"Iowa Almanac" is a copyrighted production of Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
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No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2021 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
All Rights Reserved.
No use of the material is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright 2021 by Stein Enterprises, L.L.C.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, May 31, 2021
"On The Air"
While television stations had been on the air and reached Dubuque for around 20 years, citizens there were justifiability excited when a television station based in that eastern Iowa city went on the air on May 31st, 1970.
KDUB-TV operated on channel 40, a UHF channel that in the days before cable television required a special antenna in order to be seen. The station went on the air as an ABC network affiliate. At that time, ABC was historically the number three national network, but soon would claim the top spot in viewers, so it was a good time for a new station to join their ranks.
The station was originally based in an office building just south of Dubuque, near Key West, Iowa. The station soon moved into an upper floor of the former Roshek's Department Store, and still later to the 700 block of Main Street.
But the station was plagued by financial troubles. In fact, it went off the air from 1974 to 1976 because the original owner, Dubuque Communication Corporation, could not find an owner for it. A Rockford, Illinois company bought the station in 1976 for $35,000 and sold it again just three years later for $1.5 million.
Part of the problem for Channel 40 was that Channel 9 in Cedar Rapids was also an ABC affiliate, and the competition for viewers hurt both stations.
In 1995, a new operator converted the station to affiliation with the Fox broadcasting network, virtually simulcasting with a Cedar Rapids Fox affiliate. By the late 1990s, there was no local presence in Dubuque at all. Since 2004, the station has been operated by the Christian Television Network, which broadcasts primarily religious programming on the channel.
The first television station to broadcast from Dubuque, then known as KDUB-TV, went on the air on Channel 40, on this date, in 1970.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 31st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"On The Air"
While television stations had been on the air and reached Dubuque for around 20 years, citizens there were justifiability excited when a television station based in that eastern Iowa city went on the air on May 31st, 1970.
KDUB-TV operated on channel 40, a UHF channel that in the days before cable television required a special antenna in order to be seen. The station went on the air as an ABC network affiliate. At that time, ABC was historically the number three national network, but soon would claim the top spot in viewers, so it was a good time for a new station to join their ranks.
The station was originally based in an office building just south of Dubuque, near Key West, Iowa. The station soon moved into an upper floor of the former Roshek's Department Store, and still later to the 700 block of Main Street.
But the station was plagued by financial troubles. In fact, it went off the air from 1974 to 1976 because the original owner, Dubuque Communication Corporation, could not find an owner for it. A Rockford, Illinois company bought the station in 1976 for $35,000 and sold it again just three years later for $1.5 million.
Part of the problem for Channel 40 was that Channel 9 in Cedar Rapids was also an ABC affiliate, and the competition for viewers hurt both stations.
In 1995, a new operator converted the station to affiliation with the Fox broadcasting network, virtually simulcasting with a Cedar Rapids Fox affiliate. By the late 1990s, there was no local presence in Dubuque at all. Since 2004, the station has been operated by the Christian Television Network, which broadcasts primarily religious programming on the channel.
The first television station to broadcast from Dubuque, then known as KDUB-TV, went on the air on Channel 40, on this date, in 1970.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 31st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, May 28, 2021
"The Sister Act"
The five Cherry Sisters…Addie, Effie, Ella, Lizzie, and Jessie…came from Marion. After the death of their parents in the early 1890s, the girls made a living by creating a vaudeville act. It featured songs, dances, skits, and essays written and performed by the sisters.
By all accounts, though…it wasn’t a very good act.
Spectators routinely laughed, heckled, catcalled, booed and threw vegetables at the sisters as they performed. By 1896, the eldest sister had left the group, and as a quartet, the remaining sisters performed on Broadway. The promoter said he had been booking the best talent and did not have success…so he was going to try the worst talent.
After one particularly negative newspaper review published in the Odebolt Chronicle and the Des Moines Leader…in which the reviewer said of the girls, “the mouths of their rancid features opened like caverns and sounds like the wailing of damned souls issued therefrom”…the sisters sued the newspapers for false and malicious libel.
On May 28, 1901, the Iowa Supreme Court issued its ruling, saying a newspaper has the right to publish “fair and reasonable comments, however severe in terms, upon anything which is made…a subject of public exhibition”.
“Surely if one makes himself ridiculous in his public performances, he may be ridiculed by those whose duty or right it is to inform the public regarding the character of the performance,” the court’s ruling said.
The case of Cherry v. Des Moines Leader is considered to be a landmark confirming the right to fair comment and critical analysis by the media, and is still frequently used as precedent in court cases today.
The Cherry Sisters continued to perform, even after the Iowa Supreme Court said newspapers could accurately tell audiences just how bad their act was, on this date in 1901.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Sister Act"
The five Cherry Sisters…Addie, Effie, Ella, Lizzie, and Jessie…came from Marion. After the death of their parents in the early 1890s, the girls made a living by creating a vaudeville act. It featured songs, dances, skits, and essays written and performed by the sisters.
By all accounts, though…it wasn’t a very good act.
Spectators routinely laughed, heckled, catcalled, booed and threw vegetables at the sisters as they performed. By 1896, the eldest sister had left the group, and as a quartet, the remaining sisters performed on Broadway. The promoter said he had been booking the best talent and did not have success…so he was going to try the worst talent.
After one particularly negative newspaper review published in the Odebolt Chronicle and the Des Moines Leader…in which the reviewer said of the girls, “the mouths of their rancid features opened like caverns and sounds like the wailing of damned souls issued therefrom”…the sisters sued the newspapers for false and malicious libel.
On May 28, 1901, the Iowa Supreme Court issued its ruling, saying a newspaper has the right to publish “fair and reasonable comments, however severe in terms, upon anything which is made…a subject of public exhibition”.
“Surely if one makes himself ridiculous in his public performances, he may be ridiculed by those whose duty or right it is to inform the public regarding the character of the performance,” the court’s ruling said.
The case of Cherry v. Des Moines Leader is considered to be a landmark confirming the right to fair comment and critical analysis by the media, and is still frequently used as precedent in court cases today.
The Cherry Sisters continued to perform, even after the Iowa Supreme Court said newspapers could accurately tell audiences just how bad their act was, on this date in 1901.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 28th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, May 27, 2021
"Iowa Mining"
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were coal mines all over our state. Speculators first came to survey the town of Waukee in Dallas County in 1883.
Two major mines opened there as the 1920s began. The Harris Mine opened on September 20th, 1920, located two and a half miles northeast of Hickman Road in Waukee.
Another mine, owned and operated by the Shuler Coal Company, opened the following year, in 1921. The Shuler Mine was located one mile east of the Harris mine, and became the largest producer of coal in Iowa. It also had the deepest mine shaft, at a depth of 387 feet.
At its peak, the Shuler Mine employed up to 500 men and used 32 mules. By the end of its 30 year run, the mine had reached one and a quarter miles wide and three and three quarter miles long, stretching from northeast of Hickman all the way past the boundaries of Waterford Road.
A substantial mining camp community developed, including churches, a school, a dance hall, tavern, two restaurants, a hardware store, and a grocery store. Some of the workers, mostly immigrants from Italy, Croatia and Sweden, lived in small homes built by Shuler, called South Camp and North Camp. They had no electricity or running water.
A coal mine museum preserving this piece of Waukee’s history opened in the town library in November 2013, featuring tools and artifacts from the time. Shuler Elementary, named for the coal company, opened in 2010 only 1,500 feet from where the company was once located.
