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First ACT Exam: Iowa Time Machine November 7, 1959

First ACT Exam: Iowa Time Machine November 7, 1959

First ACT Exam: Iowa Time Machine November 7, 1959

The Father of Iowa State: Iowa Time Machine November 7, 1850

The Father of Iowa State: Iowa Time Machine November 7, 1850

The Father of Iowa State: Iowa Time Machine November 7, 1850

Sci-Fi Author R.A. Lafferty: Iowa Time Machine November 7, 1914

Sci-Fi Author R.A. Lafferty: Iowa Time Machine November 7, 1914

Sci-Fi Author R.A. Lafferty: Iowa Time Machine November 7, 1914

Billy Sunday: Iowa Time Machine November 6, 1935

Billy Sunday: Iowa Time Machine November 6, 1935

Billy Sunday: Iowa Time Machine November 6, 1935

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📍Wilson Island State Recreation Area - Missouri Valley, Iowa

📍Wilson Island State Recreation Area - Missouri Valley, Iowa

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 7, 1914, R.A. Lafferty, American sci-fi author, was born in Neola. Lafferty’s arrival was the beginning of a life that would eventually inject the genre with a dose of wild, mythic American tall-tale energy.

Lafferty was born into a world on the brink of profound change. World War I had just begun in Europe, an event that would reshape global industry and foreshadow the technological leaps science fiction often explored. Back in the American Midwest, Iowa was still largely agricultural, rooted in the values of Catholicism, family, and folklore that would saturate his later prose. He was an adult before he truly began writing, having first worked as an engineer and served in the South Pacific during World War II. This late start, combined with his background in technical fields and his deep love for history, gave his voice an unusual richness, blending the rational with the utterly absurd.

Lafferty’s work is characterized by his unique, rambling narrative voice and his fascination with themes of forgotten history, mythology, and the inherent strangeness of human existence. He would go on to win a Hugo Award and receive multiple Nebula nominations, gaining a cult following for his books, such as Past Master and Fourth Mansions. The rural, plains-folk cadence he developed in Neola became the surprising vehicle for stories about time travel and alien civilizations.

R.A. Lafferty, the Iowa boy, proved that the wellspring of visionary fiction doesn’t rely on rocket science alone, but on a peculiar view of humanity. His stories, bursting with unreliable narrators and fantastic histories, are like the tall tales told on a long prairie night, now beamed out to the universe. From Neola, he launched a distinct literary style that continues to influence modern writers, cementing his place as a notable Iowa author. #Iowa #OTD #SciFi #Books #Reading

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 7, 1914, R.A. Lafferty, American sci-fi author, was born in Neola. Lafferty’s arrival was the beginning of a life that would eventually inject the genre with a dose of wild, mythic American tall-tale energy.

Lafferty was born into a world on the brink of profound change. World War I had just begun in Europe, an event that would reshape global industry and foreshadow the technological leaps science fiction often explored. Back in the American Midwest, Iowa was still largely agricultural, rooted in the values of Catholicism, family, and folklore that would saturate his later prose. He was an adult before he truly began writing, having first worked as an engineer and served in the South Pacific during World War II. This late start, combined with his background in technical fields and his deep love for history, gave his voice an unusual richness, blending the rational with the utterly absurd.

Lafferty’s work is characterized by his unique, rambling narrative voice and his fascination with themes of forgotten history, mythology, and the inherent strangeness of human existence. He would go on to win a Hugo Award and receive multiple Nebula nominations, gaining a cult following for his books, such as Past Master and Fourth Mansions. The rural, plains-folk cadence he developed in Neola became the surprising vehicle for stories about time travel and alien civilizations.

R.A. Lafferty, the Iowa boy, proved that the wellspring of visionary fiction doesn’t rely on rocket science alone, but on a peculiar view of humanity. His stories, bursting with unreliable narrators and fantastic histories, are like the tall tales told on a long prairie night, now beamed out to the universe. From Neola, he launched a distinct literary style that continues to influence modern writers, cementing his place as a notable Iowa author. #Iowa #OTD #SciFi #Books #Reading

First ACT Exam

First ACT Exam

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 7, 1959, students filed in to take the first ACT exam. Developed by Everett Franklin Lindquist, an education professor at the University of Iowa, the test sought to compete with the SAT while building on the success of ITBS, ITED, and GED.

In 1929, Lindquist, under the direction of Professor Thomas Kirby at the State University of Iowa, developed a statewide scholastic competition known as the ‘Iowa Academic Meet’, which became popularly known as the "Brain Derby." A cornerstone testing accomplishment in Iowa came in 1935 with the introduction of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) for grades six through eight. The immediate success of the exams across the state led to an extension of the program to grades three through five in 1940. In 1942, the Iowa Tests of Educational Development were implemented.

In 1942, Lindquist helped implement the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED). The ITEDs introduced new features that facilitate the individualization of instruction and guidance, emphasizing general intellectual skills and abilities, as well as understanding of broad concepts, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. During World War II, Lindquist developed the USAFI Tests of General Educational Development (GED).

Lindquist developed the American College Testing (ACT) exam based on the ITEDs. The ACT sought to test more than cognitive reasoning by actively incorporating information students learned in school. The first standardized test to include a science section, the ACT also focused on identifying strengths and weaknesses to guide student placement rather than determining cognitive reasoning strength across the board like the SAT. During the first year in 1959, 75,460 students took the exam. English, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Natural Sciences composed the exam, with students allotted 45 minutes for each section. Student exams were scored on a scale of 0 to 36. The test quickly gained popularity as a college admissions exam in the Midwestern US. By 1972, the number of students taking the ACT topped one million for the first time. #Iowa #OTD #History #ACT #Exam

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 7, 1959, students filed in to take the first ACT exam. Developed by Everett Franklin Lindquist, an education professor at the University of Iowa, the test sought to compete with the SAT while building on the success of ITBS, ITED, and GED.

In 1929, Lindquist, under the direction of Professor Thomas Kirby at the State University of Iowa, developed a statewide scholastic competition known as the ‘Iowa Academic Meet’, which became popularly known as the "Brain Derby." A cornerstone testing accomplishment in Iowa came in 1935 with the introduction of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) for grades six through eight. The immediate success of the exams across the state led to an extension of the program to grades three through five in 1940. In 1942, the Iowa Tests of Educational Development were implemented.

In 1942, Lindquist helped implement the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED). The ITEDs introduced new features that facilitate the individualization of instruction and guidance, emphasizing general intellectual skills and abilities, as well as understanding of broad concepts, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. During World War II, Lindquist developed the USAFI Tests of General Educational Development (GED).

Lindquist developed the American College Testing (ACT) exam based on the ITEDs. The ACT sought to test more than cognitive reasoning by actively incorporating information students learned in school. The first standardized test to include a science section, the ACT also focused on identifying strengths and weaknesses to guide student placement rather than determining cognitive reasoning strength across the board like the SAT. During the first year in 1959, 75,460 students took the exam. English, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Natural Sciences composed the exam, with students allotted 45 minutes for each section. Student exams were scored on a scale of 0 to 36. The test quickly gained popularity as a college admissions exam in the Midwestern US. By 1972, the number of students taking the ACT topped one million for the first time. #Iowa #OTD #History #ACT #Exam

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 7, 1850, “The Father of Iowa State University,” William Beardshear, was born. An early and significant President of Iowa State University (then Iowa Agricultural College), Beardshear also served as school superintendent in West Des Moines and worked as a pastor.

Born on an Ohio farm, Beardshear grew up quickly and signed up to serve in the Fourth Army Corps of the Army of the Cumberland at the age of 14. After completing his service at the war's conclusion, he went on to attend Otterbein College, where he earned his degree.

Serving as a pastor for the United Brethren before heading to Yale to complete his education. Soon after, Beardshear headed west to Iowa to work as the President at Western College in Toledo, Iowa. After an eight-year stint in Tama County, Beardshear headed to West Des Moines to guide the young school district before becoming President of Iowa State University on February 25, 1891.

Beardshear’s legacy includes the establishment of athletic programs, an increase in faculty from 25 to 78, and a quadrupling of enrollment during his 11-year tenure. The Cyclones' nickname also came about in 1895 during Beardshear’s time as President. In 1938, the central building on campus was named Beardshear Hall to honor “The Father of Iowa State.” #Iowa #OTD #History #IowaState #Education

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 7, 1850, “The Father of Iowa State University,” William Beardshear, was born. An early and significant President of Iowa State University (then Iowa Agricultural College), Beardshear also served as school superintendent in West Des Moines and worked as a pastor.

Born on an Ohio farm, Beardshear grew up quickly and signed up to serve in the Fourth Army Corps of the Army of the Cumberland at the age of 14. After completing his service at the war's conclusion, he went on to attend Otterbein College, where he earned his degree.

Serving as a pastor for the United Brethren before heading to Yale to complete his education. Soon after, Beardshear headed west to Iowa to work as the President at Western College in Toledo, Iowa. After an eight-year stint in Tama County, Beardshear headed to West Des Moines to guide the young school district before becoming President of Iowa State University on February 25, 1891.

Beardshear’s legacy includes the establishment of athletic programs, an increase in faculty from 25 to 78, and a quadrupling of enrollment during his 11-year tenure. The Cyclones' nickname also came about in 1895 during Beardshear’s time as President. In 1938, the central building on campus was named Beardshear Hall to honor “The Father of Iowa State.” #Iowa #OTD #History #IowaState #Education

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 7, 1914, R.A. Lafferty, American sci-fi author, was born in Neola. Lafferty’s arrival was the beginning of a life that would eventually inject the genre with a dose of wild, mythic American tall-tale energy.

Lafferty was born into a world on the brink of profound change. World War I had just begun in Europe, an event that would reshape global industry and foreshadow the technological leaps science fiction often explored. Back in the American Midwest, Iowa was still largely agricultural, rooted in the values of Catholicism, family, and folklore that would saturate his later prose. He was an adult before he truly began writing, having first worked as an engineer and served in the South Pacific during World War II. This late start, combined with his background in technical fields and his deep love for history, gave his voice an unusual richness, blending the rational with the utterly absurd.

Lafferty's work is characterized by his unique, rambling narrative voice and his fascination with themes of forgotten history, mythology, and the inherent strangeness of human existence. He would go on to win a Hugo Award and receive multiple Nebula nominations, gaining a cult following for his books, such as Past Master and Fourth Mansions. The rural, plains-folk cadence he developed in Neola became the surprising vehicle for stories about time travel and alien civilizations.

