. Weldon saw his athletic potential, though, and Jenner began training for the decathlon, making his debut in the event in the 1970 Drake Relays. He finished fifth, and later qualified for the 1972 U.S. Olympic team in the event. He finished 10th in the Munich Games, and after graduating from Graceland the next year, continued his training, selling insurance at night to make ends meet, all the while aiming his sights at Montreal in 1976.
Jenner racked up 8,616 points in the 1976 games, smashing the world record he had just set at the U.S. Olympic trials by nearly 100 points. The iconic image of Jenner carrying a small American flag during that victory lap is etched in many of our memories. In fact, it started a tradition that is now common among winning athletes.
Bruce Jenner became just the second person to be pictured on the front of a Wheaties cereal box. Today's generation knows Jenner for reality television shows and publicly discussing gender identification. But it was Graceland alum Bruce Jenner who won Olympic gold and the title of world's greatest athlete, on this date, in 1976.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 30th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Winning Olympic Gold"
Over the past few years, you've heard a lot about the 1976 Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon for reasons other than sports. But while training and attending Graceland College in Lamoni, he was known as Bruce Jenner.
Jenner actually attended Graceland on a football scholarship, but had to stop playing due to a knee injury. Graceland track coach L.D. Weldon saw his athletic potential, though, and Jenner began training for the decathlon, making his debut in the event in the 1970 Drake Relays. He finished fifth, and later qualified for the 1972 U.S. Olympic team in the event. He finished 10th in the Munich Games, and after graduating from Graceland the next year, continued his training, selling insurance at night to make ends meet, all the while aiming his sights at Montreal in 1976.
Jenner racked up 8,616 points in the 1976 games, smashing the world record he had just set at the U.S. Olympic trials by nearly 100 points. The iconic image of Jenner carrying a small American flag during that victory lap is etched in many of our memories. In fact, it started a tradition that is now common among winning athletes.
Bruce Jenner became just the second person to be pictured on the front of a Wheaties cereal box. Today's generation knows Jenner for reality television shows and publicly discussing gender identification. But it was Graceland alum Bruce Jenner who won Olympic gold and the title of world's greatest athlete, on this date, in 1976.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 30th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, July 29, 2020
"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 Tuesday, July 28, 2020
"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 worked 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 worked 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 Monday, July 27, 2020
"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 Friday, July 24, 2020
"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 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 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 Thursday, July 23, 2020
"A New Way of Shaving"
Jacob Schick was born in Ottumwa on September 16, 1877. He served in the Army in the Philippines in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and returned to service during World War I, eventually becoming a lieutenant colonel.
In between those Army stints, Schick staked mining claims in Alaska and Canada. During one particularly cold winter there, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees below zero, he noticed he had a difficult time trying to shave with a conventional razor and shaving cream.
Due to an ankle injury, he had to remain in camp alone for several months, and it was during that time he first thought of the idea of a shaver that could be used without water or lather...a dry shaver. But when he returned to the continental U.S. after the war, no one was interested in his idea of a dry shaver. So in 1921, he invented a new type of safety razor, inspired by the army repeating rifle. The Magazine Repeating Razor had replacement blades stored in the handle, ready to be fed into shaving position without fear of a cut from a sharp blade.
But Jacob Schick did not give up on his original idea, and on July 23, 1929, he received a patent for the first electric razor, one which would shave without water or lather. He was so confident that the product would be a success, he sold his interest in the Magazine Repeating Razor company, and founded a new one to produce and sell Schick electric razors.
He also invented a boat for use in shallow water, and an improved pencil sharpener. But Ottumwa's Jacob Schick is probably best known for inventing the first electric razor, which received its patent on this date in 1929.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 23rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A New Way of Shaving"
Jacob Schick was born in Ottumwa on September 16, 1877. He served in the Army in the Philippines in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and returned to service during World War I, eventually becoming a lieutenant colonel.
In between those Army stints, Schick staked mining claims in Alaska and Canada. During one particularly cold winter there, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees below zero, he noticed he had a difficult time trying to shave with a conventional razor and shaving cream.
Due to an ankle injury, he had to remain in camp alone for several months, and it was during that time he first thought of the idea of a shaver that could be used without water or lather...a dry shaver. But when he returned to the continental U.S. after the war, no one was interested in his idea of a dry shaver. So in 1921, he invented a new type of safety razor, inspired by the army repeating rifle. The Magazine Repeating Razor had replacement blades stored in the handle, ready to be fed into shaving position without fear of a cut from a sharp blade.