The largest production mine in Iowa, the Shuler Mine in Waukee, closed for good on this date in 1949.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa Mining"
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were coal mines all over our state. Speculators first came to survey the town of Waukee in Dallas County in 1883.
Two major mines opened there as the 1920s began. The Harris Mine opened on September 20th, 1920, located two and a half miles northeast of Hickman Road in Waukee.
Another mine, owned and operated by the Shuler Coal Company, opened the following year, in 1921. The Shuler Mine was located one mile east of the Harris mine, and became the largest producer of coal in Iowa. It also had the deepest mine shaft, at a depth of 387 feet.
At its peak, the Shuler Mine employed up to 500 men and used 32 mules. By the end of its 30 year run, the mine had reached one and a quarter miles wide and three and three quarter miles long, stretching from northeast of Hickman all the way past the boundaries of Waterford Road.
A substantial mining camp community developed, including churches, a school, a dance hall, tavern, two restaurants, a hardware store, and a grocery store. Some of the workers, mostly immigrants from Italy, Croatia and Sweden, lived in small homes built by Shuler, called South Camp and North Camp. They had no electricity or running water.
A coal mine museum preserving this piece of Waukee’s history opened in the town library in November 2013, featuring tools and artifacts from the time. Shuler Elementary, named for the coal company, opened in 2010 only 1,500 feet from where the company was once located.
The largest production mine in Iowa, the Shuler Mine in Waukee, closed for good on this date in 1949.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 27th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, May 26, 2021
"The Duke of the Screen"
Marion Robert Morrison was born on May 26th, 1907 in Winterset. The son of Clyde and Molly Morrison, Marion weighed 13 pounds at birth. At the age of 9, the family moved to California, where Clyde Morrison worked as a pharmacist. At the time, Marion had a dog named Duke, and soon he adopted that as his nickname, as well.
Duke Morrison got a football scholarship to the University of Southern California, but a surfing accident cut his athletic career short. The coach knew the movie director John Ford, and as a favor to the coach, Ford hired Duke as a prop boy and extra so he could afford his tuition. Soon Duke was regularly seen on the big screen, and for his first starring role, in 1930, director Raoul Walsh suggested that Duke change his name. And that’s how the world came to know John Wayne.
His breakthrough film came in 1939 in the movie Stagecoach, and he soon became well known for westerns and war movies.
John Wayne won the best actor Oscar in 1969 for the movie True Grit.
Young fellow, if you’re lookin’ for trouble, I’ll accommodate ya.
He played the lead in 142 film appearances over his nearly 50 year screen career. He died of cancer in 1979.
The legacy of John Wayne is celebrated through the John Wayne Birthplace Museum in Winterset. The $2.5 million, 5,000-square foot facility is proof of the devotion the town still has for its native son, who was born as Marion Morrison on this date in 1907.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Duke of the Screen"
Marion Robert Morrison was born on May 26th, 1907 in Winterset. The son of Clyde and Molly Morrison, Marion weighed 13 pounds at birth. At the age of 9, the family moved to California, where Clyde Morrison worked as a pharmacist. At the time, Marion had a dog named Duke, and soon he adopted that as his nickname, as well.
Duke Morrison got a football scholarship to the University of Southern California, but a surfing accident cut his athletic career short. The coach knew the movie director John Ford, and as a favor to the coach, Ford hired Duke as a prop boy and extra so he could afford his tuition. Soon Duke was regularly seen on the big screen, and for his first starring role, in 1930, director Raoul Walsh suggested that Duke change his name. And that’s how the world came to know John Wayne.
His breakthrough film came in 1939 in the movie Stagecoach, and he soon became well known for westerns and war movies.
John Wayne won the best actor Oscar in 1969 for the movie True Grit.
Young fellow, if you’re lookin’ for trouble, I’ll accommodate ya.
He played the lead in 142 film appearances over his nearly 50 year screen career. He died of cancer in 1979.
The legacy of John Wayne is celebrated through the John Wayne Birthplace Museum in Winterset. The $2.5 million, 5,000-square foot facility is proof of the devotion the town still has for its native son, who was born as Marion Morrison on this date in 1907.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 26th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, May 25, 2021
"Saluting A War Hero"
The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. In Glidden, Iowa, the local newspaper printed an editorial urging local men to volunteer for service so that "our enemy across the seas may be brought to terms as speedily as possible".
Those words were heard by a 20-year-old Glidden man, Merle David Hay. He enlisted in May 1917. By summer, he was in France.
On November 1st, Hay's company moved by truck closer to the front, just 500 yards from the German lines. In the early morning hours of November 3rd, the Germans began an artillery barrage. The outnumbered Americans were caught by surprise. Private Merle Hay was seen by a fellow soldier, battling not one but two German soldiers in hand-to-hand comabt with a bayonet in the dark, only broken by the dim twinkling light of flares. The barrage only lasted 15 minutes before the Germans withdrew, but that was long enough for a dozen American soldiers to be captured, five more wounded, and three killed. One of the dead was Merle Hay, found face down in mud, with a .45 caliber pistol in his hand. He died of a bullet wound to the head. The watch he was wearing...a gift from his mother...had stopped at 2:40 a.m.
He became the first Iowan...and perhaps the first American...to die in the Great War.
After originally being buried in France, Hay's body was transported back to the U.S. in 1921, arriving back in Glidden by train. It was the largest funeral in Iowa to that time.
On May 25th, 1930, between six and ten thousand people filled the West Lawn Cemetery, where an eight-foot tall granite monument commissioned by the state legislature was dedicated in Hay's honor. You can see the monument today, if you are travelling along U.S. Highway 30 in Glidden.
You may have traveled along Merle Hay Road in Des Moines; that stretch of road, running from Camp Dodge into the city, was named for Private Hay shortly after his death.
A hometown memorial honoring the first Iowan killed in World War I...Private Merle Hay of Glidden...was dedicated on this date in 1930.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Saluting A War Hero"
The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. In Glidden, Iowa, the local newspaper printed an editorial urging local men to volunteer for service so that "our enemy across the seas may be brought to terms as speedily as possible".
Those words were heard by a 20-year-old Glidden man, Merle David Hay. He enlisted in May 1917. By summer, he was in France.
On November 1st, Hay's company moved by truck closer to the front, just 500 yards from the German lines. In the early morning hours of November 3rd, the Germans began an artillery barrage. The outnumbered Americans were caught by surprise. Private Merle Hay was seen by a fellow soldier, battling not one but two German soldiers in hand-to-hand comabt with a bayonet in the dark, only broken by the dim twinkling light of flares. The barrage only lasted 15 minutes before the Germans withdrew, but that was long enough for a dozen American soldiers to be captured, five more wounded, and three killed. One of the dead was Merle Hay, found face down in mud, with a .45 caliber pistol in his hand. He died of a bullet wound to the head. The watch he was wearing...a gift from his mother...had stopped at 2:40 a.m.
He became the first Iowan...and perhaps the first American...to die in the Great War.
After originally being buried in France, Hay's body was transported back to the U.S. in 1921, arriving back in Glidden by train. It was the largest funeral in Iowa to that time.
On May 25th, 1930, between six and ten thousand people filled the West Lawn Cemetery, where an eight-foot tall granite monument commissioned by the state legislature was dedicated in Hay's honor. You can see the monument today, if you are travelling along U.S. Highway 30 in Glidden.
