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Copyright 2022 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 2022 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, July 29, 2022
"The Butter Cow Lady"
Norma Duffield Stong was born on July 29th, 1929. She got her nickname, Duffy, from her middle name. Her uncle was Phil Stong, who wrote a book called "State Fair" which was later made into a movie. Given that background, her later claim to fame was probably preordained.
In 1950, Duffy married Toledo dairy farmer Joe Lyon; they had nine children, all of whom participated in the Lyon Jerseys business at one time or another.
She took over creating the annual Iowa State Fair butter cow in 1960, and became so closely identified with it, many thought she was the first butter cow sculptor. The tradition actually dates back to 1911, but Duffy Lyon sculpted the butter cow every year for 47 years until she retired at the age of 77. Hundreds of thousands of fair visitors watched her work inside the refrigerated display case.
After a while, she created companion butter sculptures, including a butter Elvis, John Wayne, and Garth Brooks, Grant Wood's American Gothic, and her 1999 masterpiece of The Last Supper.
Near the intersection of U.S. Highways 63 and 30 in Toledo, on the top of a hill, stands a cow and calf sculpture. It's not in butter, but it does stand in tribute to Iowa's Butter Cow Lady, Duffy Lyon, who was born on this date in 1929.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Butter Cow Lady"
Norma Duffield Stong was born on July 29th, 1929. She got her nickname, Duffy, from her middle name. Her uncle was Phil Stong, who wrote a book called "State Fair" which was later made into a movie. Given that background, her later claim to fame was probably preordained.
In 1950, Duffy married Toledo dairy farmer Joe Lyon; they had nine children, all of whom participated in the Lyon Jerseys business at one time or another.
She took over creating the annual Iowa State Fair butter cow in 1960, and became so closely identified with it, many thought she was the first butter cow sculptor. The tradition actually dates back to 1911, but Duffy Lyon sculpted the butter cow every year for 47 years until she retired at the age of 77. Hundreds of thousands of fair visitors watched her work inside the refrigerated display case.
After a while, she created companion butter sculptures, including a butter Elvis, John Wayne, and Garth Brooks, Grant Wood's American Gothic, and her 1999 masterpiece of The Last Supper.
Near the intersection of U.S. Highways 63 and 30 in Toledo, on the top of a hill, stands a cow and calf sculpture. It's not in butter, but it does stand in tribute to Iowa's Butter Cow Lady, Duffy Lyon, who was born on this date in 1929.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 29th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, July 28, 2022
"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 visoredcaps. 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 visoredcaps. 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 Wednesday, July 27, 2022
"The Giant of the World"
He stood 8 feet 8 inches tall, and weighed more than 300 pounds.
Bernard Coyne was born on July 27th, 1897, on his family’s farm in Oto, a small town in Woodbury County. He was the second of six children, and by the time he was a teenager, he was already seven feet tall.
Bernard suffered from a condition commonly called Daddy Long-Legs Syndrome, and was one of only 17 people in modern medical history to have stood at least 8 feet tall. He wore size 25 shoes.
Special rigs were required so he could ride in the family’s Model T. Often, the family drove with a door open so his five-feet-long legs could stretch out.
But despite all those issues, Bernard was a shy, gentle, and good-natured man.
He was refused induction into the U.S. Army during World War I because of his size.
His condition led to liver disease, but he kept growing until his death in May of 1921 at the age of only 23. At the time, he was the tallest man in the world. And to this day, no Iowan ever stood taller than Bernard Coyne, who was born on this date in 1897.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Giant of the World"
He stood 8 feet 8 inches tall, and weighed more than 300 pounds.
Bernard Coyne was born on July 27th, 1897, on his family’s farm in Oto, a small town in Woodbury County. He was the second of six children, and by the time he was a teenager, he was already seven feet tall.
Bernard suffered from a condition commonly called Daddy Long-Legs Syndrome, and was one of only 17 people in modern medical history to have stood at least 8 feet tall. He wore size 25 shoes.
Special rigs were required so he could ride in the family’s Model T. Often, the family drove with a door open so his five-feet-long legs could stretch out.
But despite all those issues, Bernard was a shy, gentle, and good-natured man.
He was refused induction into the U.S. Army during World War I because of his size.