But Jacob Schick did not give up on his original idea, and on July 23, 1929, he received a patent for the first electric razor, one which would shave without water or lather. He was so confident that the product would be a success, he sold his interest in the Magazine Repeating Razor company, and founded a new one to produce and sell Schick electric razors.
He also invented a boat for use in shallow water, and an improved pencil sharpener. But Ottumwa's Jacob Schick is probably best known for inventing the first electric razor, which received its patent on this date in 1929.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 23rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, July 22, 2020
"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 Country 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 Country 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 Tuesday, July 21, 2020
"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 Monday, July 20, 2020
"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 roles 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 remain 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 roles 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 remain 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 Friday, July 17, 2020
"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 voted 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 voted 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 Thursday, July 16, 2020
"A Not Guilty Verdict"
The American Indian Movement, or AIM, was founded in 1968 to address concerns regarding Native American sovereignty, treaty issues, and leadership, while also addressing incidents of racism and police harassment. While much violence occurred during the 1970s in South Dakota, it was a federal courtroom in Cedar Rapids that served as the stage for one of the more remarkable events of the time.
Leonard Peltier, Darrelle Butler, and Robert Roubideau were charged with the murders of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in 1975. How the interaction with the agents started, and who shot first, was in dispute; what was not in dispute was that more than 100 shots were fired, and that the agents were killed execution style, each shot in the head while they lay on the ground.
Peltier fled to Canada, leaving Butler and Roubideau to stand trial in federal court. Given the racial strife at the time, the trial was moved from South Dakota to Cedar Rapids, in the courtroom of Judge Edward McManus.
The two men admitted they were present at the shoot-out and had exchanged fire with the agents, but said they were defending their women and children from a pattern of federal abuse that explained their behavior. They denied firing the fatal shots, however.
The flamboyant defense attorney William Kuntsler represented the pair, demonstrating a pattern of FBI misconduct in other prosecutions of AIM members and tension between AIM and the FBI, with Indians fearing an all-out attack on them by the federal government.
The jury deliberated for five days and said they were hopelessly deadlocked. Judge McManus ordered the jury to continue its work, and on July 16, 1976, they delivered a not guilty verdict, saying the atmosphere of fear and violence on the reservation led to the defendants feeling they were acting in self-defense. Peltier was later returned to the U.S. and convicted, with many still working to overturn his convictions to this day.
But it was a jury in Cedar Rapids that found two American Indian Movement members not guilty of murder, on this date in 1976.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 16th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Not Guilty Verdict"
The American Indian Movement, or AIM, was founded in 1968 to address concerns regarding Native American sovereignty, treaty issues, and leadership, while also addressing incidents of racism and police harassment. While much violence occurred during the 1970s in South Dakota, it was a federal courtroom in Cedar Rapids that served as the stage for one of the more remarkable events of the time.
Leonard Peltier, Darrelle Butler, and Robert Roubideau were charged with the murders of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in 1975. How the interaction with the agents started, and who shot first, was in dispute; what was not in dispute was that more than 100 shots were fired, and that the agents were killed execution style, each shot in the head while they lay on the ground.
Peltier fled to Canada, leaving Butler and Roubideau to stand trial in federal court. Given the racial strife at the time, the trial was moved from South Dakota to Cedar Rapids, in the courtroom of Judge Edward McManus.
The two men admitted they were present at the shoot-out and had exchanged fire with the agents, but said they were defending their women and children from a pattern of federal abuse that explained their behavior. They denied firing the fatal shots, however.
The flamboyant defense attorney William Kuntsler represented the pair, demonstrating a pattern of FBI misconduct in other prosecutions of AIM members and tension between AIM and the FBI, with Indians fearing an all-out attack on them by the federal government.
The jury deliberated for five days and said they were hopelessly deadlocked. Judge McManus ordered the jury to continue its work, and on July 16, 1976, they delivered a not guilty verdict, saying the atmosphere of fear and violence on the reservation led to the defendants feeling they were acting in self-defense. Peltier was later returned to the U.S. and convicted, with many still working to overturn his convictions to this day.