You may have traveled along Merle Hay Road in Des Moines; that stretch of road, running from Camp Dodge into the city, was named for Private Hay shortly after his death.
A hometown memorial honoring the first Iowan killed in World War I...Private Merle Hay of Glidden...was dedicated on this date in 1930.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 25th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, May 24, 2021
"Putting Order in the Court"
He became an Iowan, not by birth, but by choice. Austin Adams was born on May 24th, 1826, in Vermont...a full 20 years before Iowa became a state.
His ancestors included Samuel Adams, of Revolutionary War fame, and John Adams, our country's second president.
He graduated from Dartmouth College, and the Harvard Law School. Shortly after being certified to practice law, in the summer of 1854, Adams joined the westward tide of emigration and settled in Dubuque. He stayed there the rest of his life, saying, "I wanted more liberty, a society with more variety than I had ever seen in the East."
Having built up a good reputation as a lawyer in Dubuque, he was chosen to be a justice on the Iowa Supreme Court, beginning his tenure on January 1st, 1876, just short of his 50th birthday. He served a dozen years on the court before declining a third six-year term.
He served as Chief Justice for four years, and during that time, was the first Chief Justice to admit a woman to practice before the Iowa Supreme Court.
While he enjoyed literature, often reading five to six hours a day, it was said that he usually only read parts of a book, calling the rest unneeded.
After a prolonged illness, he died at the age of 64 in Dubuque. His wife wrote, "His happiness was in the state of his mind, not exterior conditions. He had that peace that passeth understanding."
A steady and considerate man and judge, Iowa Chief Justice Austin Adams was born on this date, in 1826.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 24th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Putting Order in the Court"
He became an Iowan, not by birth, but by choice. Austin Adams was born on May 24th, 1826, in Vermont...a full 20 years before Iowa became a state.
His ancestors included Samuel Adams, of Revolutionary War fame, and John Adams, our country's second president.
He graduated from Dartmouth College, and the Harvard Law School. Shortly after being certified to practice law, in the summer of 1854, Adams joined the westward tide of emigration and settled in Dubuque. He stayed there the rest of his life, saying, "I wanted more liberty, a society with more variety than I had ever seen in the East."
Having built up a good reputation as a lawyer in Dubuque, he was chosen to be a justice on the Iowa Supreme Court, beginning his tenure on January 1st, 1876, just short of his 50th birthday. He served a dozen years on the court before declining a third six-year term.
He served as Chief Justice for four years, and during that time, was the first Chief Justice to admit a woman to practice before the Iowa Supreme Court.
While he enjoyed literature, often reading five to six hours a day, it was said that he usually only read parts of a book, calling the rest unneeded.
After a prolonged illness, he died at the age of 64 in Dubuque. His wife wrote, "His happiness was in the state of his mind, not exterior conditions. He had that peace that passeth understanding."
A steady and considerate man and judge, Iowa Chief Justice Austin Adams was born on this date, in 1826.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 24th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, May 21, 2021
"Fingerprinting Everyone"
Fingerprints have been used as a way to positively identify people for centuries. There’s evidence of fingerprints being used in ancient times, including during the building of the pyramids in Egypt in 2000 B.C.
By 1858, the British Administrator in India, Sir William Herschel, required fingerprints as well as signatures on civil contracts. Some 30 years later, a police official in Argentina started fingerprinting criminals. And the first use of fingerprint identification to solve a crime took place in Illinois in 1892, when an investigator used a bloody fingerprint left on a door post to identify a killer.
America felt the pain of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, whose infant son was kidnapped and killed in 1932, with people all across the country thinking they saw the missing boy based on photos that ran in newspapers.
The concepts of protecting citizens, including children, as well as providing a database from which law enforcement officials could draw when investigating crimes were all factors when the Oskaloosa City Council voted on May 21, 1934, to enact an ordinance requiring all citizens to be fingerprinted and the records kept on file.
Kidnapped children could easily be identified, and possible criminals could be apprehended, all through mandatory fingerprinting. It was an idea that didn’t catch on…but Oskaloosa became the first city in America to require its citizens, of all ages, to be fingerprinted, when a new law was passed on this date, in 1934.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Fingerprinting Everyone"
Fingerprints have been used as a way to positively identify people for centuries. There’s evidence of fingerprints being used in ancient times, including during the building of the pyramids in Egypt in 2000 B.C.
By 1858, the British Administrator in India, Sir William Herschel, required fingerprints as well as signatures on civil contracts. Some 30 years later, a police official in Argentina started fingerprinting criminals. And the first use of fingerprint identification to solve a crime took place in Illinois in 1892, when an investigator used a bloody fingerprint left on a door post to identify a killer.
America felt the pain of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, whose infant son was kidnapped and killed in 1932, with people all across the country thinking they saw the missing boy based on photos that ran in newspapers.
The concepts of protecting citizens, including children, as well as providing a database from which law enforcement officials could draw when investigating crimes were all factors when the Oskaloosa City Council voted on May 21, 1934, to enact an ordinance requiring all citizens to be fingerprinted and the records kept on file.
Kidnapped children could easily be identified, and possible criminals could be apprehended, all through mandatory fingerprinting. It was an idea that didn’t catch on…but Oskaloosa became the first city in America to require its citizens, of all ages, to be fingerprinted, when a new law was passed on this date, in 1934.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 21st...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, May 20, 2021
"Helping Veterans"
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States—the VFW—works to support veterans and their families, making sure they have the benefits and support of a grateful nation.
The Department of Iowa VFW is based in Des Moines, and was chartered on May 20th, 1921.
Today’s VFW and auxiliaries include more than 2 million members in approximately 8,000 posts worldwide. The group honors the dead by helping the living, through veterans’ service, community service, national security, and a strong national defense.
The VFW traces its roots back to 1899, when veterans from the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service. To that point, veterans were left to care for themselves when they returned from war, often in injured or sick condition.
The group also helped fund the creation of the Vietnam, Korean War, World War II, and Women in Military Service memorials.
There are posts in a dozen countries, including four posts in Mexico that are actually under the jurisdiction of the Department of Iowa VFW, which was first chartered to serve Iowa’s veterans on this date, in 1921.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Helping Veterans"
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States—the VFW—works to support veterans and their families, making sure they have the benefits and support of a grateful nation.
The Department of Iowa VFW is based in Des Moines, and was chartered on May 20th, 1921.
Today’s VFW and auxiliaries include more than 2 million members in approximately 8,000 posts worldwide. The group honors the dead by helping the living, through veterans’ service, community service, national security, and a strong national defense.
The VFW traces its roots back to 1899, when veterans from the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service. To that point, veterans were left to care for themselves when they returned from war, often in injured or sick condition.
The group also helped fund the creation of the Vietnam, Korean War, World War II, and Women in Military Service memorials.
There are posts in a dozen countries, including four posts in Mexico that are actually under the jurisdiction of the Department of Iowa VFW, which was first chartered to serve Iowa’s veterans on this date, in 1921.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 20th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, May 19, 2021
"Iowa's First Murder"
Patrick O'Connor had a checkered past. He had been run out of Galena, Illinois for setting fire to some buildings and attempting to kill a merchant there. Narrowly escaping hanging, he migrated to Dubuque.