R.A. Lafferty, the Iowa boy, proved that the wellspring of visionary fiction doesn't rely on rocket science alone, but on a peculiar view of humanity. His stories, bursting with unreliable narrators and fantastic histories, are like the tall tales told on a long prairie night, now beamed out to the universe. From Neola, he launched a distinct literary style that continues to influence modern writers, cementing his place as a notable Iowa author. #Iowa #OTD #SciFi #Books #Reading

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 7, 1914, R.A. Lafferty, American sci-fi author, was born in Neola. Lafferty’s arrival was the beginning of a life that would eventually inject the genre with a dose of wild, mythic American tall-tale energy.

Lafferty was born into a world on the brink of profound change. World War I had just begun in Europe, an event that would reshape global industry and foreshadow the technological leaps science fiction often explored. Back in the American Midwest, Iowa was still largely agricultural, rooted in the values of Catholicism, family, and folklore that would saturate his later prose. He was an adult before he truly began writing, having first worked as an engineer and served in the South Pacific during World War II. This late start, combined with his background in technical fields and his deep love for history, gave his voice an unusual richness, blending the rational with the utterly absurd.

Lafferty's work is characterized by his unique, rambling narrative voice and his fascination with themes of forgotten history, mythology, and the inherent strangeness of human existence. He would go on to win a Hugo Award and receive multiple Nebula nominations, gaining a cult following for his books, such as Past Master and Fourth Mansions. The rural, plains-folk cadence he developed in Neola became the surprising vehicle for stories about time travel and alien civilizations.

R.A. Lafferty, the Iowa boy, proved that the wellspring of visionary fiction doesn't rely on rocket science alone, but on a peculiar view of humanity. His stories, bursting with unreliable narrators and fantastic histories, are like the tall tales told on a long prairie night, now beamed out to the universe. From Neola, he launched a distinct literary style that continues to influence modern writers, cementing his place as a notable Iowa author. #Iowa #OTD #SciFi #Books #Reading

📍Iowa State Capitol - Des Moines, Iowa

📍Iowa State Capitol - Des Moines, Iowa

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 6, 1935, Ames native, Chicago White Stockings outfielder, and significant American evangelist Billy Sunday died. Reputed by historians as the ‘most significant American evangelist of the early 20th century,’ Sunday’s life wandered from the Iowa Soldiers’ Orphans home to packed stadiums.

After Sunday’s father, William Sunday, died of pneumonia five weeks after Billy’s birth while serving with the Iowa 23rd Volunteer Infantry in the American Civil War, the family struggled when Billy’s mother remarried, only to be deserted by her second husband. At ten, Billy and his other brother found themselves sent off first to Glenwood and later to Davenport to live at the state-run Iowa Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home.

Bouncing around to Nevada and later Marshalltown, Billy Sunday displayed athletic gifts that landed him on the baseball diamond. Signing with the National League Champion Chicago White Stockings, Sunday proved to be a swift-footed outfielder and baserunner who provided average pop at the plate for eight professional seasons.

Converting to Evangelical Christianity in the 1880s, Sunday left the game and developed a whirlwind oratorical style while barnstorming around the Midwest. The enthusiastic evangelist eventually gained a massive national following while advancing the cause of Prohibition and continued to enrapture crowds until his death. #Iowa #OTD #History #Baseball #Evangelism

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 6, 1935, Ames native, Chicago White Stockings outfielder, and significant American evangelist Billy Sunday died. Reputed by historians as the ‘most significant American evangelist of the early 20th century,’ Sunday’s life wandered from the Iowa Soldiers’ Orphans home to packed stadiums.

After Sunday’s father, William Sunday, died of pneumonia five weeks after Billy’s birth while serving with the Iowa 23rd Volunteer Infantry in the American Civil War, the family struggled when Billy’s mother remarried, only to be deserted by her second husband. At ten, Billy and his other brother found themselves sent off first to Glenwood and later to Davenport to live at the state-run Iowa Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home.

Bouncing around to Nevada and later Marshalltown, Billy Sunday displayed athletic gifts that landed him on the baseball diamond. Signing with the National League Champion Chicago White Stockings, Sunday proved to be a swift-footed outfielder and baserunner who provided average pop at the plate for eight professional seasons.

Converting to Evangelical Christianity in the 1880s, Sunday left the game and developed a whirlwind oratorical style while barnstorming around the Midwest. The enthusiastic evangelist eventually gained a massive national following while advancing the cause of Prohibition and continued to enrapture crowds until his death. #Iowa #OTD #History #Baseball #Evangelism

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 6, 1993, Cyclone center Tony Booth made a critical catch in a 27-23 Iowa State win over eighteenth-ranked Kansas State. On down 17-12 late and facing a 3rd and 6 at the KSU 49, Booth caught a deflected pass and rumbled for eight yards to set up a come-from-behind victory for the Cyclones.

Amid an otherwise bleak 3-8 campaign under head coach Jim Walden, the Cyclones entered a home match-up against heavily favored Kansas State with only a single previous win in Big 8 play. Iowa State got down early and trailed 17-6 late in the third quarter when a streaker cutting across the field at Cyclone Stadium stopped the game temporarily. On the next play, Calvin Branch gained 19 yards on an end-around to spark an 80-yard Cyclone touchdown drive.

With the Cyclones down 17-12, the Iowa State defense got a stop, and the offense looked to keep the comeback alive. As the clock ticked down to erase half the fourth quarter, the Cyclone offense faced 3rd and 6 near midfield. Iowa State quarterback Todd Doxzon let a pass fly, and Kansas State defensive lineman Kelly Greene deflected the ball. “I was blocking at the time, and I just happened to look up,” Booth said. “The ball was just kind of fluttering in the air.” The center went on to make the first catch of his college career while helping keep the drive alive.

The Cyclones went on to cap the 68-yard drive with a touchdown to take the lead 20-17. Another late score helped seal the deal, and the Cyclones pulled off the upset over eighteenth-ranked Kansas State 27-23. “I think Tony Booth should be the star of the game,” Walden said. “That’s about as big a play as a lineman is going to make in a situation where you need it.” #Iowa #OTD #IowaState #History #CollegeFootball

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 6, 1993, Cyclone center Tony Booth made a critical catch in a 27-23 Iowa State win over eighteenth-ranked Kansas State. On down 17-12 late and facing a 3rd and 6 at the KSU 49, Booth caught a deflected pass and rumbled for eight yards to set up a come-from-behind victory for the Cyclones.

Amid an otherwise bleak 3-8 campaign under head coach Jim Walden, the Cyclones entered a home match-up against heavily favored Kansas State with only a single previous win in Big 8 play. Iowa State got down early and trailed 17-6 late in the third quarter when a streaker cutting across the field at Cyclone Stadium stopped the game temporarily. On the next play, Calvin Branch gained 19 yards on an end-around to spark an 80-yard Cyclone touchdown drive.

With the Cyclones down 17-12, the Iowa State defense got a stop, and the offense looked to keep the comeback alive. As the clock ticked down to erase half the fourth quarter, the Cyclone offense faced 3rd and 6 near midfield. Iowa State quarterback Todd Doxzon let a pass fly, and Kansas State defensive lineman Kelly Greene deflected the ball. “I was blocking at the time, and I just happened to look up,” Booth said. “The ball was just kind of fluttering in the air.” The center went on to make the first catch of his college career while helping keep the drive alive.

The Cyclones went on to cap the 68-yard drive with a touchdown to take the lead 20-17. Another late score helped seal the deal, and the Cyclones pulled off the upset over eighteenth-ranked Kansas State 27-23. “I think Tony Booth should be the star of the game,” Walden said. “That’s about as big a play as a lineman is going to make in a situation where you need it.” #Iowa #OTD #IowaState #History #CollegeFootball

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 6, 1935, Ames native, Chicago White Stockings outfielder, and significant American evangelist Billy Sunday died. Reputed by historians as the ‘most significant American evangelist of the early 20th century,’ Sunday’s life wandered from the Iowa Soldiers’ Orphans home to packed stadiums.

After Sunday’s father, William Sunday, died of pneumonia five weeks after Billy’s birth while serving with the Iowa 23rd Volunteer Infantry in the American Civil War, the family struggled when Billy’s mother remarried, only to be deserted by her second husband. At ten, Billy and his other brother found themselves sent off first to Glenwood and later to Davenport to live at the state-run Iowa Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home.

Bouncing around to Nevada and later Marshalltown, Billy Sunday displayed athletic gifts that landed him on the baseball diamond. Signing with the National League Champion Chicago White Stockings, Sunday proved to be a swift-footed outfielder and baserunner who provided average pop at the plate for eight professional seasons.

Converting to Evangelical Christianity in the 1880s, Sunday left the game and developed a whirlwind oratorical style while barnstorming around the Midwest. The enthusiastic evangelist eventually gained a massive national following while advancing the cause of Prohibition and continued to enrapture crowds until his death. #Iowa #OTD #History #Baseball #Evangelism

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 6, 1935, Ames native, Chicago White Stockings outfielder, and significant American evangelist Billy Sunday died. Reputed by historians as the ‘most significant American evangelist of the early 20th century,’ Sunday’s life wandered from the Iowa Soldiers’ Orphans home to packed stadiums.

After Sunday’s father, William Sunday, died of pneumonia five weeks after Billy’s birth while serving with the Iowa 23rd Volunteer Infantry in the American Civil War, the family struggled when Billy’s mother remarried, only to be deserted by her second husband. At ten, Billy and his other brother found themselves sent off first to Glenwood and later to Davenport to live at the state-run Iowa Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home.

Bouncing around to Nevada and later Marshalltown, Billy Sunday displayed athletic gifts that landed him on the baseball diamond. Signing with the National League Champion Chicago White Stockings, Sunday proved to be a swift-footed outfielder and baserunner who provided average pop at the plate for eight professional seasons.

Converting to Evangelical Christianity in the 1880s, Sunday left the game and developed a whirlwind oratorical style while barnstorming around the Midwest. The enthusiastic evangelist eventually gained a massive national following while advancing the cause of Prohibition and continued to enrapture crowds until his death. #Iowa #OTD #History #Baseball #Evangelism

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 6, 1928, Iowan Herbert Hoover was elected President of the United States. The first man born west of the Mississippi River to hold America’s highest office, Hoover’s presidency would falter and fail as the Great Depression dominated his time as president.

Born to Jesse and Hulda Hoover, Herbert spent six years of childhood in late-19th-century Iowa. Tragedy struck when his blacksmith father suffered a heart attack in 1880 and again when his mother died of pneumonia in 1883. The orphaned Hoover went west to spend the rest of his youth with his Oregonian aunt and uncle. An inaugural member of Stanford University (as well as a member of the school’s first baseball and football teams), Hoover pursued a degree in geology before finding his way to the mines. Starting from the bottom, Hoover worked his way up to become an exceptional mining engineer and businessman.