But it was a jury in Cedar Rapids that found two American Indian Movement members not guilty of murder, on this date in 1976.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 16th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, July 15, 2020
"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 responded 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 after it was originally formed, 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 responded 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 after it was originally formed, 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 Tuesday, July 14, 2020
"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 Monday, July 13, 2020
"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, leading to the capture of James “T-Bone” Taylor after killing two Waterloo police officers in the early morning hours 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, leading to the capture of James “T-Bone” Taylor after killing two Waterloo police officers in the early morning hours 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 Friday, July 10, 2020
"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 crested 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 a quarter century 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 crested 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 a quarter century 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 Thursday, July 9, 2020
"Iowa's Heisman Winner"
On July 9th, 1918, one of Iowa's most famous athletes and citizens was born in Adel: Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr.
You probably know that Kinnick was a consensus All-American football player at the University of Iowa, who won the 1939 Heisman Trophy, the only Hawkeye to ever be so honored. He is one of only two Iowa players to have his jersey number retired, and the Hawkeyes' home has been called Kinnick Stadium since 1972.
You probably also know that he enlisted in the Naval Air Reserve, and reported for induction three days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was trained to be a fighter pilot. And on June 2nd, 1943, while on a routine training flight from an aircraft carrier, his plane became disabled and he died after executing an emergency landing in the water, barely a month before his 25th birthday. His body was never found.
But did you know that Nile Kinnick was a devout Christian Scientist? Or that he also played baseball and basketball, as well as football, for the Hawkeyes? Or that he was student body president during his senior year at Iowa, and gave the commencement speech for his graduating class in 1940?
They say his acceptance speech at the Heisman Trophy presentation in New York was one of the best ever.
Every football player in these United States dreams about winning that trophy, and of this fine trip to New York. Every player considers that trophy the acme in recognition of this kind. And the fact that I am actually receiving this trophy tonight almost overwhelms me, and I know that all those boys who have gone before me must have felt somewhat the same way.
And given later events, these words from that 1939 speech are especially eerie:
Finally, if you will permit me, I'd like to make a comment which in my mind, is indicative, perhaps, of the greater significance of football and sports emphasis in general in this country, and that is, I thank God I was warring on the gridirons of the Midwest and not on the battlefields of Europe.
Had Nile Kinnick lived, would he have gone on to be Iowa governor, as his grandfather had? Or maybe a professional football player, since he was offered a contract for that? We'll never know, but the bright light that was Nile Kinnick began shining when he was born on this date in 1918.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 9th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa's Heisman Winner"
On July 9th, 1918, one of Iowa's most famous athletes and citizens was born in Adel: Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr.
You probably know that Kinnick was a consensus All-American football player at the University of Iowa, who won the 1939 Heisman Trophy, the only Hawkeye to ever be so honored. He is one of only two Iowa players to have his jersey number retired, and the Hawkeyes' home has been called Kinnick Stadium since 1972.
You probably also know that he enlisted in the Naval Air Reserve, and reported for induction three days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was trained to be a fighter pilot. And on June 2nd, 1943, while on a routine training flight from an aircraft carrier, his plane became disabled and he died after executing an emergency landing in the water, barely a month before his 25th birthday. His body was never found.
But did you know that Nile Kinnick was a devout Christian Scientist? Or that he also played baseball and basketball, as well as football, for the Hawkeyes? Or that he was student body president during his senior year at Iowa, and gave the commencement speech for his graduating class in 1940?
They say his acceptance speech at the Heisman Trophy presentation in New York was one of the best ever.
Every football player in these United States dreams about winning that trophy, and of this fine trip to New York. Every player considers that trophy the acme in recognition of this kind. And the fact that I am actually receiving this trophy tonight almost overwhelms me, and I know that all those boys who have gone before me must have felt somewhat the same way.
And given later events, these words from that 1939 speech are especially eerie:
Finally, if you will permit me, I'd like to make a comment which in my mind, is indicative, perhaps, of the greater significance of football and sports emphasis in general in this country, and that is, I thank God I was warring on the gridirons of the Midwest and not on the battlefields of Europe.
Had Nile Kinnick lived, would he have gone on to be Iowa governor, as his grandfather had? Or maybe a professional football player, since he was offered a contract for that? We'll never know, but the bright light that was Nile Kinnick began shining when he was born on this date in 1918.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 9th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, July 8, 2020
"Transitional Learning"
Many private colleges and universities in Iowa were founded by churches, as a way to enhance faith-based learning.