On May 19, 1834, O'Connor forced open the door of a cabin belonging to George O'Keaf, an industrious miner who made his living at Dubuque's nearby lead mines. O'Connor shot George O'Keaf five times in the chest.
When he was arrested, O'Connor said, "I'll tend to my own business. You have no laws in this country." That's because Iowa not only was not a state, but was not officially a territory at the time.
O'Connor's murder trial was held the very next day, outside, under the branches of a large elm tree in Dubuque. He chose his jurors from 24 of the bystanders. Witnesses were questioned, and the jury soon returned with a guilty verdict, and a sentence that O'Connor be hanged one month later.
A gallows was erected near the present Dubuque courthouse, and Patrick O'Connor became the first person hanged after trial by jury in the land that is now Iowa. And apparently that sent a signal; some at the time said after seeing what happened to O'Connor, "many of the reckless and abandoned outlaws who had congregated at the mines began to leave, and people began to feel more secure in the enjoyment of life and property."
Patrick O'Connor thought since Iowa was not a state, there were no laws. He found out differently, after he committed the first murder leading to trial and execution, on this date, in 1834.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa's First Murder"
Patrick O'Connor had a checkered past. He had been run out of Galena, Illinois for setting fire to some buildings and attempting to kill a merchant there. Narrowly escaping hanging, he migrated to Dubuque.
On May 19, 1834, O'Connor forced open the door of a cabin belonging to George O'Keaf, an industrious miner who made his living at Dubuque's nearby lead mines. O'Connor shot George O'Keaf five times in the chest.
When he was arrested, O'Connor said, "I'll tend to my own business. You have no laws in this country." That's because Iowa not only was not a state, but was not officially a territory at the time.
O'Connor's murder trial was held the very next day, outside, under the branches of a large elm tree in Dubuque. He chose his jurors from 24 of the bystanders. Witnesses were questioned, and the jury soon returned with a guilty verdict, and a sentence that O'Connor be hanged one month later.
A gallows was erected near the present Dubuque courthouse, and Patrick O'Connor became the first person hanged after trial by jury in the land that is now Iowa. And apparently that sent a signal; some at the time said after seeing what happened to O'Connor, "many of the reckless and abandoned outlaws who had congregated at the mines began to leave, and people began to feel more secure in the enjoyment of life and property."
Patrick O'Connor thought since Iowa was not a state, there were no laws. He found out differently, after he committed the first murder leading to trial and execution, on this date, in 1834.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 19th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, May 18, 2021
"A Leader for Women's Suffrage"
Martha Coonley was born on May 18, 1826 on a farm near the Hudson River in New York. She was raised as a Quaker, and at the age of 20, married James Callanan. The couple had no children, and in 1863, at the age of 37, she and her husband moved to Des Moines.
Their home soon became the unofficial headquarters of the women's suffrage movement in Iowa.
Martha had substantial property and money in her own name, and financed many of her interests, believing that with wealth came certain responsibilities.
In 1870, she helped organize what became the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association. When Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton came to Iowa in 1871, the Callanans entertained the two noted suffragists in their home.
James Callanan was elected president of the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association in 1875, and Martha succeeded him in the role the next year. She held the office for four terms.
On August 16, 1901, Martha Callanan died from injuries sustained when her carriage overturned. Her estate at the time was worth more than 40 thousand dollars. In her will, she made various bequests totalling more than 30 thousand dollars. But her husband challenged the will in court, citing a state law saying that no more than one-fourth of an estate could go to non-profit corporations. He won, but perhaps as a tribute to his wife and a symbol of his own commitment to the cause, when he died three years later, James left 3 thousand dollars to the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association.
One of Iowa's leading suffragists, Martha Coonley Callanan, was born on this date, in 1826.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"A Leader for Women's Suffrage"
Martha Coonley was born on May 18, 1826 on a farm near the Hudson River in New York. She was raised as a Quaker, and at the age of 20, married James Callanan. The couple had no children, and in 1863, at the age of 37, she and her husband moved to Des Moines.
Their home soon became the unofficial headquarters of the women's suffrage movement in Iowa.
Martha had substantial property and money in her own name, and financed many of her interests, believing that with wealth came certain responsibilities.
In 1870, she helped organize what became the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association. When Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton came to Iowa in 1871, the Callanans entertained the two noted suffragists in their home.
James Callanan was elected president of the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association in 1875, and Martha succeeded him in the role the next year. She held the office for four terms.
On August 16, 1901, Martha Callanan died from injuries sustained when her carriage overturned. Her estate at the time was worth more than 40 thousand dollars. In her will, she made various bequests totalling more than 30 thousand dollars. But her husband challenged the will in court, citing a state law saying that no more than one-fourth of an estate could go to non-profit corporations. He won, but perhaps as a tribute to his wife and a symbol of his own commitment to the cause, when he died three years later, James left 3 thousand dollars to the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association.
One of Iowa's leading suffragists, Martha Coonley Callanan, was born on this date, in 1826.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 18th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, May 17, 2021
"Stop the Construction"
City leaders on both sides of the Mississippi River were excited about the prospects. The existing bridges connecting Iowa to Illinois and Wisconsin were carrying more cars each day than they were designed to, so the idea in 1978 of a new $35 million, four-lane bridge was quite welcome.
But the Higgins' Eye Clam almost put a halt to the project.
Clam hunting was once a profitable business on the Mississippi River, reaching its highest profitability in the late 1800s when several varieties were used in the button industry.
The Higgins' Eye Clam was named for the man who discovered the species in Muscatine in 1857. But by the 1970s, over-harvesting and changing climate led to the clam becoming endangered, with only four known clam beds remaining...including one off City Island at Dubuque, near the bridge construction site.
On May 17, 1978, the Iowa Department of Transportation awarded an $8,000 grant to Loras biology professor Edward Cawley. He and his team set out to determine if the Higgins' Eye Clam would be adversely affected by the bridge project. Construction stopped immediately, and for the next two months, researchers brought a thousand clams to the surface. Only one Higgins' Eye Clam was found, and it died within 24 hours of being transferred to an aquarium.
That led to careful construction of the bridge, so as not to disturb the habitat where the clam was found, just less than 1,000 feet from the bridge itself.
That wasn't the only snag in construction, though. Two years later, construction was halted when a Native American burial site was found on the bluff where the bridge was to connect with Wisconsin. Archaeologists had read a map incorrectly and missed the site originally.
But not long after the Tennessee Valley Authority was stopped from building a project thanks to the snail darter fish, a bridge over the Mississippi River was temporarily stopped in order to protect the Higgins' Eye Clam, on this date in 1978.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 17th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Stop the Construction"
City leaders on both sides of the Mississippi River were excited about the prospects. The existing bridges connecting Iowa to Illinois and Wisconsin were carrying more cars each day than they were designed to, so the idea in 1978 of a new $35 million, four-lane bridge was quite welcome.
But the Higgins' Eye Clam almost put a halt to the project.
Clam hunting was once a profitable business on the Mississippi River, reaching its highest profitability in the late 1800s when several varieties were used in the button industry.
The Higgins' Eye Clam was named for the man who discovered the species in Muscatine in 1857. But by the 1970s, over-harvesting and changing climate led to the clam becoming endangered, with only four known clam beds remaining...including one off City Island at Dubuque, near the bridge construction site.