With over $4 million in the bank by 1900, Hoover lived his Quaker beliefs of public service while serving as the head of the Commission for Relief in Belgium during World War I, as Woodrow Wilson’s U.S. Food Administrator, as head of the American Relief Administration, and as Secretary of Commerce under Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge.

Nominated to run for President in 1928, Hoover rode to the White House on 21 million popular votes and a massive 444-87 electoral majority. However, only a year later, the stock market crashed in October of 1929, forever tainting Hoover’s presidential legacy. Viewed as doing too little to offset the Depression, Hoover ultimately left the White House after only a single term. Today, Hoover rests beside his wife, Lou Henry (of Waterloo, Iowa), on the grounds of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch. #Iowa #OTD #History #President #Politics

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 6, 1928, Iowan Herbert Hoover was elected President of the United States. The first man born west of the Mississippi River to hold America’s highest office, Hoover’s presidency would falter and fail as the Great Depression dominated his time as president.

Born to Jesse and Hulda Hoover, Herbert spent six years of childhood in late-19th-century Iowa. Tragedy struck when his blacksmith father suffered a heart attack in 1880 and again when his mother died of pneumonia in 1883. The orphaned Hoover went west to spend the rest of his youth with his Oregonian aunt and uncle. An inaugural member of Stanford University (as well as a member of the school’s first baseball and football teams), Hoover pursued a degree in geology before finding his way to the mines. Starting from the bottom, Hoover worked his way up to become an exceptional mining engineer and businessman.

With over $4 million in the bank by 1900, Hoover lived his Quaker beliefs of public service while serving as the head of the Commission for Relief in Belgium during World War I, as Woodrow Wilson’s U.S. Food Administrator, as head of the American Relief Administration, and as Secretary of Commerce under Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge.

Nominated to run for President in 1928, Hoover rode to the White House on 21 million popular votes and a massive 444-87 electoral majority. However, only a year later, the stock market crashed in October of 1929, forever tainting Hoover’s presidential legacy. Viewed as doing too little to offset the Depression, Hoover ultimately left the White House after only a single term. Today, Hoover rests beside his wife, Lou Henry (of Waterloo, Iowa), on the grounds of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch. #Iowa #OTD #History #President #Politics

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 6, 1861, Alfred Theodore Ringling was born in McGregor. While his name isn't as instantly recognizable as his brothers', Alfred was one of the five Iowa-born siblings who would revolutionize American popular culture through the Ringling Brothers Circus.

Alfred's birth occurred during a tumultuous period. Although the Ringling family was far from the battlefields, 1861 marked the beginning of the American Civil War, a time when the nation's priorities shifted drastically. The family patriarch, August Ringling, was a German immigrant and harness maker who had settled his family in the Upper Midwest, following various towns along the Mississippi River, including Baraboo, Wisconsin, their later, more permanent home. These formative years along the burgeoning frontier exposed the young Ringling boys to the itinerant entertainers and traveling shows that crisscrossed the region, planting the initial seeds for their shared destiny under the big top.

Alfred was the brother who primarily mastered the crucial equestrian acts, adding artistry and animal husbandry to their repertoire. He, along with his brothers Otto, Charles, John, and Al, began their entertainment careers in the 1870s by staging local theatricals and concerts. By 1884, they officially launched the "Ringling Bros. Classic and Comic Concert Company," which rapidly expanded into a full-fledged circus show. The McGregor native's contribution was vital in shaping the quality and scale of their early performances.

Alfred T. Ringling, the boy born in McGregor during the opening volleys of the Civil War, would grow up to manage the complex logistics and spectacular performances required to put on an unprecedented show. He and his brothers turned a simple Midwestern concert troupe into a massive, meticulously managed enterprise, proving that the American dream could be found not just in cities, but under canvas pitched on a muddy field. The legacy of the Ringlings remains a vibrant testament to the ambition born on that Iowa riverfront. #Iowa #OTD #History #Circus #Ringling

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 6, 1861, Alfred Theodore Ringling was born in McGregor. While his name isn't as instantly recognizable as his brothers', Alfred was one of the five Iowa-born siblings who would revolutionize American popular culture through the Ringling Brothers Circus.

Alfred's birth occurred during a tumultuous period. Although the Ringling family was far from the battlefields, 1861 marked the beginning of the American Civil War, a time when the nation's priorities shifted drastically. The family patriarch, August Ringling, was a German immigrant and harness maker who had settled his family in the Upper Midwest, following various towns along the Mississippi River, including Baraboo, Wisconsin, their later, more permanent home. These formative years along the burgeoning frontier exposed the young Ringling boys to the itinerant entertainers and traveling shows that crisscrossed the region, planting the initial seeds for their shared destiny under the big top.

Alfred was the brother who primarily mastered the crucial equestrian acts, adding artistry and animal husbandry to their repertoire. He, along with his brothers Otto, Charles, John, and Al, began their entertainment careers in the 1870s by staging local theatricals and concerts. By 1884, they officially launched the "Ringling Bros. Classic and Comic Concert Company," which rapidly expanded into a full-fledged circus show. The McGregor native's contribution was vital in shaping the quality and scale of their early performances.

Alfred T. Ringling, the boy born in McGregor during the opening volleys of the Civil War, would grow up to manage the complex logistics and spectacular performances required to put on an unprecedented show. He and his brothers turned a simple Midwestern concert troupe into a massive, meticulously managed enterprise, proving that the American dream could be found not just in cities, but under canvas pitched on a muddy field. The legacy of the Ringlings remains a vibrant testament to the ambition born on that Iowa riverfront. #Iowa #OTD #History #Circus #Ringling

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 6, 1993, Cyclone center Tony Booth made a critical catch in a 27-23 Iowa State win over eighteenth-ranked Kansas State. On down 17-12 late and facing a 3rd and 6 at the KSU 49, Booth caught a deflected pass and rumbled for eight yards to set up a come-from-behind victory for the Cyclones.

Amid an otherwise bleak 3-8 campaign under head coach Jim Walden, the Cyclones entered a home match-up against heavily favored Kansas State with only a single previous win in Big 8 play. Iowa State got down early and trailed 17-6 late in the third quarter when a streaker cutting across the field at Cyclone Stadium stopped the game temporarily. On the next play, Calvin Branch gained 19 yards on an end-around to spark an 80-yard Cyclone touchdown drive.

With the Cyclones down 17-12, the Iowa State defense got a stop, and the offense looked to keep the comeback alive. As the clock ticked down to erase half the fourth quarter, the Cyclone offense faced 3rd and 6 near midfield. Iowa State quarterback Todd Doxzon let a pass fly, and Kansas State defensive lineman Kelly Greene deflected the ball. “I was blocking at the time, and I just happened to look up,” Booth said. “The ball was just kind of fluttering in the air.” The center went on to make the first catch of his college career while helping keep the drive alive.

The Cyclones went on to cap the 68-yard drive with a touchdown to take the lead 20-17. Another late score helped seal the deal, and the Cyclones pulled off the upset over eighteenth-ranked Kansas State 27-23. “I think Tony Booth should be the star of the game,” Walden said. “That’s about as big a play as a lineman is going to make in a situation where you need it.” #Iowa #OTD #IowaState #History #CollegeFootball

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 6, 1993, Cyclone center Tony Booth made a critical catch in a 27-23 Iowa State win over eighteenth-ranked Kansas State. On down 17-12 late and facing a 3rd and 6 at the KSU 49, Booth caught a deflected pass and rumbled for eight yards to set up a come-from-behind victory for the Cyclones.

Amid an otherwise bleak 3-8 campaign under head coach Jim Walden, the Cyclones entered a home match-up against heavily favored Kansas State with only a single previous win in Big 8 play. Iowa State got down early and trailed 17-6 late in the third quarter when a streaker cutting across the field at Cyclone Stadium stopped the game temporarily. On the next play, Calvin Branch gained 19 yards on an end-around to spark an 80-yard Cyclone touchdown drive.

With the Cyclones down 17-12, the Iowa State defense got a stop, and the offense looked to keep the comeback alive. As the clock ticked down to erase half the fourth quarter, the Cyclone offense faced 3rd and 6 near midfield. Iowa State quarterback Todd Doxzon let a pass fly, and Kansas State defensive lineman Kelly Greene deflected the ball. “I was blocking at the time, and I just happened to look up,” Booth said. “The ball was just kind of fluttering in the air.” The center went on to make the first catch of his college career while helping keep the drive alive.

The Cyclones went on to cap the 68-yard drive with a touchdown to take the lead 20-17. Another late score helped seal the deal, and the Cyclones pulled off the upset over eighteenth-ranked Kansas State 27-23. “I think Tony Booth should be the star of the game,” Walden said. “That’s about as big a play as a lineman is going to make in a situation where you need it.” #Iowa #OTD #IowaState #History #CollegeFootball

��📍Hotel Manning - Keosauqua, Iowa

📍Hotel Manning - Keosauqua, Iowa

Iowa’s Honey War

Iowa’s Honey War

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 5, 1978, firefighters scrambled to put out the deadliest fire in Des Moines’ history at Merle Hay Mall. Breaking out in the mall’s Younkers store, the fire caused an estimated $20 million in damage and killed eleven store employees.

Built on the site of St. Gabriel’s Monastery, Chicago developers started work on ‘The Northland Shopping Center’ before eventually shifting to Merle Hay to honor the first Iowan (and perhaps American) killed in World War I and namesake of the road on which the mall was to be located. Originally an open-air plaza when it was first opened in 1958, and known as Merle Hay Plaza, the structure was enclosed by workers and renamedMerle Hay Mall in 1972.

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 5, 1978, an explosion occurred in the store as employees prepared for a typical afternoon rush of shoppers. Responders from the nearby Fire Station 9 raced from a few blocks away to fight the fire and rescue employees stranded on the roof of the building. Those trapped inside were later identified primarily by jewelry after the extreme heat of the blast and subsequent fire.

Although officials initially announced that a problem with the store’s heating and cooling system caused the fire, later evidence suggested that an electrical malfunction occurred due to wires covered in polyvinyl chloride overheating and releasing hydrochloric acid, which led to the explosion. Although the store reopened a year later, those who lost loved ones or fought the fire still remember Des Moines’ deadliest fire. #Iowa #OTD #History #Fire #Mall

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 5, 1978, firefighters scrambled to put out the deadliest fire in Des Moines’ history at Merle Hay Mall. Breaking out in the mall’s Younkers store, the fire caused an estimated $20 million in damage and killed eleven store employees.