His condition led to liver disease, but he kept growing until his death in May of 1921 at the age of only 23. At the time, he was the tallest man in the world. And to this day, no Iowan ever stood taller than Bernard Coyne, who was born on this date in 1897.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, July 26, 2022
"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.
His talent at researching the most urgent problems of our civic culture led him to write 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 sent 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.
His talent at researching the most urgent problems of our civic culture led him to write 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 sent a group of U.S. bombers to bomb Moscow. The movie was released in 1964.
A year later, on July 26th, 1965, Burdick died suddenly from a heart attack while playing tennis. Despite living with diabetes and a chronic heart condition, Burdick was a man who could not say "no"--writing, travelling, competing in sports, and teaching, despite failing health.
Many Americans first learned of the gravity of global relations when reading books or seeing movies based on the work of Iowa native Eugene Burdick, who died at age 46, on this date in 1965.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, July 25, 2022
"A Carousel--Or A Merry-Go-Round?"
For many of us, it was the first ride we experienced at a fair or carnival. Wooden horses or other animals, mounted on posts...moving up and down to simulate galloping...as the entire circular platform moves in a circle, accompanied by circus music.
It was known as a carousel; less intricate, similar versions are called merry-go-rounds. Today is National Carousel Day, thanks to the Davenport man who invented the modern carousel.
On July 25th, 1871, William Schneider of Davenport obtained a United States patent for his version of the carousel. Schneider was a businessman and promoter who made significant improvements on the original design that dated back to the 1600s in Europe.
His patent was for what he called a "new and improved carousel", described as a two-story "carousel or rotary pavilion used in public parks or other places of amusement". Obviously, this was a large device that required an operator.
In the 20th Century, two other Iowans obtained patents for further variations--in 1923, Willis Peck of Des Moines patented a "rotary playground apparatus" which is what most of us think of as a merry-go-round...and four years later, John Ahrens of Grinnell patented the "Miracle Whirl", a merry-go-round that could be operated by one person.
In the early 1900s, there were 4,000 carousels with hand painted horses across the U.S. There are still two left in Iowa...a 1913 model in North Park in Story City, and at the Midwest Old Threshers site in Mt. Pleasant, one with hand carved animals dating back to 1894.
Many across the country will make a point of visiting a carousel or merry-go-round on this National Carousel Day, made possible because William Schneider of Davenport obtained a patent for the modern carousel, on this date in 1871.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Carousel--Or A Merry-Go-Round?"
For many of us, it was the first ride we experienced at a fair or carnival. Wooden horses or other animals, mounted on posts...moving up and down to simulate galloping...as the entire circular platform moves in a circle, accompanied by circus music.
It was known as a carousel; less intricate, similar versions are called merry-go-rounds. Today is National Carousel Day, thanks to the Davenport man who invented the modern carousel.
On July 25th, 1871, William Schneider of Davenport obtained a United States patent for his version of the carousel. Schneider was a businessman and promoter who made significant improvements on the original design that dated back to the 1600s in Europe.
His patent was for what he called a "new and improved carousel", described as a two-story "carousel or rotary pavilion used in public parks or other places of amusement". Obviously, this was a large device that required an operator.
In the 20th Century, two other Iowans obtained patents for further variations--in 1923, Willis Peck of Des Moines patented a "rotary playground apparatus" which is what most of us think of as a merry-go-round...and four years later, John Ahrens of Grinnell patented the "Miracle Whirl", a merry-go-round that could be operated by one person.
In the early 1900s, there were 4,000 carousels with hand painted horses across the U.S. There are still two left in Iowa...a 1913 model in North Park in Story City, and at the Midwest Old Threshers site in Mt. Pleasant, one with hand carved animals dating back to 1894.
Many across the country will make a point of visiting a carousel or merry-go-round on this National Carousel Day, made possible because William Schneider of Davenport obtained a patent for the modern carousel, on this date in 1871.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, July 22, 2022
"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 were 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 were its neighbors Sherrill and Sageville. Being an incorporated village meant registering with the state, and completing on-going paperwork. But it seemed worth it to be able to again open the saloons in those areas.
So on July 22, 1933, Upper Balltown became one of ten so-called "Beer Towns" incorporated in Dubuque County in 1933, so the town's taverns could serve beer. As it turned out, the interpretation was mistaken, and a tavern could get a license regardless of whether it was in an incorporated town or not.