On May 17, 1978, the Iowa Department of Transportation awarded an $8,000 grant to Loras biology professor Edward Cawley. He and his team set out to determine if the Higgins' Eye Clam would be adversely affected by the bridge project. Construction stopped immediately, and for the next two months, researchers brought a thousand clams to the surface. Only one Higgins' Eye Clam was found, and it died within 24 hours of being transferred to an aquarium.
That led to careful construction of the bridge, so as not to disturb the habitat where the clam was found, just less than 1,000 feet from the bridge itself.
That wasn't the only snag in construction, though. Two years later, construction was halted when a Native American burial site was found on the bluff where the bridge was to connect with Wisconsin. Archaeologists had read a map incorrectly and missed the site originally.
But not long after the Tennessee Valley Authority was stopped from building a project thanks to the snail darter fish, a bridge over the Mississippi River was temporarily stopped in order to protect the Higgins' Eye Clam, on this date in 1978.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 17th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, May 14, 2021
"The Tulips Are In Bloom"
In the early 1930s, the citizens of Orange City decided to honor the traditions and customs of their Dutch ancestors. So in 1933, the first Tulip Show was sponsored by the local Lions Club, Yard and Garden Club, and the Women's Club. It was a success, so they did it again the next year. By 1935, another 50,000 tulip bulbs were imported and planted by citizens. And soon, it became more than a tulip show.
On May 14, 1936, the first Spring Festival was held in Orange City. It was a one-day event, and some 3,500 people attended. Residents were asked to bring antiques and rarities from the Netherlands for display in store windows, to be seen by the visitors. A costume parade was held, and the Sioux City Symphony performed that evening.
The festival was, of course, centered around Orange City's tulips. Ironically, adverse weather conditions in 1936 meant few of the tulips were in bloom at festival time. But that did not deter organizers from expanding the event the very next year, adding election of a Tulip Festival Queen. By 1938, the event had expanded to two days, and by 1941, a night parade was added. After converting the festival to a Victory Days celebration during the Second World War, the original intention returned soon after, and by 1950, a third day was added to accommodate the more than 15,000 visitors.
Now, the Orange City tulip festival features two daily parades, Dutch folk dancing, a musical night show, and of course, the blooming of tens of thousands of tulips. Weather permitting of course.
As the headline in the Sioux County Capital newspaper proclaimed, "All Roads Lead to Orange City" for the first spring festival, centered around tulips, held on this date, in 1936.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Tulips Are In Bloom"
In the early 1930s, the citizens of Orange City decided to honor the traditions and customs of their Dutch ancestors. So in 1933, the first Tulip Show was sponsored by the local Lions Club, Yard and Garden Club, and the Women's Club. It was a success, so they did it again the next year. By 1935, another 50,000 tulip bulbs were imported and planted by citizens. And soon, it became more than a tulip show.
On May 14, 1936, the first Spring Festival was held in Orange City. It was a one-day event, and some 3,500 people attended. Residents were asked to bring antiques and rarities from the Netherlands for display in store windows, to be seen by the visitors. A costume parade was held, and the Sioux City Symphony performed that evening.
The festival was, of course, centered around Orange City's tulips. Ironically, adverse weather conditions in 1936 meant few of the tulips were in bloom at festival time. But that did not deter organizers from expanding the event the very next year, adding election of a Tulip Festival Queen. By 1938, the event had expanded to two days, and by 1941, a night parade was added. After converting the festival to a Victory Days celebration during the Second World War, the original intention returned soon after, and by 1950, a third day was added to accommodate the more than 15,000 visitors.
Now, the Orange City tulip festival features two daily parades, Dutch folk dancing, a musical night show, and of course, the blooming of tens of thousands of tulips. Weather permitting of course.
As the headline in the Sioux County Capital newspaper proclaimed, "All Roads Lead to Orange City" for the first spring festival, centered around tulips, held on this date, in 1936.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 14th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, May 13, 2021
"Iowa's Governor--For Sixteen Days"
Robert Fulton was born in Waterloo on May 13, 1929. He entered politics the same year he graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law, in 1958. He was elected that year to the Iowa House of Representatives, and in 1962, to the Iowa Senate.
A Democrat, Fulton was elected Lieutenant Governor of Iowa in 1964. At that time, the governor and lieutenant governor ran separately, and not as part of a joint ticket. At times, that meant the governor was a member of one political party, and the lieutenant governor was a member of the other.
But 1964 saw Democrat Harold Hughes be re-elected to another two year term, and Fulton became lieutenant governor. Each was re-elected in 1966.
In 1968, Hughes decided to run for higher office, and was elected to the U.S. Senate. But he was to be sworn in for that post before his term as governor was over. So he resigned as governor, and Lieutenant Governor Robert Fulton became Iowa's 37th governor on January 1st, 1969.
He served as governor for 16 days until the scheduled inauguration of Robert D. Ray, who had been elected governor the previous November.
Fulton returned to private life, but ran for a full term as governor in 1970. He lost to Robert Ray, who would go on to serve 14 years in the post.
Fulton served as a member of the Democratic National Committee and was a delegate to his party's 1972 national convention. And until Tom Vilsack was inaugurated in 1999, Robert Fulton for 30 years had the unique designation of being the last Democrat to serve as governor of Iowa. To this day, he holds the distinction of serving as Iowa's governor for the shortest tenure of anyone. Robert Fulton, born on this date, in 1929.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Iowa's Governor--For Sixteen Days"
Robert Fulton was born in Waterloo on May 13, 1929. He entered politics the same year he graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law, in 1958. He was elected that year to the Iowa House of Representatives, and in 1962, to the Iowa Senate.
A Democrat, Fulton was elected Lieutenant Governor of Iowa in 1964. At that time, the governor and lieutenant governor ran separately, and not as part of a joint ticket. At times, that meant the governor was a member of one political party, and the lieutenant governor was a member of the other.
But 1964 saw Democrat Harold Hughes be re-elected to another two year term, and Fulton became lieutenant governor. Each was re-elected in 1966.
In 1968, Hughes decided to run for higher office, and was elected to the U.S. Senate. But he was to be sworn in for that post before his term as governor was over. So he resigned as governor, and Lieutenant Governor Robert Fulton became Iowa's 37th governor on January 1st, 1969.
He served as governor for 16 days until the scheduled inauguration of Robert D. Ray, who had been elected governor the previous November.
Fulton returned to private life, but ran for a full term as governor in 1970. He lost to Robert Ray, who would go on to serve 14 years in the post.
Fulton served as a member of the Democratic National Committee and was a delegate to his party's 1972 national convention. And until Tom Vilsack was inaugurated in 1999, Robert Fulton for 30 years had the unique designation of being the last Democrat to serve as governor of Iowa. To this day, he holds the distinction of serving as Iowa's governor for the shortest tenure of anyone. Robert Fulton, born on this date, in 1929.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 13th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, May 12, 2021
"The Postville Raid"
It was the largest raid of a single workplace in American history to that point. On May 12, 2008, federal officials raided the Agriprocessors kosher slaughterhouse and meat packing plant in Postville, in northeast Iowa.
390 illegal immigrants...314 men and 76 women...were arrested and charged with identity theft, document theft, use of stolen social security numbers, and related offenses. Some 300 of them were convicted on document fraud charges alone within four days, with most serving five month prison sentences before being deported.
The nearly 400 arrested in that single day was half the amount arrested nationwide in the entire year before that.