Built on the site of St. Gabriel’s Monastery, Chicago developers started work on ‘The Northland Shopping Center’ before eventually shifting to Merle Hay to honor the first Iowan (and perhaps American) killed in World War I and namesake of the road on which the mall was to be located. Originally an open-air plaza when it was first opened in 1958, and known as Merle Hay Plaza, the structure was enclosed by workers and renamedMerle Hay Mall in 1972.

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 5, 1978, an explosion occurred in the store as employees prepared for a typical afternoon rush of shoppers. Responders from the nearby Fire Station 9 raced from a few blocks away to fight the fire and rescue employees stranded on the roof of the building. Those trapped inside were later identified primarily by jewelry after the extreme heat of the blast and subsequent fire.

Although officials initially announced that a problem with the store’s heating and cooling system caused the fire, later evidence suggested that an electrical malfunction occurred due to wires covered in polyvinyl chloride overheating and releasing hydrochloric acid, which led to the explosion. Although the store reopened a year later, those who lost loved ones or fought the fire still remember Des Moines’ deadliest fire. #Iowa #OTD #History #Fire #Mall

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 5, 1978, firefighters scrambled to put out the deadliest fire in Des Moines' history at Merle Hay Mall. Breaking out in the mall’s Younkers store, the fire caused an estimated $20 million in damage and killed eleven store employees.

Built on the site of St. Gabriel’s Monastery, Chicago developers started work on ‘The Northland Shopping Center’ before eventually shifting to Merle Hay to honor the first Iowan (and perhaps American) killed in World War I and namesake of the road on which the mall was to be located. Originally an open-air plaza when it was first opened in 1958, and known as Merle Hay Plaza, the structure was enclosed by workers and renamedMerle Hay Mall in 1972.

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 5, 1978, an explosion occurred in the store as employees prepared for a typical afternoon rush of shoppers. Responders from the nearby Fire Station 9 raced from a few blocks away to fight the fire and rescue employees stranded on the roof of the building. Those trapped inside were later identified primarily by jewelry after the extreme heat of the blast and subsequent fire.

Although officials initially announced that a problem with the store’s heating and cooling system caused the fire, later evidence suggested that an electrical malfunction occurred due to wires covered in polyvinyl chloride overheating and releasing hydrochloric acid, which led to the explosion. Although the store reopened a year later, those who lost loved ones or fought the fire still remember Des Moines’ deadliest fire. #Iowa #OTD #History #Fire #Mall

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 5, 1978, firefighters scrambled to put out the deadliest fire in Des Moines' history at Merle Hay Mall. Breaking out in the mall’s Younkers store, the fire caused an estimated $20 million in damage and killed eleven store employees.

Built on the site of St. Gabriel’s Monastery, Chicago developers started work on ‘The Northland Shopping Center’ before eventually shifting to Merle Hay to honor the first Iowan (and perhaps American) killed in World War I and namesake of the road on which the mall was to be located. Originally an open-air plaza when it was first opened in 1958, and known as Merle Hay Plaza, the structure was enclosed by workers and renamedMerle Hay Mall in 1972.

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 5, 1978, an explosion occurred in the store as employees prepared for a typical afternoon rush of shoppers. Responders from the nearby Fire Station 9 raced from a few blocks away to fight the fire and rescue employees stranded on the roof of the building. Those trapped inside were later identified primarily by jewelry after the extreme heat of the blast and subsequent fire.

Although officials initially announced that a problem with the store’s heating and cooling system caused the fire, later evidence suggested that an electrical malfunction occurred due to wires covered in polyvinyl chloride overheating and releasing hydrochloric acid, which led to the explosion. Although the store reopened a year later, those who lost loved ones or fought the fire still remember Des Moines’ deadliest fire. #Iowa #OTD #History #Fire #Mall

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 5, 1921, Hawkeye football legend Aubrey Devine put together one of the greatest performances in school history during a 41-7 win over Minnesota. On the day, the Des Moines native Devine passed for two touchdowns, rushed for four touchdowns, and kicked five extra points.

Born in Des Moines, Devine spent part of his childhood in Union County before returning to Iowa’s capital city for high school. Attending West, Glenn shone in the glee club and as a standout in football, basketball, and track. In 1916, Aubrey and his brother Glenn led West to an undefeated championship season at West. Leaving school to serve a year in the United States Marine Corps during World War I, Devine eventually enrolled at Drake briefly before transferring to the University of Iowa.

From 1919 to 1921, Devine etched his name into Hawkeye lore by racking up selection as a first-team All-Big Ten Conference player all three years, earning consensus All-American quarterback in 1921. During his first season, he helped Iowa to a 5-2 record and recorded all of the Hawkeye points in wins over Iowa State and Northwestern. In 1920, Devine again helped the Hawks to a 5-2 record while providing another memorable performance against Iowa State, where he threw for a touchdown, rushed for a touchdown, and intercepted three passes on defense.

After helping Iowa top Knute Rockne’s Fighting Irish by knocking in a game-winning field goal and accounting for all of Iowa’s points in a 13-6 win over Purdue, Devine prepared for an immortal game against Minnesota. While notching six total touchdowns and five extra points, Devine rushed for 162 yards, passed for 122 yards, and racked up 200 return yards on kicks, punts, and interceptions. A true do-it-all performer, Devine also starred in basketball and track for Iowa, achieving a Big Ten Medal for excellence in both athletics and academics. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973, Devine’s legacy still stands as one of the greatest in Hawkeye history. #Iowa #OTD #Hawkeye #CollegeFootball #History

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 5, 1921, Hawkeye football legend Aubrey Devine put together one of the greatest performances in school history during a 41-7 win over Minnesota. On the day, the Des Moines native Devine passed for two touchdowns, rushed for four touchdowns, and kicked five extra points.

Born in Des Moines, Devine spent part of his childhood in Union County before returning to Iowa’s capital city for high school. Attending West, Glenn shone in the glee club and as a standout in football, basketball, and track. In 1916, Aubrey and his brother Glenn led West to an undefeated championship season at West. Leaving school to serve a year in the United States Marine Corps during World War I, Devine eventually enrolled at Drake briefly before transferring to the University of Iowa.

From 1919 to 1921, Devine etched his name into Hawkeye lore by racking up selection as a first-team All-Big Ten Conference player all three years, earning consensus All-American quarterback in 1921. During his first season, he helped Iowa to a 5-2 record and recorded all of the Hawkeye points in wins over Iowa State and Northwestern. In 1920, Devine again helped the Hawks to a 5-2 record while providing another memorable performance against Iowa State, where he threw for a touchdown, rushed for a touchdown, and intercepted three passes on defense.

After helping Iowa top Knute Rockne’s Fighting Irish by knocking in a game-winning field goal and accounting for all of Iowa’s points in a 13-6 win over Purdue, Devine prepared for an immortal game against Minnesota. While notching six total touchdowns and five extra points, Devine rushed for 162 yards, passed for 122 yards, and racked up 200 return yards on kicks, punts, and interceptions. A true do-it-all performer, Devine also starred in basketball and track for Iowa, achieving a Big Ten Medal for excellence in both athletics and academics. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973, Devine’s legacy still stands as one of the greatest in Hawkeye history. #Iowa #OTD #Hawkeye #CollegeFootball #History

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 5, 1938, Iowa State football first entered the national poll before a match-up with Drake at Clyde Williams Field. The Big Six squad, led by Ed Bock and Everett Kischer, went on to beat Drake 14-0 to secure the first 7-0 start in school history.

The second season for head coach James J. Yeager saw the Cyclones start off hot with wins over Denver University and Luther. Back-to-back road wins, over Nebraska 8-7 in Lincoln and Missouri 16-13 in Columbia, saw Iowa State storm back into Ames at 4-0. A dominant 21-7 win over Kansas at home and a 7-0 road win over Marquette allowed Iowa State to crack the national polls at number 18 for the first time in school history.

Despite the win over Drake, the Cyclones dropped out of the poll the following week. A 13-13 tie in Manhattan against Kansas State allowed Iowa State to remain unbeaten through week 8. However, in the final game of the season, seventh-ranked Oklahoma arrived in Ames and beat the Cyclones 10-0. Bock, Kosher, Charles Heileman, and Clyde Shugart received first-team all-conference honors.

Bock, a legendary two-way player for Iowa State from Fort Dodge, was named Iowa State’s first-ever unanimous first-team All-American at the close of the 1938 season. The College Football Hall of Fame enshrined Bock in 1970. #Iowa #OTD #IowaState #CollegeFootball #Drake

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 5, 1938, Iowa State football first entered the national poll before a match-up with Drake at Clyde Williams Field. The Big Six squad, led by Ed Bock and Everett Kischer, went on to beat Drake 14-0 to secure the first 7-0 start in school history.

The second season for head coach James J. Yeager saw the Cyclones start off hot with wins over Denver University and Luther. Back-to-back road wins, over Nebraska 8-7 in Lincoln and Missouri 16-13 in Columbia, saw Iowa State storm back into Ames at 4-0. A dominant 21-7 win over Kansas at home and a 7-0 road win over Marquette allowed Iowa State to crack the national polls at number 18 for the first time in school history.

Despite the win over Drake, the Cyclones dropped out of the poll the following week. A 13-13 tie in Manhattan against Kansas State allowed Iowa State to remain unbeaten through week 8. However, in the final game of the season, seventh-ranked Oklahoma arrived in Ames and beat the Cyclones 10-0. Bock, Kosher, Charles Heileman, and Clyde Shugart received first-team all-conference honors.

Bock, a legendary two-way player for Iowa State from Fort Dodge, was named Iowa State’s first-ever unanimous first-team All-American at the close of the 1938 season. The College Football Hall of Fame enshrined Bock in 1970. #Iowa #OTD #IowaState #CollegeFootball #Drake

📍Springbrook State Park - Guthrie Center, Iowa

📍Springbrook State Park - Guthrie Center, Iowa

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 4, 1962, Frederick Louis Maytag II died. President and Chairman of the Maytag Company, founder of Maytag Dairy Farms, and Iowa State Senator, “Fred II” also established the Fred Maytag Family Foundation during a life balancing a wide array of interests and business acumen.

Born to Elmer “E.H.” Maytag, son of Maytag Industries founder Frederick Louis Maytag I, Fred II left Iowa for educational opportunities at the Culver Military Academy and the University of Wisconsin before returning to the state. When E.H. died suddenly at the age of 56 in 1940, the 29-year-old Fred II found himself in the position of President at Maytag Industries.