But the citizens of Balltown were ready for when prohibition finally ended in December of that year, because their community became incorporated with the state of Iowa on this date in 1933.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 22nd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, July 21, 2022
"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 its 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 its business, so to speak, by robbing trains.
Around 8:30 p.m., Rock Island Lines passenger train No. 2 was climbing a steep grade and approaching a sharp curve about four miles west of Adair. The James Gang had tied a rope to a rail, and just as the train rounded the curve, they pulled the rope and the train toppled onto its side, killing the engineer.
The outlaws came out of the bushes, firing their guns into the air. Jesse and his brother Frank cocked their .44s and forced an employee to open the train's safe. Others of the Gang were masked in Ku Klux Klan outfits; they collected cash, watches and jewelry from the passengers into bags. They rode off, disappearing as quickly as they had come, making off with more than $2,300 in cash and valuables.
Why did the James Gang pick that train? Not long before, they had learned that this particular train was to carry $100,000 in gold, in transit to eastern banks. At the last minute, the shipment was instead placed on another train. So the score that Jesse and Frank James, and Jim and Cole Younger, had hoped for wasn't on the train they robbed near Adair.
But it was one of the very first train robberies west of the Mississippi, and the first one ever attempted by the James Gang, on this date, in 1873.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, July 20, 2022
"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…80 years ago today.
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…80 years ago today.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, July 19, 2022
"The Sioux City Crash"
United Airlines Flight 232 was en route from Denver to Chicago on July 19th, 1989. Suddenly, the plane suffered a catastrophic failure of its tail-mounted engine, which led to loss of all flight controls when the plane's three hydraulic systems were punctured.
Air traffic control was contacted, and an emergency landing at Sioux Gateway Airport was organized.
The flight crew, led by Captain Al Haynes, tried to fly the plane using their control columns while also throttling the remaining engines. Due to the tail damage, the plane had a tendency to keep turning right, so the crew had to adapt, making wide loops to the right to eventually get close to the landing site in Sioux City.
Haynes asked air traffic controllers to keep the plane away from the city, fearful that the crew would lose control of the craft.
The plan was for the plane to land on a 9,000-foot runway, but lining up the aircraft was nearly impossible. It wound up headed toward a shorter, adjacent runway--one where emergency vehicles and fire trucks had lined up. Those vehicles moved quickly as the crippled plane came to the ground.
The plane banked to the right, with the right wing tip hitting the runway first and spilling fuel, which ignited. The tail section broke off, and the rest of the aircraft bounced several times, breaking into pieces. The main cabin ultimately broke off, skidded, and came to rest upside down.
There were 296 people on board the plane; 111 died in the crash or later from injuries. But that meant 185 survived, thanks to the actions of the flight crew led by Captain Alfred C. Haynes in steering the crippled United Flight 232 to the ground in Sioux City, on this date in 1989.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Sioux City Crash"
United Airlines Flight 232 was en route from Denver to Chicago on July 19th, 1989. Suddenly, the plane suffered a catastrophic failure of its tail-mounted engine, which led to loss of all flight controls when the plane's three hydraulic systems were punctured.
Air traffic control was contacted, and an emergency landing at Sioux Gateway Airport was organized.
The flight crew, led by Captain Al Haynes, tried to fly the plane using their control columns while also throttling the remaining engines. Due to the tail damage, the plane had a tendency to keep turning right, so the crew had to adapt, making wide loops to the right to eventually get close to the landing site in Sioux City.
Haynes asked air traffic controllers to keep the plane away from the city, fearful that the crew would lose control of the craft.
The plan was for the plane to land on a 9,000-foot runway, but lining up the aircraft was nearly impossible. It wound up headed toward a shorter, adjacent runway--one where emergency vehicles and fire trucks had lined up. Those vehicles moved quickly as the crippled plane came to the ground.
The plane banked to the right, with the right wing tip hitting the runway first and spilling fuel, which ignited. The tail section broke off, and the rest of the aircraft bounced several times, breaking into pieces. The main cabin ultimately broke off, skidded, and came to rest upside down.