Helicopters, buses and vans were used, and hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers worked with officers from other federal, state and local agencies that morning, rounding up those in our country illegally and seizing company records.
The arrested workers were taken to the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo and processed.
The raid cost $5.2 million, not including costs associated with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Department of Labor, or local authorities.
The raid had an impact on Postville itself, as the town of 2,300 lost a large percentage of its population due to the arrests. Agriprocessors stopped slaughtering cattle within a few months, and by November of that year had filed for bankruptcy. Financial irregularities brought to light by the raid led to a $35 million bank fraud charge against the plant's top manager, Sholom Rubashkin, who was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison.
390 individuals went to work at a Postville packing plant one morning, and wound up being arrested as part of the largest immigration raid in U.S. history, on this date in 2008.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The Postville Raid"
It was the largest raid of a single workplace in American history to that point. On May 12, 2008, federal officials raided the Agriprocessors kosher slaughterhouse and meat packing plant in Postville, in northeast Iowa.
390 illegal immigrants...314 men and 76 women...were arrested and charged with identity theft, document theft, use of stolen social security numbers, and related offenses. Some 300 of them were convicted on document fraud charges alone within four days, with most serving five month prison sentences before being deported.
The nearly 400 arrested in that single day was half the amount arrested nationwide in the entire year before that.
Helicopters, buses and vans were used, and hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers worked with officers from other federal, state and local agencies that morning, rounding up those in our country illegally and seizing company records.
The arrested workers were taken to the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo and processed.
The raid cost $5.2 million, not including costs associated with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Department of Labor, or local authorities.
The raid had an impact on Postville itself, as the town of 2,300 lost a large percentage of its population due to the arrests. Agriprocessors stopped slaughtering cattle within a few months, and by November of that year had filed for bankruptcy. Financial irregularities brought to light by the raid led to a $35 million bank fraud charge against the plant's top manager, Sholom Rubashkin, who was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison.
390 individuals went to work at a Postville packing plant one morning, and wound up being arrested as part of the largest immigration raid in U.S. history, on this date in 2008.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 12th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, May 11, 2021
"Spreading the News"
John King came to Dubuque from Ohio in 1834, and while he was not a printer himself, he saw there was a need for a publication to inform the increasing number of people settling in the area. He returned to his home state the next year, and hired an experienced printer named William Cary Jones to come back to Dubuque with him, at the wage of $350 per year plus board and lodging to run King's new printing office.
Not long after, on May 11, 1836, the first edition of The Dubuque Visitor was published, stating its location as "Dubuque Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory". At that time, the Dubuque area was still part of Michigan Territory, but a bill was pending in Congress to establish a Wisconsin Territory...so from the start, the paper was not shy about taking a stand.
Its motto was "Truth Our Guide--The Public Good Our Aim." That first issue was made up of four pages, and soon was a regular, weekly publication.
But the partnership between King and Jones only lasted a short time; by the end of the summer, Jones cut all ties, saying King was too supportive of the Andrew Jackson administration, while he held opposite political views.
After a year, The Dubuque Visitor was renamed the Iowa News; then in 1841, it took the name The Miner's Express. Due to increased competition, The Miner's Express expanded to daily publication in 1851. It later merged with another daily newspaper, The Dubuque Herald, in 1854 to become The Daily Express and Herald. A number of other mergers and name changes took place over time. It's now well known as the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald.
In 1919, the National Historical Society, meeting in Cincinnati, officially declared that The Dubuque Visitor was the first newspaper published west of the Mississippi River. And its first issue was published on this date in 1836.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Spreading the News"
John King came to Dubuque from Ohio in 1834, and while he was not a printer himself, he saw there was a need for a publication to inform the increasing number of people settling in the area. He returned to his home state the next year, and hired an experienced printer named William Cary Jones to come back to Dubuque with him, at the wage of $350 per year plus board and lodging to run King's new printing office.
Not long after, on May 11, 1836, the first edition of The Dubuque Visitor was published, stating its location as "Dubuque Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory". At that time, the Dubuque area was still part of Michigan Territory, but a bill was pending in Congress to establish a Wisconsin Territory...so from the start, the paper was not shy about taking a stand.
Its motto was "Truth Our Guide--The Public Good Our Aim." That first issue was made up of four pages, and soon was a regular, weekly publication.
But the partnership between King and Jones only lasted a short time; by the end of the summer, Jones cut all ties, saying King was too supportive of the Andrew Jackson administration, while he held opposite political views.
After a year, The Dubuque Visitor was renamed the Iowa News; then in 1841, it took the name The Miner's Express. Due to increased competition, The Miner's Express expanded to daily publication in 1851. It later merged with another daily newspaper, The Dubuque Herald, in 1854 to become The Daily Express and Herald. A number of other mergers and name changes took place over time. It's now well known as the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald.
In 1919, the National Historical Society, meeting in Cincinnati, officially declared that The Dubuque Visitor was the first newspaper published west of the Mississippi River. And its first issue was published on this date in 1836.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 11th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, May 10, 2021
"First in Flight"
From his youngest days, Arthur J. Hartman of Burlington was restless. He once told his wife he couldn't stand just looking at four walls.
That led him to the sky.
On September 6th of 1903, when he was only 15, Art Hartman made his first solo flight in a balloon. That was before the Wright Brothers took to the sky. He soon got a job parachuting from balloons.
But he was convinced that the future of powered flight lay in heavier-than-air craft, and before he was 22 years of age, Art had built his own monoplane.
Early on the morning of May 10, 1910, on a stretch of the Burlington Country Club, Art Hartman tested his plane in front of five spectators. It flew...granted, only 10 feet in the air, the height of a basketball hoop, and not very far...but it flew. That made it the first flight of heavier-than-air craft in Iowa.
After World War I, Hartman rebuilt and sold crashed planes, and started his own airplane manufacturing company in 1928. And he never stopped testing aircraft. In 1956, at the age of 67, he hooked 50 hydrogen balloons to a bicycle and soared 150 feet in the air--15 times higher than his first flight almost a half century before.
Hartman kept flying in one way or another, until his death in 1971 at the age of 82.
There were some 46 flights by 23 aviators across our state between 1910 and 1911 alone. But the first was by Art Hartman in Burlington, on this date in 1910.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 10th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"First in Flight"
From his youngest days, Arthur J. Hartman of Burlington was restless. He once told his wife he couldn't stand just looking at four walls.
That led him to the sky.
On September 6th of 1903, when he was only 15, Art Hartman made his first solo flight in a balloon. That was before the Wright Brothers took to the sky. He soon got a job parachuting from balloons.
But he was convinced that the future of powered flight lay in heavier-than-air craft, and before he was 22 years of age, Art had built his own monoplane.
Early on the morning of May 10, 1910, on a stretch of the Burlington Country Club, Art Hartman tested his plane in front of five spectators. It flew...granted, only 10 feet in the air, the height of a basketball hoop, and not very far...but it flew. That made it the first flight of heavier-than-air craft in Iowa.
After World War I, Hartman rebuilt and sold crashed planes, and started his own airplane manufacturing company in 1928. And he never stopped testing aircraft. In 1956, at the age of 67, he hooked 50 hydrogen balloons to a bicycle and soared 150 feet in the air--15 times higher than his first flight almost a half century before.
Hartman kept flying in one way or another, until his death in 1971 at the age of 82.