Although E.H. laid the groundwork for Maytag Dairy Farms in 1919 by purchasing a single cow to supply the family with fresh milk, in 1941, Fred II took what had grown into an award-winning herd of Holstein-Friesian cows and turned it into a business. With his brother Robert, Fred II paired Iowa State University’s scientific process with American ingenuity to create the first great American blue cheese.

Also during the 1940s, Fred II oversaw the transition of Maytag from washing machines to military production and back again. An Iowa Senator from 1946 until 1952, Fred II also served as chairman of the Herbert Hoover Birthplace Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, and on the board of Grinnell College. A true Renaissance man, Fred II enjoyed scuba diving, piloting his own plane, photography, and a host of other interests before his untimely death from cancer at the age of 51. #Iowa #OTD #History #Innovation #Maytag

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 4, 1962, Frederick Louis Maytag II died. President and Chairman of the Maytag Company, founder of Maytag Dairy Farms, and Iowa State Senator, “Fred II” also established the Fred Maytag Family Foundation during a life balancing a wide array of interests and business acumen.

Born to Elmer “E.H.” Maytag, son of Maytag Industries founder Frederick Louis Maytag I, Fred II left Iowa for educational opportunities at the Culver Military Academy and the University of Wisconsin before returning to the state. When E.H. died suddenly at the age of 56 in 1940, the 29-year-old Fred II found himself in the position of President at Maytag Industries.

Although E.H. laid the groundwork for Maytag Dairy Farms in 1919 by purchasing a single cow to supply the family with fresh milk, in 1941, Fred II took what had grown into an award-winning herd of Holstein-Friesian cows and turned it into a business. With his brother Robert, Fred II paired Iowa State University’s scientific process with American ingenuity to create the first great American blue cheese.

Also during the 1940s, Fred II oversaw the transition of Maytag from washing machines to military production and back again. An Iowa Senator from 1946 until 1952, Fred II also served as chairman of the Herbert Hoover Birthplace Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, and on the board of Grinnell College. A true Renaissance man, Fred II enjoyed scuba diving, piloting his own plane, photography, and a host of other interests before his untimely death from cancer at the age of 51. #Iowa #OTD #History #Innovation #Maytag

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 4, 1973, a newspaper feature touted “Dolph Pulliam’s 1-2-3,” a new children’s show airing in Des Moines. Starting in 1969, the former Drake basketball star arrived on Iowa’s airwaves as the first African-American radio and television broadcaster.

A standout at Drake, Pulliam helped the Bulldogs to the most successful season in school history when the team made the 1969 NCAA Final Four. Starring for Coach Maury John on the hardwood, Pulliam also excelled in the classroom to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Speech with a minor in Radio and TV Broadcasting.

After graduation, Dolph started serving as a radio announcer for the Bulldogs while also breaking into local television. Serving as an anchor for the mid-day news, Pulliam also shone as a lovable presence on the Sunday morning program “Dolph Pulliam’s 1-2-3.” The show saw great success, and a similar noon-time program called “Dolph’s Cartoon Corner” started airing on weekdays.

While television moved away from localized programming in the 1980s, so did Pulliam. In 1989, he returned to Drake to join the staff of the marketing and promotions director before serving as the director of community outreach and development. Pulliam returned to the radio booth to broadcast Drake basketball from 2002 to 2013. #Iowa #OTD #History #TV #CollegeBasketball

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 4, 1973, a newspaper feature touted “Dolph Pulliam’s 1-2-3,” a new children’s show airing in Des Moines. Starting in 1969, the former Drake basketball star arrived on Iowa’s airwaves as the first African-American radio and television broadcaster.

A standout at Drake, Pulliam helped the Bulldogs to the most successful season in school history when the team made the 1969 NCAA Final Four. Starring for Coach Maury John on the hardwood, Pulliam also excelled in the classroom to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Speech with a minor in Radio and TV Broadcasting.

After graduation, Dolph started serving as a radio announcer for the Bulldogs while also breaking into local television. Serving as an anchor for the mid-day news, Pulliam also shone as a lovable presence on the Sunday morning program “Dolph Pulliam’s 1-2-3.” The show saw great success, and a similar noon-time program called “Dolph’s Cartoon Corner” started airing on weekdays.

While television moved away from localized programming in the 1980s, so did Pulliam. In 1989, he returned to Drake to join the staff of the marketing and promotions director before serving as the director of community outreach and development. Pulliam returned to the radio booth to broadcast Drake basketball from 2002 to 2013. #Iowa #OTD #History #TV #CollegeBasketball

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 3, 2003, Kurvin C. “KC” Fish, co-founder of popular Iowa-based Casey’s General Store, died. Perhaps the most consistently recognizable Iowa business, the chain grew from a single store to over 2,400 stores spread across sixteen states.

In 1959, Fish convinced his friend Donald Lamberti to purchase the Square Deal Oil Company station in Boone. After remodeling his new business into a convenience store, Lamberti renamed it after his friend K.C.’s “Casey’s General Store,” which proved successful. He soon opened a second store in Creston.

Other Casey’s locations soon followed, including one in the small town of Waukee (population 1,500 at the time), and Lamberti knew he had a successful business enterprise in the making. By the 1970s, Casey’s boasted 118 locations. In 1983, Lamberti took the company public, and the store introduced donuts. But it wasn’t until the following year, when the store in Corning, Iowa, debuted pizza, that Casey’s truly became an iconic Iowa institution.

Branching out from traditional pizzas with the introduction of the fan-favorite taco, Iowans quickly became consumed with picking up a pizza alongside a tank of gas. Today, Casey’s serves up breakfast pizza, doughnuts, and gas at locations in most Iowa towns. #Iowa #OTD #History #Gas #Innovation

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 3, 2003, Kurvin C. “KC” Fish, co-founder of popular Iowa-based Casey’s General Store, died. Perhaps the most consistently recognizable Iowa business, the chain grew from a single store to over 2,400 stores spread across sixteen states.

In 1959, Fish convinced his friend Donald Lamberti to purchase the Square Deal Oil Company station in Boone. After remodeling his new business into a convenience store, Lamberti renamed it after his friend K.C.’s “Casey’s General Store,” which proved successful. He soon opened a second store in Creston.

Other Casey’s locations soon followed, including one in the small town of Waukee (population 1,500 at the time), and Lamberti knew he had a successful business enterprise in the making. By the 1970s, Casey’s boasted 118 locations. In 1983, Lamberti took the company public, and the store introduced donuts. But it wasn’t until the following year, when the store in Corning, Iowa, debuted pizza, that Casey’s truly became an iconic Iowa institution.

Branching out from traditional pizzas with the introduction of the fan-favorite taco, Iowans quickly became consumed with picking up a pizza alongside a tank of gas. Today, Casey’s serves up breakfast pizza, doughnuts, and gas at locations in most Iowa towns. #Iowa #OTD #History #Gas #Innovation

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 4, 1979, Jesup native Katy Koob was taken hostage during the Iran Hostage Crisis. For the next 444 days, the fate of fifty-two captured Americans, including a quiet Foreign Service Officer named Kathryn "Katy" Koob, became the singular obsession of the United States.

This crisis did not emerge from a vacuum; it was the inevitable explosion following the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The new Islamic Republic, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, harbored deep, genuine resentment toward the United States for decades of propping up the deposed, authoritarian Shah. When President Jimmy Carter permitted the ailing Shah to enter the U.S. for medical treatment, it was viewed by Iranian radicals as the final betrayal, a prelude to a coup. The seizure of the embassy was a calculated act by militants aiming to finally extinguish U.S. influence and force the Shah's extradition back to Iran for trial.

On the day itself, Koob, a director for the Iran-America Society, was working at her office a few blocks away from the embassy compound. She found herself in a desperate, quickly unfolding situation, managing to place the last direct phone call to the State Department in Washington, D.C., confirming the takeover before she herself was captured. Koob and Elizabeth Ann Swift were the only two women held for the crisis's entire duration, 444 days, defying an early release of other female and minority hostages. She used the discipline and deep Lutheran faith learned in Iowa to impose a contemplative routine upon the terrifying isolation of her confinement.

The nightmare finally ended on January 20, 1981, when the hostages were released, forever linking this chapter of international turmoil to the life of one resolute Midwestern woman. Katy Koob's experience, rooted in the familiar plains of Iowa, demonstrates that the global stage often demands the extraordinary from ordinary Americans. #Iran #HostageCrisis #Iowa #History #Diplomacy

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 4, 1979, Jesup native Katy Koob was taken hostage during the Iran Hostage Crisis. For the next 444 days, the fate of fifty-two captured Americans, including a quiet Foreign Service Officer named Kathryn "Katy" Koob, became the singular obsession of the United States.

This crisis did not emerge from a vacuum; it was the inevitable explosion following the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The new Islamic Republic, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, harbored deep, genuine resentment toward the United States for decades of propping up the deposed, authoritarian Shah. When President Jimmy Carter permitted the ailing Shah to enter the U.S. for medical treatment, it was viewed by Iranian radicals as the final betrayal, a prelude to a coup. The seizure of the embassy was a calculated act by militants aiming to finally extinguish U.S. influence and force the Shah's extradition back to Iran for trial.

On the day itself, Koob, a director for the Iran-America Society, was working at her office a few blocks away from the embassy compound. She found herself in a desperate, quickly unfolding situation, managing to place the last direct phone call to the State Department in Washington, D.C., confirming the takeover before she herself was captured. Koob and Elizabeth Ann Swift were the only two women held for the crisis's entire duration, 444 days, defying an early release of other female and minority hostages. She used the discipline and deep Lutheran faith learned in Iowa to impose a contemplative routine upon the terrifying isolation of her confinement.

The nightmare finally ended on January 20, 1981, when the hostages were released, forever linking this chapter of international turmoil to the life of one resolute Midwestern woman. Katy Koob's experience, rooted in the familiar plains of Iowa, demonstrates that the global stage often demands the extraordinary from ordinary Americans. #Iran #HostageCrisis #Iowa #History #Diplomacy

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 4, 1947, KWWL Radio Waterloo first went live on the air. Operated by Black Hawk Broadcasting, the unlikely recipient of an FCC television license in 1953, the story illustrates Ralph McElroy’s dogged boosterism and commitment to providing a public-oriented option for news in the Cedar Valley.

Ralph McElroy overcame a difficult childhood and early adulthood, ultimately finding success as an advertising salesman at WMT Radio Waterloo. After serving in the Pacific Theater of World War II, McElroy returned and worked to establish a community-oriented radio station. With the backing of 31 local investors, he founded the Black Hawk Broadcasting Company and KWWL Radio.