There were 296 people on board the plane; 111 died in the crash or later from injuries. But that meant 185 survived, thanks to the actions of the flight crew led by Captain Alfred C. Haynes in steering the crippled United Flight 232 to the ground in Sioux City, on this date in 1989.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, July 18, 2022
"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 became the Iowa Greyhound Park, operated by the Iowa Greyhound Association, with four-day-a-week racing in the summer. It ceased operation totally after a final, shortened season in May of this year.
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 became the Iowa Greyhound Park, operated by the Iowa Greyhound Association, with four-day-a-week racing in the summer. It ceased operation totally after a final, shortened season in May of this year.
In its first 30 years of operation, the Dubuque Racing Association gave $43 million to charitable organizations. But the license for Dubuque Greyhound Park, the nation's first non-profit greyhound track, and Iowa's first pari-mutuel race track of any kind, was granted by the Iowa Gaming Commission on this date in 1984.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, July 15, 2022
"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 Thursday, July 14, 2022
"From Farm Implements to Washing Machines"
Frederick Louis Maytag the first was born in Newton on July 14th, 1857, the eldest of 10 children born to German/Jewish immigrants.
In 1893, F.L. Maytag, his two brothers-in-law, and George Parsons each contributed $600 to start a new farm implement company, making threshing machines, band-cutters, and self-feeder attachments that Parsons invented. After a while, F.L. took sole control of the company and renamed it the Maytag Company.
He also dabbled in other businesses, and by 1910 concentrated on developing a washing machine with a gas powered motor, and another with an agitator that forced the water through the clothes, which he called the Gyrafoam. Those inventions proved popular, and by 1927, Maytag was producing more than twice the number of washers of its nearest competitor. The company’s growth doubled for five consecutive years.
To help support Newton, Maytag donated a 40-acre park and swimming pool. He built and donated the Maytag Hotel, and also built hundreds of homes for his workers, selling them on easy terms.
F.L. Maytag died of a heart ailment in 1937. At the time, his estate was worth $10 million; that would be $168 million today. An estimated 10,000 factory workers and salesmen formed a line five blocks long to observe the casket processional. Those who could not fit into the First Methodist Church were taken to four other churches and two halls to pay their final respects.
He once said, “In all business, there is a factor which cannot be compensated for in dollars and cents…and is represented only by the spirit of love which the true craftsman holds for his job and the things he is trying to accomplish.”
Developing a better washing machine and building a global business there put his hometown on the map; Newton, where F.L. Maytag was born on this date in 1857.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"From Farm Implements to Washing Machines"
Frederick Louis Maytag the first was born in Newton on July 14th, 1857, the eldest of 10 children born to German/Jewish immigrants.
In 1893, F.L. Maytag, his two brothers-in-law, and George Parsons each contributed $600 to start a new farm implement company, making threshing machines, band-cutters, and self-feeder attachments that Parsons invented. After a while, F.L. took sole control of the company and renamed it the Maytag Company.
He also dabbled in other businesses, and by 1910 concentrated on developing a washing machine with a gas powered motor, and another with an agitator that forced the water through the clothes, which he called the Gyrafoam. Those inventions proved popular, and by 1927, Maytag was producing more than twice the number of washers of its nearest competitor. The company’s growth doubled for five consecutive years.
To help support Newton, Maytag donated a 40-acre park and swimming pool. He built and donated the Maytag Hotel, and also built hundreds of homes for his workers, selling them on easy terms.
F.L. Maytag died of a heart ailment in 1937. At the time, his estate was worth $10 million; that would be $168 million today. An estimated 10,000 factory workers and salesmen formed a line five blocks long to observe the casket processional. Those who could not fit into the First Methodist Church were taken to four other churches and two halls to pay their final respects.
He once said, “In all business, there is a factor which cannot be compensated for in dollars and cents…and is represented only by the spirit of love which the true craftsman holds for his job and the things he is trying to accomplish.”
Developing a better washing machine and building a global business there put his hometown on the map; Newton, where F.L. Maytag was born on this date in 1857.
And that's Iowa Almanac for July 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, July 13, 2022
"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 Tuesday, July 12, 2022
"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 of 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 of 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 Monday, July 11, 2022
"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 Friday, July 08, 2022
"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 Thursday, July 07, 2022
"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 Wednesday, July 06, 2022
"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 Tuesday, July 05, 2022
"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 Monday, July 04, 2022
"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, 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, 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 Friday, July 01, 2022
"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.