On July 8, 1891, Buena Vista College was founded in Storm Lake by the Presbyterian Church, with the first classes held in the Storm Lake Opera House. The college soon expanded, made up of four buildings in a small area; over time, the campus has grown to nearly two dozen buildings which cover a handful of blocks along the shores of Storm Lake.
The college’s first building, known as Old Main, opened in 1892 and was the primary building on the campus until it was destroyed by fire in 1956. The loss of Old Main led Buena Vista to evaluate its needs, and soon a decade-long expansion project was initiated, with construction of three residence halls, a science building, physical education complex, library, campus center, auditorium and a classroom-administration building, all during the 1950s and 1960s.
Recognizing that it’s hard for some people to continue their learning on a campus, Buena Vista decided to bring the campus to the people. In the mid-1970s, the college opened its first satellite location to help serve the needs of non-traditional students who could not attend classes in Storm Lake. These were typically in partnership with community college facilities, to allow students of all types to expand upon a two-year degree with a full four-year degree from Buena Vista, right in their hometowns. Now there are 16 satellite locations across the state, plus online programs.
And in 1995, Buena Vista began offering its first graduate degrees, leading to a name change…from college to university.
In 2000, Buena Vista University became the nation’s first “wireless community” by providing laptops to all full-time students and faculty in Storm Lake, with the ability to connect to a campus-wide wireless network.
From its first days in the local opera house, to becoming a technology leader…what was originally called Buena Vista College was founded by the Presbyterian Church on this date in 1891.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 8th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Transitional Learning"
Many private colleges and universities in Iowa were founded by churches, as a way to enhance faith-based learning.
On July 8, 1891, Buena Vista College was founded in Storm Lake by the Presbyterian Church, with the first classes held in the Storm Lake Opera House. The college soon expanded, made up of four buildings in a small area; over time, the campus has grown to nearly two dozen buildings which cover a handful of blocks along the shores of Storm Lake.
The college’s first building, known as Old Main, opened in 1892 and was the primary building on the campus until it was destroyed by fire in 1956. The loss of Old Main led Buena Vista to evaluate its needs, and soon a decade-long expansion project was initiated, with construction of three residence halls, a science building, physical education complex, library, campus center, auditorium and a classroom-administration building, all during the 1950s and 1960s.
Recognizing that it’s hard for some people to continue their learning on a campus, Buena Vista decided to bring the campus to the people. In the mid-1970s, the college opened its first satellite location to help serve the needs of non-traditional students who could not attend classes in Storm Lake. These were typically in partnership with community college facilities, to allow students of all types to expand upon a two-year degree with a full four-year degree from Buena Vista, right in their hometowns. Now there are 16 satellite locations across the state, plus online programs.
And in 1995, Buena Vista began offering its first graduate degrees, leading to a name change…from college to university.
In 2000, Buena Vista University became the nation’s first “wireless community” by providing laptops to all full-time students and faculty in Storm Lake, with the ability to connect to a campus-wide wireless network.
From its first days in the local opera house, to becoming a technology leader…what was originally called Buena Vista College was founded by the Presbyterian Church on this date in 1891.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 8th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, July 7, 2020
"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 Monday, July 6, 2020
"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 Friday, July 3, 2020
"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.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, July 2, 2020
"The Historic Courthouse"
The first time court was held in Monroe County, shortly after Iowa became a state, it was convened in a log house at Clark's Point. Judge Charles Mason traveled to the site to handle a series of cases, as was the custom, over a period of days. The house had no floor, and the judge, lawyers, and court officials slept on the ground. There was no barn, so the horses were simply tied under the trees. One night during a severe storm, the horses were brought into the courtroom and stabled until morning. Locals like to say that the first court was therefore held in a barn.
Times changed, though, and ultimately Monroe County's third courthouse was dedicated on October 26th, 1903. It was a three-story sandstone building constructed at a cost of $100,000.
This courthouse in particular shaped the development of Albia. It was the first building to use stone and neo-classical style architecture, which influenced the buildings that were later added to the business district.
The building made great use of marble, from floors to counters. The Clerk of Court's office had a metal spiral stairway connecting to the courtroom on the third floor.
The building originally had a 1,000-pound metal bell made of copper and black tin. It was removed from the clock tower in 1970, and is now displayed on the east side of the courthouse park.