Joe DuMond’s KXEL, a large clear-channel station, was the dominant station in the Waterloo market during the late 1940s and early 1950s. When the FCC began considering potential television licensing for the market, both KXEL and KWWL applied. DuMond used KXEL’s status to pressure local advertisers to undercut KWWL, while also constructing and equipping a television station before obtaining a license (a violation).

McElroy sued DuMond in federal court after obtaining a tape recording of the KXEL executive discussing a boycott of KWWL sponsorships. Eventually, the plucky McElroy bought out the studio and equipment from KXEL after winning the license. Initially a DuMont Television Network Station, KWWL became an NBC affiliate in 1955. Today, KWWL still represents an important voice in the Waterloo market. #Iowa #History #OTD #TV #Radio

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 4, 1947, KWWL Radio Waterloo first went live on the air. Operated by Black Hawk Broadcasting, the unlikely recipient of an FCC television license in 1953, the story illustrates Ralph McElroy’s dogged boosterism and commitment to providing a public-oriented option for news in the Cedar Valley.

Ralph McElroy overcame a difficult childhood and early adulthood, ultimately finding success as an advertising salesman at WMT Radio Waterloo. After serving in the Pacific Theater of World War II, McElroy returned and worked to establish a community-oriented radio station. With the backing of 31 local investors, he founded the Black Hawk Broadcasting Company and KWWL Radio.

Joe DuMond’s KXEL, a large clear-channel station, was the dominant station in the Waterloo market during the late 1940s and early 1950s. When the FCC began considering potential television licensing for the market, both KXEL and KWWL applied. DuMond used KXEL’s status to pressure local advertisers to undercut KWWL, while also constructing and equipping a television station before obtaining a license (a violation).

McElroy sued DuMond in federal court after obtaining a tape recording of the KXEL executive discussing a boycott of KWWL sponsorships. Eventually, the plucky McElroy bought out the studio and equipment from KXEL after winning the license. Initially a DuMont Television Network Station, KWWL became an NBC affiliate in 1955. Today, KWWL still represents an important voice in the Waterloo market. #Iowa #History #OTD #TV #Radio

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 4, 1962, Frederick Louis Maytag II died. President and Chairman of the Maytag Company, founder of Maytag Dairy Farms, and Iowa State Senator, “Fred II” also established the Fred Maytag Family Foundation during a life balancing a wide array of interests and business acumen.

Born to Elmer “E.H.” Maytag, son of Maytag Industries founder Frederick Louis Maytag I, Fred II left Iowa for educational opportunities at the Culver Military Academy and the University of Wisconsin before returning to the state. When E.H. died suddenly at the age of 56 in 1940, the 29-year-old Fred II found himself in the position of President at Maytag Industries.

Although E.H. laid the groundwork for Maytag Dairy Farms in 1919 by purchasing a single cow to supply the family with fresh milk, in 1941, Fred II took what had grown into an award-winning herd of Holstein-Friesian cows and turned it into a business. With his brother Robert, Fred II paired Iowa State University's scientific process with American ingenuity to create the first great American blue cheese.

Also during the 1940s, Fred II oversaw the transition of Maytag from washing machines to military production and back again. An Iowa Senator from 1946 until 1952, Fred II also served as chairman of the Herbert Hoover Birthplace Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, and on the board of Grinnell College. A true Renaissance man, Fred II enjoyed scuba diving, piloting his own plane, photography, and a host of other interests before his untimely death from cancer at the age of 51. #Iowa #OTD #History #Innovation #Maytag

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 4, 1962, Frederick Louis Maytag II died. President and Chairman of the Maytag Company, founder of Maytag Dairy Farms, and Iowa State Senator, “Fred II” also established the Fred Maytag Family Foundation during a life balancing a wide array of interests and business acumen.

Born to Elmer “E.H.” Maytag, son of Maytag Industries founder Frederick Louis Maytag I, Fred II left Iowa for educational opportunities at the Culver Military Academy and the University of Wisconsin before returning to the state. When E.H. died suddenly at the age of 56 in 1940, the 29-year-old Fred II found himself in the position of President at Maytag Industries.

Although E.H. laid the groundwork for Maytag Dairy Farms in 1919 by purchasing a single cow to supply the family with fresh milk, in 1941, Fred II took what had grown into an award-winning herd of Holstein-Friesian cows and turned it into a business. With his brother Robert, Fred II paired Iowa State University's scientific process with American ingenuity to create the first great American blue cheese.

Also during the 1940s, Fred II oversaw the transition of Maytag from washing machines to military production and back again. An Iowa Senator from 1946 until 1952, Fred II also served as chairman of the Herbert Hoover Birthplace Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, and on the board of Grinnell College. A true Renaissance man, Fred II enjoyed scuba diving, piloting his own plane, photography, and a host of other interests before his untimely death from cancer at the age of 51. #Iowa #OTD #History #Innovation #Maytag

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 4, 1973, a newspaper feature touted “Dolph Pulliam’s 1-2-3,” a new children’s show airing in Des Moines. Starting in 1969, the former Drake basketball star arrived on Iowa’s airwaves as the first African-American radio and television broadcaster.

A standout at Drake, Pulliam helped the Bulldogs to the most successful season in school history when the team made the 1969 NCAA Final Four. Starring for Coach Maury John on the hardwood, Pulliam also excelled in the classroom to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Speech with a minor in Radio and TV Broadcasting.

After graduation, Dolph started serving as a radio announcer for the Bulldogs while also breaking into local television. Serving as an anchor for the mid-day news, Pulliam also shone as a lovable presence on the Sunday morning program “Dolph Pulliam’s 1-2-3.” The show saw great success, and a similar noon-time program called “Dolph’s Cartoon Corner” started airing on weekdays.

While television moved away from localized programming in the 1980s, so did Pulliam. In 1989, he returned to Drake to join the staff of the marketing and promotions director before serving as the director of community outreach and development. Pulliam returned to the radio booth to broadcast Drake basketball from 2002 to 2013. #Iowa #OTD #History #TV #CollegeBasketball

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 4, 1973, a newspaper feature touted “Dolph Pulliam’s 1-2-3,” a new children’s show airing in Des Moines. Starting in 1969, the former Drake basketball star arrived on Iowa’s airwaves as the first African-American radio and television broadcaster.

A standout at Drake, Pulliam helped the Bulldogs to the most successful season in school history when the team made the 1969 NCAA Final Four. Starring for Coach Maury John on the hardwood, Pulliam also excelled in the classroom to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Speech with a minor in Radio and TV Broadcasting.

After graduation, Dolph started serving as a radio announcer for the Bulldogs while also breaking into local television. Serving as an anchor for the mid-day news, Pulliam also shone as a lovable presence on the Sunday morning program “Dolph Pulliam’s 1-2-3.” The show saw great success, and a similar noon-time program called “Dolph’s Cartoon Corner” started airing on weekdays.

While television moved away from localized programming in the 1980s, so did Pulliam. In 1989, he returned to Drake to join the staff of the marketing and promotions director before serving as the director of community outreach and development. Pulliam returned to the radio booth to broadcast Drake basketball from 2002 to 2013. #Iowa #OTD #History #TV #CollegeBasketball

📍Dubuque, Iowa

📍Dubuque, Iowa

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 3, 1974, Dubuque Wahlert captured the first of the school’s 18 state championships in volleyball. One of the most dominant runs by one school in a single sport, the Golden Eagles continue to soar above the net as the gold standard for the “Volleyball Capital of Iowa.”

Iowa officially certified volleyball as a high school sport in 1974, and Dubuque sent both Wahlert and Dubuque Senior to the state tournament held in Des Moines. Both teams advanced to the state final, allowing Dubuque to lay claim to the title of “Volleyball Capital of Iowa.” The program went on to establish a standard of excellence largely unparalleled in Iowa team sports by capturing state championships in 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2016.

Notable alums of the program include 2007 graduate and libero for the USA at the Rio Olympics Kayla Banwart, 1993 graduate Jen Boleyn who went on to play at Ohio State, 1988 graduate Janine Gremmel, who went on to play at Texas, 1997 graduate Jill Gremmel who also starred for the Longhorns, 2017 graduate Mackenzie May who went on to play beach volleyball at UCLA, 2003 graduate Stephanie May who played at UNI, 1993 graduate Jennifer McFadden, and many others.

Coach Tom Keating, the head man for the Golden Eagles for eleven of the school’s 18 state volleyball championships, helped maintain a standard of excellence for Dubuque Wahlert after arriving at the school in 1980. After leaving the program in 2004 to become a principal at Cedar Rapids Xavier, Keating went on to become the sixth executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association. In 2003, the NFHS named Keating the National Coach of the Year for volleyball. #Iowa #OTD #History #Volleyball #HighSchool

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 3, 1974, Dubuque Wahlert captured the first of the school’s 18 state championships in volleyball. One of the most dominant runs by one school in a single sport, the Golden Eagles continue to soar above the net as the gold standard for the “Volleyball Capital of Iowa.”

Iowa officially certified volleyball as a high school sport in 1974, and Dubuque sent both Wahlert and Dubuque Senior to the state tournament held in Des Moines. Both teams advanced to the state final, allowing Dubuque to lay claim to the title of “Volleyball Capital of Iowa.” The program went on to establish a standard of excellence largely unparalleled in Iowa team sports by capturing state championships in 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2016.

Notable alums of the program include 2007 graduate and libero for the USA at the Rio Olympics Kayla Banwart, 1993 graduate Jen Boleyn who went on to play at Ohio State, 1988 graduate Janine Gremmel, who went on to play at Texas, 1997 graduate Jill Gremmel who also starred for the Longhorns, 2017 graduate Mackenzie May who went on to play beach volleyball at UCLA, 2003 graduate Stephanie May who played at UNI, 1993 graduate Jennifer McFadden, and many others.

Coach Tom Keating, the head man for the Golden Eagles for eleven of the school’s 18 state volleyball championships, helped maintain a standard of excellence for Dubuque Wahlert after arriving at the school in 1980. After leaving the program in 2004 to become a principal at Cedar Rapids Xavier, Keating went on to become the sixth executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association. In 2003, the NFHS named Keating the National Coach of the Year for volleyball. #Iowa #OTD #History #Volleyball #HighSchool

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 3, 1918, Bob “The Heater from Van Meter” Feller was born in Van Meter. A 1962 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and 18-year MLB pitcher who led the American League in wins six times and won the 1948 World Series, Feller stands as one of the greatest Iowa athletes of all time.