There were some 46 flights by 23 aviators across our state between 1910 and 1911 alone. But the first was by Art Hartman in Burlington, on this date in 1910.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 10th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Friday, May 07, 2021
"The First Woman Selected"
The most talented basketball players dream of hearing their names called by the National Basketball Association commissioner as part of the professional league's annual player draft.
But on May 7th, 1969, a different sounding name was called. It wasn't the first player selected; he was then known as Lew Alcindor from UCLA, selected as the top pick by the Milwaukee Bucks. He went on to win rookie of the year honors.
This was a player selected in the 13th round, right out of Union-Whitten High School in Iowa. The owner of the San Francisco Warriors, Franklin Mieuli, told his staff to select a 5' 11" player who averaged 68.2 points per game as a high school senior, including 111 points in a single game.
That player was Denise Long, who ended her high school career with 6,250 points, and became the first female ever drafted by an NBA team.
Franklin Mieuli thought it was time for a women's professional league, and his drafting of Denise Long was a statement toward that goal. He even had women playing games before the Warriors contests, but it was an idea ahead of its time. The WNBA finally started play in 1997, nearly 30 years later.
As for Long, her notoriety led to an appearance on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson...pretty heady stuff for a girl from Whitten, Iowa.
Ten years after she was selected in the NBA draft, Denise Long was part of an Iowa professional team, the Iowa Cornets. She played in one game, scoring one point...but the fans in Cedar Rapids honored her amazing high school career by giving her a standing ovation when she came into the game.
Back when Denise Long led her Union-Whitten team to a state 6-on-6 championship in 1968, there weren't many options for young women who wanted to play basketball. It was before Title IX equal rights laws...women did not play basketball in the Olympics...and there was no way to make playing basketball a career.
But there was that amazing high school career...and the designation of being the first female ever drafted by an NBA team, on this date in 1969.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The First Woman Selected"
The most talented basketball players dream of hearing their names called by the National Basketball Association commissioner as part of the professional league's annual player draft.
But on May 7th, 1969, a different sounding name was called. It wasn't the first player selected; he was then known as Lew Alcindor from UCLA, selected as the top pick by the Milwaukee Bucks. He went on to win rookie of the year honors.
This was a player selected in the 13th round, right out of Union-Whitten High School in Iowa. The owner of the San Francisco Warriors, Franklin Mieuli, told his staff to select a 5' 11" player who averaged 68.2 points per game as a high school senior, including 111 points in a single game.
That player was Denise Long, who ended her high school career with 6,250 points, and became the first female ever drafted by an NBA team.
Franklin Mieuli thought it was time for a women's professional league, and his drafting of Denise Long was a statement toward that goal. He even had women playing games before the Warriors contests, but it was an idea ahead of its time. The WNBA finally started play in 1997, nearly 30 years later.
As for Long, her notoriety led to an appearance on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson...pretty heady stuff for a girl from Whitten, Iowa.
Ten years after she was selected in the NBA draft, Denise Long was part of an Iowa professional team, the Iowa Cornets. She played in one game, scoring one point...but the fans in Cedar Rapids honored her amazing high school career by giving her a standing ovation when she came into the game.
Back when Denise Long led her Union-Whitten team to a state 6-on-6 championship in 1968, there weren't many options for young women who wanted to play basketball. It was before Title IX equal rights laws...women did not play basketball in the Olympics...and there was no way to make playing basketball a career.
But there was that amazing high school career...and the designation of being the first female ever drafted by an NBA team, on this date in 1969.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 7th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Thursday, May 06, 2021
"Two Volumes, Bound in Black"
Imagine receiving this letter..."Dear Sir. By tomorrow evening's mail, you will receive two volumes of the 'Irrepressible Conflict' bound in black. After perusal, please forward, and oblige."
That letter, which was sent by G.W. Weston from Low Moor to C.B. Campbell in Clinton on May 6th, 1859, had nothing to do with books or literature. Instead, it was code, used to tell Campbell to expect the arrival of fugitive slaves travelling through what was known as the Underground Railroad.
Typically, the actual railroad was not used by those who were making their way across Iowa to freedom. The roadbed was the normal traffic path, and buggies, oxcarts, wagons, and other vehicles of the era were used to move the passengers from station to station. The phrase "underground" refers to the secrecy of the whole operation.
The main line of the Underground Railroad in Iowa entered near Tabor in southwest Iowa, and ran through Lewis, Des Moines, Grinnell, Iowa City, West Liberty, Tipton, DeWitt, and Low Moor, crossing the Mississippi River at Clinton into Illinois.
The whole endeavor relied on the support of sympathetic citizens along the way, since the slaves were escapees, and anyone helping a slave to escape was violating the law.
And word quickly spread, making the route through Iowa very popular among those who literally took their lives in their hands, escaping from their masters and making their way to a place called Iowa, where they might get help.
That was clever code, referring to a book called "irrepressible conflict" and saying the book was bound in black...that language, used in a letter sent by Mr. Weston alerting Mr. Campbell of the arrival of fugitive slaves in Clinton using the Underground Railroad, on this date in 1859.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Two Volumes, Bound in Black"
Imagine receiving this letter..."Dear Sir. By tomorrow evening's mail, you will receive two volumes of the 'Irrepressible Conflict' bound in black. After perusal, please forward, and oblige."
That letter, which was sent by G.W. Weston from Low Moor to C.B. Campbell in Clinton on May 6th, 1859, had nothing to do with books or literature. Instead, it was code, used to tell Campbell to expect the arrival of fugitive slaves travelling through what was known as the Underground Railroad.
Typically, the actual railroad was not used by those who were making their way across Iowa to freedom. The roadbed was the normal traffic path, and buggies, oxcarts, wagons, and other vehicles of the era were used to move the passengers from station to station. The phrase "underground" refers to the secrecy of the whole operation.
The main line of the Underground Railroad in Iowa entered near Tabor in southwest Iowa, and ran through Lewis, Des Moines, Grinnell, Iowa City, West Liberty, Tipton, DeWitt, and Low Moor, crossing the Mississippi River at Clinton into Illinois.
The whole endeavor relied on the support of sympathetic citizens along the way, since the slaves were escapees, and anyone helping a slave to escape was violating the law.
And word quickly spread, making the route through Iowa very popular among those who literally took their lives in their hands, escaping from their masters and making their way to a place called Iowa, where they might get help.
That was clever code, referring to a book called "irrepressible conflict" and saying the book was bound in black...that language, used in a letter sent by Mr. Weston alerting Mr. Campbell of the arrival of fugitive slaves in Clinton using the Underground Railroad, on this date in 1859.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 6th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Wednesday, May 05, 2021
"The First Chief Executive"
Iowa became a state in 1846, and every state needs a chief executive. So in October of that year, voters elected the new state's first governor.
The Democrats were represented on the ballot by Ansel Briggs, who won the nomination with 62 votes, nearly double the support his two opponents received combined. His opponent was not a Republican...that party had not yet been founded. Thomas McKnight of the Whig party faced Briggs in the October general election.
Ansel Briggs won, by only 245 votes of 15,000 votes cast, and became Iowa's first governor. He was 40 years of age.
During the campaign, Briggs had pledged that no outside businesses would hold any influence in his administration. True to his word, one writer noted his time in office was marked by an independence of principle, characteristic of his nature.
Prior to holding elective office, Ansel Briggs was a mail carrier and a stagecoach driver. He even served a term as Jackson County Sheriff, and in 1842, was elected to the Iowa Territorial House of Representatives.