The unique design and materials used in the Monroe County Courthouse led to its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, on this date in 1981.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 2nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Historic Courthouse"
The first time court was held in Monroe County, shortly after Iowa became a state, it was convened in a log house at Clark's Point. Judge Charles Mason traveled to the site to handle a series of cases, as was the custom, over a period of days. The house had no floor, and the judge, lawyers, and court officials slept on the ground. There was no barn, so the horses were simply tied under the trees. One night during a severe storm, the horses were brought into the courtroom and stabled until morning. Locals like to say that the first court was therefore held in a barn.
Times changed, though, and ultimately Monroe County's third courthouse was dedicated on October 26th, 1903. It was a three-story sandstone building constructed at a cost of $100,000.
This courthouse in particular shaped the development of Albia. It was the first building to use stone and neo-classical style architecture, which influenced the buildings that were later added to the business district.
The building made great use of marble, from floors to counters. The Clerk of Court's office had a metal spiral stairway connecting to the courtroom on the third floor.
The building originally had a 1,000-pound metal bell made of copper and black tin. It was removed from the clock tower in 1970, and is now displayed on the east side of the courthouse park.
The unique design and materials used in the Monroe County Courthouse led to its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, on this date in 1981.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 2nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, July 1, 2020
"The Lincoln Highway"
Americans have seemingly always wanted to connect our nation from coast to coast. The first explorers traveled westward to find the end of the continent. Then came the railroad and the race to connect east to west. Finally, in the 20th century, with the advent of the automobile, the push was for a highway that spanned across the United States.
Carl Fisher was an early auto enthusiast. He was one of the investors in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and built the gas headlights used in early automobiles. He dreamed of a transcontinental highway, and by 1912, began to build on that dream. His theory was that the popularity of automobiles was dependent on having quality roads, so if there were good roads, he thought more people would drive cars. In a short time, he had raised a million dollars in funding for the highway, from major contributors including Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, and then-president Woodrow Wilson.
On July 1st, 1913, the Lincoln Highway Association was created, "to procure the establishment of a continuous improved highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific, open to lawful traffic of all description without toll charges." Their mission was to get the highway built and then promote it.
Ultimately, the highway would run from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, a span of 3,389 miles. In Iowa, the highway ran through Clinton, Belle Plaine, Marshalltown, Boone, and Missouri Valley.
Soon highways were numbered, instead of named, and the route of the Lincoln Highway essentially became U.S. Highway 30. Thanks to highway changes over time, today's Highway 30 lines up with only a quarter of the original Lincoln Highway.
Today, you'll find markers along much of the original route, featuring a large L, as well as some unique vestiges, such as the stone bridge east of Tama that spells out the words Lincoln Highway on each side.
But the grassroots movement, to get Americans excited about a transcontinental highway started with the creation of the Lincoln Highway Association, on this date in 1913.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 1st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Lincoln Highway"
Americans have seemingly always wanted to connect our nation from coast to coast. The first explorers traveled westward to find the end of the continent. Then came the railroad and the race to connect east to west. Finally, in the 20th century, with the advent of the automobile, the push was for a highway that spanned across the United States.
Carl Fisher was an early auto enthusiast. He was one of the investors in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and built the gas headlights used in early automobiles. He dreamed of a transcontinental highway, and by 1912, began to build on that dream. His theory was that the popularity of automobiles was dependent on having quality roads, so if there were good roads, he thought more people would drive cars. In a short time, he had raised a million dollars in funding for the highway, from major contributors including Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, and then-president Woodrow Wilson.
On July 1st, 1913, the Lincoln Highway Association was created, "to procure the establishment of a continuous improved highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific, open to lawful traffic of all description without toll charges." Their mission was to get the highway built and then promote it.
Ultimately, the highway would run from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, a span of 3,389 miles. In Iowa, the highway ran through Clinton, Belle Plaine, Marshalltown, Boone, and Missouri Valley.
Soon highways were numbered, instead of named, and the route of the Lincoln Highway essentially became U.S. Highway 30. Thanks to highway changes over time, today's Highway 30 lines up with only a quarter of the original Lincoln Highway.
Today, you'll find markers along much of the original route, featuring a large L, as well as some unique vestiges, such as the stone bridge east of Tama that spells out the words Lincoln Highway on each side.
But the grassroots movement, to get Americans excited about a transcontinental highway started with the creation of the Lincoln Highway Association, on this date in 1913.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 1st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.