Born in Van Meter to a farmer and a schoolteacher, Feller’s father started rolling a baseball for baby Bob before the child could walk. Implementing a routine featuring daily father-son games of catch on the farm, William Feller encouraged his son’s pursuit of baseball. At 8, “Bullet Bob” broke three of his father’s ribs with a fastball. When, as a 9-year-old, Bob could hurl a baseball an alleged 270’, his father decided to put up arc lights on the barn so the two could play catch year-round.

By 1930, an elementary school-age Feller pitched against the Van Meter High School Team. Continuing to improve the farm to encourage the baseball prodigy, William Feller started to build a ballpark a quarter-mile east of the farmhouse. The ‘original Field of Dreams’ (and now on the National Register of Historic Places) featured a concession stand, bleachers, and its own team called the Oakview, which featured an exceptional young pitcher.

Signed by legendary Cleveland scout Cy Slapnicka for $1 and an autographed baseball in 1936, and debuted for the Major League team on July 19 without throwing a single pitch in the minor leagues. Although Feller took a break to enlist as a 40 mm gun captain in the United States Navy from 1941 to 1945 and served in both Atlantic and Pacific theaters of World War II, he managed to amass a 266-162 career record while recording 2,581 strikeouts over his storied career. #Iowa #OTD #History #Baseball #MLB

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 3, 1918, Bob “The Heater from Van Meter” Feller was born in Van Meter. A 1962 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and 18-year MLB pitcher who led the American League in wins six times and won the 1948 World Series, Feller stands as one of the greatest Iowa athletes of all time.

Born in Van Meter to a farmer and a schoolteacher, Feller’s father started rolling a baseball for baby Bob before the child could walk. Implementing a routine featuring daily father-son games of catch on the farm, William Feller encouraged his son’s pursuit of baseball. At 8, “Bullet Bob” broke three of his father’s ribs with a fastball. When, as a 9-year-old, Bob could hurl a baseball an alleged 270’, his father decided to put up arc lights on the barn so the two could play catch year-round.

By 1930, an elementary school-age Feller pitched against the Van Meter High School Team. Continuing to improve the farm to encourage the baseball prodigy, William Feller started to build a ballpark a quarter-mile east of the farmhouse. The ‘original Field of Dreams’ (and now on the National Register of Historic Places) featured a concession stand, bleachers, and its own team called the Oakview, which featured an exceptional young pitcher.

Signed by legendary Cleveland scout Cy Slapnicka for $1 and an autographed baseball in 1936, and debuted for the Major League team on July 19 without throwing a single pitch in the minor leagues. Although Feller took a break to enlist as a 40 mm gun captain in the United States Navy from 1941 to 1945 and served in both Atlantic and Pacific theaters of World War II, he managed to amass a 266-162 career record while recording 2,581 strikeouts over his storied career. #Iowa #OTD #History #Baseball #MLB

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 3, 2003, Kurvin C. “KC” Fish, co-founder of popular Iowa-based Casey’s General Store, died. Perhaps the most consistently recognizable Iowa business, the chain grew from a single store to over 2,400 stores spread across sixteen states.

In 1959, Fish convinced his friend Donald Lamberti to purchase the Square Deal Oil Company station in Boone. After remodeling his new business into a convenience store, Lamberti renamed it after his friend K.C.’s “Casey’s General Store,” which proved successful. He soon opened a second store in Creston.

Other Casey’s locations soon followed, including one in the small town of Waukee (population 1,500 at the time), and Lamberti knew he had a successful business enterprise in the making. By the 1970s, Casey’s boasted 118 locations. In 1983, Lamberti took the company public, and the store introduced donuts. But it wasn’t until the following year, when the store in Corning, Iowa, debuted pizza, that Casey’s truly became an iconic Iowa institution.

Branching out from traditional pizzas with the introduction of the fan-favorite taco, Iowans quickly became consumed with picking up a pizza alongside a tank of gas. Today, Casey’s serves up breakfast pizza, doughnuts, and gas at locations in most Iowa towns. #Iowa #OTD #History #Gas #Innovation

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 3, 2003, Kurvin C. “KC” Fish, co-founder of popular Iowa-based Casey’s General Store, died. Perhaps the most consistently recognizable Iowa business, the chain grew from a single store to over 2,400 stores spread across sixteen states.

In 1959, Fish convinced his friend Donald Lamberti to purchase the Square Deal Oil Company station in Boone. After remodeling his new business into a convenience store, Lamberti renamed it after his friend K.C.’s “Casey’s General Store,” which proved successful. He soon opened a second store in Creston.

Other Casey’s locations soon followed, including one in the small town of Waukee (population 1,500 at the time), and Lamberti knew he had a successful business enterprise in the making. By the 1970s, Casey’s boasted 118 locations. In 1983, Lamberti took the company public, and the store introduced donuts. But it wasn’t until the following year, when the store in Corning, Iowa, debuted pizza, that Casey’s truly became an iconic Iowa institution.

Branching out from traditional pizzas with the introduction of the fan-favorite taco, Iowans quickly became consumed with picking up a pizza alongside a tank of gas. Today, Casey’s serves up breakfast pizza, doughnuts, and gas at locations in most Iowa towns. #Iowa #OTD #History #Gas #Innovation

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 3, 1974, Dubuque Wahlert captured the first of the school’s 18 state championships in volleyball. One of the most dominant runs by one school in a single sport, the Golden Eagles continue to soar above the net as the gold standard for the “Volleyball Capital of Iowa.”

Iowa officially certified volleyball as a high school sport in 1974, and Dubuque sent both Wahlert and Dubuque Senior to the state tournament held in Des Moines. Both teams advanced to the state final, allowing Dubuque to lay claim to the title of “Volleyball Capital of Iowa.” The program went on to establish a standard of excellence largely unparalleled in Iowa team sports by capturing state championships in 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2016.

Notable alums of the program include 2007 graduate and libero for the USA at the Rio Olympics Kayla Banwart, 1993 graduate Jen Boleyn who went on to play at Ohio State, 1988 graduate Janine Gremmel, who went on to play at Texas, 1997 graduate Jill Gremmel who also starred for the Longhorns, 2017 graduate Mackenzie May who went on to play beach volleyball at UCLA, 2003 graduate Stephanie May who played at UNI, 1993 graduate Jennifer McFadden, and many others.

Coach Tom Keating, the head man for the Golden Eagles for eleven of the school's 18 state volleyball championships, helped maintain a standard of excellence for Dubuque Wahlert after arriving at the school in 1980. After leaving the program in 2004 to become a principal at Cedar Rapids Xavier, Keating went on to become the sixth executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association. In 2003, the NFHS named Keating the National Coach of the Year for volleyball. #Iowa #OTD #History #Volleyball #HighSchool

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 3, 1974, Dubuque Wahlert captured the first of the school’s 18 state championships in volleyball. One of the most dominant runs by one school in a single sport, the Golden Eagles continue to soar above the net as the gold standard for the “Volleyball Capital of Iowa.”

Iowa officially certified volleyball as a high school sport in 1974, and Dubuque sent both Wahlert and Dubuque Senior to the state tournament held in Des Moines. Both teams advanced to the state final, allowing Dubuque to lay claim to the title of “Volleyball Capital of Iowa.” The program went on to establish a standard of excellence largely unparalleled in Iowa team sports by capturing state championships in 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2016.

Notable alums of the program include 2007 graduate and libero for the USA at the Rio Olympics Kayla Banwart, 1993 graduate Jen Boleyn who went on to play at Ohio State, 1988 graduate Janine Gremmel, who went on to play at Texas, 1997 graduate Jill Gremmel who also starred for the Longhorns, 2017 graduate Mackenzie May who went on to play beach volleyball at UCLA, 2003 graduate Stephanie May who played at UNI, 1993 graduate Jennifer McFadden, and many others.

Coach Tom Keating, the head man for the Golden Eagles for eleven of the school's 18 state volleyball championships, helped maintain a standard of excellence for Dubuque Wahlert after arriving at the school in 1980. After leaving the program in 2004 to become a principal at Cedar Rapids Xavier, Keating went on to become the sixth executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association. In 2003, the NFHS named Keating the National Coach of the Year for volleyball. #Iowa #OTD #History #Volleyball #HighSchool

📍Iowa State Capitol - Des Moines, Iowa

📍Iowa State Capitol - Des Moines, Iowa

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 2, 1982, Bill Zuber passed away. An 11-year Major League Baseball veteran originally from the Amana Colonies, Zuber’s rise to the big leagues represents one of Iowa’s most unusual pathways to professional sports.

Growing up in Middle Amana, the community prohibited sports as part of the German Pietist ideology. Baseball somehow started to gain popularity as the seven villages formed teams during the 1920s. Each village created a baseball diamond, and teams battled one another in ballgames, often against neighboring towns. Zuber didn’t even see a game of baseball until he was fourteen years old.

Soon after his first exposure to the game, Zuber started playing for his village team and gained a reputation as a solid third baseman and a dangerous hitter. Soon moved to the mound, professional scout C.C. Slapnicka spotted Zuber’s potential only three years after Zuber first discovered the game. Signed soon after to the Cleveland franchise, a brief stint in the minors soon led to the MLB.

From 1936 through 1947, Zuber racked up a career record of 43-42 and a 4.28 earned run average while pitching for Cleveland, Washington, New York (Yankees), and Boston. One of Zuber’s best seasons occurred in 1943, when he compiled an 8-4 record while contributing to the Yankees’ World Series win. After his career ended, Bill and his wife, Connie, purchased the Homestead Hotel and created Bill Zuber’s Restaurant in Middle Amana. #Iowa #OTD #History #Baseball #Food

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 2, 1982, Bill Zuber passed away. An 11-year Major League Baseball veteran originally from the Amana Colonies, Zuber’s rise to the big leagues represents one of Iowa’s most unusual pathways to professional sports.

Growing up in Middle Amana, the community prohibited sports as part of the German Pietist ideology. Baseball somehow started to gain popularity as the seven villages formed teams during the 1920s. Each village created a baseball diamond, and teams battled one another in ballgames, often against neighboring towns. Zuber didn’t even see a game of baseball until he was fourteen years old.

Soon after his first exposure to the game, Zuber started playing for his village team and gained a reputation as a solid third baseman and a dangerous hitter. Soon moved to the mound, professional scout C.C. Slapnicka spotted Zuber’s potential only three years after Zuber first discovered the game. Signed soon after to the Cleveland franchise, a brief stint in the minors soon led to the MLB.