During that first term in office, Governor Briggs oversaw the establishment of Iowa's system of government, its school system, and helped resolve Iowa's famous boundary dispute with Missouri.
After that single term, Briggs retired from public life and returned to private sector business, including activities in western Iowa. He died on May 5th, 1881, at the home of his son John in Omaha. He was originally buried there, but his body was later moved and reburied in his longtime Iowa hometown of Andrew.
Iowa's first governor, Ansel Briggs, died at the age of 75, on this date, in 1881.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"The First Chief Executive"
Iowa became a state in 1846, and every state needs a chief executive. So in October of that year, voters elected the new state's first governor.
The Democrats were represented on the ballot by Ansel Briggs, who won the nomination with 62 votes, nearly double the support his two opponents received combined. His opponent was not a Republican...that party had not yet been founded. Thomas McKnight of the Whig party faced Briggs in the October general election.
Ansel Briggs won, by only 245 votes of 15,000 votes cast, and became Iowa's first governor. He was 40 years of age.
During the campaign, Briggs had pledged that no outside businesses would hold any influence in his administration. True to his word, one writer noted his time in office was marked by an independence of principle, characteristic of his nature.
Prior to holding elective office, Ansel Briggs was a mail carrier and a stagecoach driver. He even served a term as Jackson County Sheriff, and in 1842, was elected to the Iowa Territorial House of Representatives.
During that first term in office, Governor Briggs oversaw the establishment of Iowa's system of government, its school system, and helped resolve Iowa's famous boundary dispute with Missouri.
After that single term, Briggs retired from public life and returned to private sector business, including activities in western Iowa. He died on May 5th, 1881, at the home of his son John in Omaha. He was originally buried there, but his body was later moved and reburied in his longtime Iowa hometown of Andrew.
Iowa's first governor, Ansel Briggs, died at the age of 75, on this date, in 1881.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 5th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Tuesday, May 04, 2021
"Batter Up"
The first professional baseball team in Keokuk opened play for the 1875 season on this date. They were called the Keokuk Westerns and they were part of the National Association of Professional Baseball Players. That league had been founded four years before as the first professional league in the United States.
The Westerns played in a field located beyond Rand Park, called Perry Park. The 11-player roster performed as many expansion teams do in professional leagues today, with a woeful 1 and 12 record. Things were so bad, the team actually dropped out of the league on June 16th, barely six weeks into the season. The player-manager was Joe Simmons, pictured above.
During that time, they faced one of the greatest pitchers of his day, Albert Goodwill Spalding. He won 207 games in the league, the most of any pitcher ever. After his playing days were over, Albert founded a sporting goods company and named it after himself--the Spalding Company.
Spalding played for the Boston team. Others in the league included teams from St. Louis, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. Those teams had been around for a while, and the following year, 1876, they left the National Association of Professional Baseball Players to form a new group, called the National League. They're still in business today,
And while there was organized baseball in Keokuk in various forms for nearly a hundred years after the Keokuk Westerns were founded, one has to wonder what might have been if the Westerns had made it through that first season and joined the teams we now call the Cubs, Braves, and others as members of the National League. That did not happen, but the first pitch for professional baseball in Keokuk was thrown on this date in 1875.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"Batter Up"
The first professional baseball team in Keokuk opened play for the 1875 season on this date. They were called the Keokuk Westerns and they were part of the National Association of Professional Baseball Players. That league had been founded four years before as the first professional league in the United States.
The Westerns played in a field located beyond Rand Park, called Perry Park. The 11-player roster performed as many expansion teams do in professional leagues today, with a woeful 1 and 12 record. Things were so bad, the team actually dropped out of the league on June 16th, barely six weeks into the season. The player-manager was Joe Simmons, pictured above.
During that time, they faced one of the greatest pitchers of his day, Albert Goodwill Spalding. He won 207 games in the league, the most of any pitcher ever. After his playing days were over, Albert founded a sporting goods company and named it after himself--the Spalding Company.
Spalding played for the Boston team. Others in the league included teams from St. Louis, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. Those teams had been around for a while, and the following year, 1876, they left the National Association of Professional Baseball Players to form a new group, called the National League. They're still in business today,
And while there was organized baseball in Keokuk in various forms for nearly a hundred years after the Keokuk Westerns were founded, one has to wonder what might have been if the Westerns had made it through that first season and joined the teams we now call the Cubs, Braves, and others as members of the National League. That did not happen, but the first pitch for professional baseball in Keokuk was thrown on this date in 1875.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 4th...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
Iowa Almanac for Monday, May 03, 2021
"May Flowers...or May Snowfall"
We know that the weather in Iowa can change rapidly. But rarely did it change as rapidly as it did in the days leading up to May 3rd of 2013.
The spring that year had been cold and damp. But on April 30th, the temperature reached 86 degrees in Des Moines. There were some thunderstorms as well, leading to hail damage in Cedar Falls and Waterloo, among other places.
Then the weather changed--precipitation continued, but the temperature dropped. On May 1st, the high temperatures were 40 degrees colder than the day before. And as the temperature dropped, and the precipitation continued, it turned to snow--a lot of it.
By the time the storm ended on May 3rd, Osage had 13 inches of snow, the highest May storm total in Iowa history. Chariton had a foot of new white stuff...Lake Mills had more than 11 and a half inches, while Britt and Forest City each reported 11 inches.
Snow was continuously reported at the Des Moines International Airport from 6:34 a.m. on May 2nd, to 2:48 p.m. on May 3rd, an uninterrupted 31 hours and 14 minutes, leading to just under 7 inches of snow in less than a day and a half.
And just like that, it was over. The temperatures warmed back to seasonal norms, in the 60s...the snow melted...and a wild weather week was over. It started with temperatures in the 80s with thunderstorms and hail, and ended with a foot of snow common in many areas of the state, when the record May snowstorm ended on this date in 2013.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 3rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
"May Flowers...or May Snowfall"
We know that the weather in Iowa can change rapidly. But rarely did it change as rapidly as it did in the days leading up to May 3rd of 2013.
The spring that year had been cold and damp. But on April 30th, the temperature reached 86 degrees in Des Moines. There were some thunderstorms as well, leading to hail damage in Cedar Falls and Waterloo, among other places.
Then the weather changed--precipitation continued, but the temperature dropped. On May 1st, the high temperatures were 40 degrees colder than the day before. And as the temperature dropped, and the precipitation continued, it turned to snow--a lot of it.
By the time the storm ended on May 3rd, Osage had 13 inches of snow, the highest May storm total in Iowa history. Chariton had a foot of new white stuff...Lake Mills had more than 11 and a half inches, while Britt and Forest City each reported 11 inches.
Snow was continuously reported at the Des Moines International Airport from 6:34 a.m. on May 2nd, to 2:48 p.m. on May 3rd, an uninterrupted 31 hours and 14 minutes, leading to just under 7 inches of snow in less than a day and a half.
And just like that, it was over. The temperatures warmed back to seasonal norms, in the 60s...the snow melted...and a wild weather week was over. It started with temperatures in the 80s with thunderstorms and hail, and ended with a foot of snow common in many areas of the state, when the record May snowstorm ended on this date in 2013.
And that's Iowa Almanac for May 3rd...Listen to the extended audio version of today's story by clicking on the audio player above.