From 1936 through 1947, Zuber racked up a career record of 43-42 and a 4.28 earned run average while pitching for Cleveland, Washington, New York (Yankees), and Boston. One of Zuber’s best seasons occurred in 1943, when he compiled an 8-4 record while contributing to the Yankees’ World Series win. After his career ended, Bill and his wife, Connie, purchased the Homestead Hotel and created Bill Zuber’s Restaurant in Middle Amana. #Iowa #OTD #History #Baseball #Food

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 2, 1969, Gene Emerald, a central Iowa radio and television personality, passed away. Long before late-night television became a national free-for-all, local personalities were the true stars, and in Des Moines, few shone brighter than Emerald. The career of Emerald, a singing cowboy, radio, and television host who pioneered local entertainment, exemplifies the enormous and intimate power of local radio and regional TV in the mid-twentieth century.

Emerald’s career blossomed during a transformative period for Iowa media, moving from the radio waves to the nascent world of television. The 1950s and 1960s saw Des Moines’s media landscape rapidly expand from WOI-TV to include major network affiliates such as WHO-TV and KRNT-TV (now KCCI). This growth created a considerable demand for local content. Emerald established himself on KRNT Radio and Television as a popular “singing cowboy” personality, a genre of wholesome, folksy entertainment that resonated deeply with Midwestern audiences who often felt disconnected from coastal trends.

Gene Emerald’s tenure on KRNT-TV marked his transition into a long-running local talk show host. He was a familiar and trustworthy face who brought community figures and entertainment into the living rooms of thousands of Iowans. His death in 1969 was a sudden and significant loss felt across the viewing area, particularly by those who grew up watching him. Emerald represented the pinnacle of the Golden Age of local TV, where a host could be a neighbor, a friend, and a regional celebrity all at once.

Today, television is dominated by globally syndicated programming and anonymous streaming services, but the quiet passing of Gene Emerald reminds us of what we lost. He stands as a historical marker for a time when the media was rooted in the community. The lights of local television may not shine as brightly now. Still, Emerald’s legacy as one of Des Moines’s original, beloved television stars endures in the history of the Iowa airwaves. #Iowa #OTD #History #Radio #Televison

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 2, 1969, Gene Emerald, a central Iowa radio and television personality, passed away. Long before late-night television became a national free-for-all, local personalities were the true stars, and in Des Moines, few shone brighter than Emerald. The career of Emerald, a singing cowboy, radio, and television host who pioneered local entertainment, exemplifies the enormous and intimate power of local radio and regional TV in the mid-twentieth century.

Emerald’s career blossomed during a transformative period for Iowa media, moving from the radio waves to the nascent world of television. The 1950s and 1960s saw Des Moines’s media landscape rapidly expand from WOI-TV to include major network affiliates such as WHO-TV and KRNT-TV (now KCCI). This growth created a considerable demand for local content. Emerald established himself on KRNT Radio and Television as a popular “singing cowboy” personality, a genre of wholesome, folksy entertainment that resonated deeply with Midwestern audiences who often felt disconnected from coastal trends.

Gene Emerald’s tenure on KRNT-TV marked his transition into a long-running local talk show host. He was a familiar and trustworthy face who brought community figures and entertainment into the living rooms of thousands of Iowans. His death in 1969 was a sudden and significant loss felt across the viewing area, particularly by those who grew up watching him. Emerald represented the pinnacle of the Golden Age of local TV, where a host could be a neighbor, a friend, and a regional celebrity all at once.

Today, television is dominated by globally syndicated programming and anonymous streaming services, but the quiet passing of Gene Emerald reminds us of what we lost. He stands as a historical marker for a time when the media was rooted in the community. The lights of local television may not shine as brightly now. Still, Emerald’s legacy as one of Des Moines’s original, beloved television stars endures in the history of the Iowa airwaves. #Iowa #OTD #History #Radio #Televison

Daylight Savings in Iowa

Daylight Savings in Iowa

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 2, 1985, the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes took the field to play the eighth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on the road with a new addition to the standard-issue Iowa uniform: each player’s helmet featured a small sticker reading “ANF” in black within a yellow circle. The gesture, meant to show support for Iowa farmers during the depths of the 1980s farm crisis, has evolved to represent a significant cultural representation of the Iowa agricultural industry.

As the Hawkeyes ranked at the top of the polls in 1985, Iowa farmers continued to watch land values plummet. Iowa’s farmland lost 60% of its total value from 1981 to 1986, and an estimated third of Iowa farmers found themselves facing serious financial troubles. Corn dropped from $3.15 a bushel in 1979 to $1.55 in 1987, leading to 1 in 4 Iowa farms shuttering by 1990.

Iowa Head Football Coach Hayden Fry sought to bring attention to the plight of farmers with a simple 2.5” yellow circle inscribed with “A-N-F” positioned above the Tigerhawk on the right side of each helmet, which debuted as the Hawkeyes entered Ohio Stadium as the top-ranked team in the land. Although the Buckeyes carried the day on the field, Iowa farmers received an enduring message.

“The thing I’m most proud of here at Iowa is putting the ANF on our headgear,” reflected Fry years later. Today, with fewer than 5% of Iowans making a living from actually farming, the symbol still adorning the Hawkeye helmets continues to represent the broader agricultural interests that dominate the state's economy. #Iowa #OTD #History #CollegeFootball #Farm

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 2, 1985, the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes took the field to play the eighth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on the road with a new addition to the standard-issue Iowa uniform: each player’s helmet featured a small sticker reading “ANF” in black within a yellow circle. The gesture, meant to show support for Iowa farmers during the depths of the 1980s farm crisis, has evolved to represent a significant cultural representation of the Iowa agricultural industry.

As the Hawkeyes ranked at the top of the polls in 1985, Iowa farmers continued to watch land values plummet. Iowa’s farmland lost 60% of its total value from 1981 to 1986, and an estimated third of Iowa farmers found themselves facing serious financial troubles. Corn dropped from $3.15 a bushel in 1979 to $1.55 in 1987, leading to 1 in 4 Iowa farms shuttering by 1990.

Iowa Head Football Coach Hayden Fry sought to bring attention to the plight of farmers with a simple 2.5” yellow circle inscribed with “A-N-F” positioned above the Tigerhawk on the right side of each helmet, which debuted as the Hawkeyes entered Ohio Stadium as the top-ranked team in the land. Although the Buckeyes carried the day on the field, Iowa farmers received an enduring message.

“The thing I’m most proud of here at Iowa is putting the ANF on our headgear,” reflected Fry years later. Today, with fewer than 5% of Iowans making a living from actually farming, the symbol still adorning the Hawkeye helmets continues to represent the broader agricultural interests that dominate the state's economy. #Iowa #OTD #History #CollegeFootball #Farm

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 2, 1982, Bill Zuber passed away. An 11-year Major League Baseball veteran originally from the Amana Colonies, Zuber’s rise to the big leagues represents one of Iowa’s most unusual pathways to professional sports.

Growing up in Middle Amana, the community prohibited sports as part of the German Pietist ideology. Baseball somehow started to gain popularity as the seven villages formed teams during the 1920s. Each village created a baseball diamond, and teams battled one another in ballgames, often against neighboring towns. Zuber didn’t even see a game of baseball until he was fourteen years old.

Soon after his first exposure to the game, Zuber started playing for his village team and gained a reputation as a solid third baseman and a dangerous hitter. Soon moved to the mound, professional scout C.C. Slapnicka spotted Zuber’s potential only three years after Zuber first discovered the game. Signed soon after to the Cleveland franchise, a brief stint in the minors soon led to the MLB.

From 1936 through 1947, Zuber racked up a career record of 43-42 and a 4.28 earned run average while pitching for Cleveland, Washington, New York (Yankees), and Boston. One of Zuber’s best seasons occurred in 1943, when he compiled an 8-4 record while contributing to the Yankees' World Series win. After his career ended, Bill and his wife, Connie, purchased the Homestead Hotel and created Bill Zuber’s Restaurant in Middle Amana. #Iowa #OTD #History #Baseball #Food

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 2, 1982, Bill Zuber passed away. An 11-year Major League Baseball veteran originally from the Amana Colonies, Zuber’s rise to the big leagues represents one of Iowa’s most unusual pathways to professional sports.

Growing up in Middle Amana, the community prohibited sports as part of the German Pietist ideology. Baseball somehow started to gain popularity as the seven villages formed teams during the 1920s. Each village created a baseball diamond, and teams battled one another in ballgames, often against neighboring towns. Zuber didn’t even see a game of baseball until he was fourteen years old.

Soon after his first exposure to the game, Zuber started playing for his village team and gained a reputation as a solid third baseman and a dangerous hitter. Soon moved to the mound, professional scout C.C. Slapnicka spotted Zuber’s potential only three years after Zuber first discovered the game. Signed soon after to the Cleveland franchise, a brief stint in the minors soon led to the MLB.

From 1936 through 1947, Zuber racked up a career record of 43-42 and a 4.28 earned run average while pitching for Cleveland, Washington, New York (Yankees), and Boston. One of Zuber’s best seasons occurred in 1943, when he compiled an 8-4 record while contributing to the Yankees' World Series win. After his career ended, Bill and his wife, Connie, purchased the Homestead Hotel and created Bill Zuber’s Restaurant in Middle Amana. #Iowa #OTD #History #Baseball #Food

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 2, 1969, Gene Emerald, a central Iowa radio and television personality, passed away. Long before late-night television became a national free-for-all, local personalities were the true stars, and in Des Moines, few shone brighter than Emerald. The career of Emerald, a singing cowboy, radio, and television host who pioneered local entertainment, exemplifies the enormous and intimate power of local radio and regional TV in the mid-twentieth century.

Emerald's career blossomed during a transformative period for Iowa media, moving from the radio waves to the nascent world of television. The 1950s and 1960s saw Des Moines's media landscape rapidly expand from WOI-TV to include major network affiliates such as WHO-TV and KRNT-TV (now KCCI). This growth created a considerable demand for local content. Emerald established himself on KRNT Radio and Television as a popular "singing cowboy" personality, a genre of wholesome, folksy entertainment that resonated deeply with Midwestern audiences who often felt disconnected from coastal trends.

Gene Emerald's tenure on KRNT-TV marked his transition into a long-running local talk show host. He was a familiar and trustworthy face who brought community figures and entertainment into the living rooms of thousands of Iowans. His death in 1969 was a sudden and significant loss felt across the viewing area, particularly by those who grew up watching him. Emerald represented the pinnacle of the Golden Age of local TV, where a host could be a neighbor, a friend, and a regional celebrity all at once.

Today, television is dominated by globally syndicated programming and anonymous streaming services, but the quiet passing of Gene Emerald reminds us of what we lost. He stands as a historical marker for a time when the media was rooted in the community. The lights of local television may not shine as brightly now. Still, Emerald's legacy as one of Des Moines’s original, beloved television stars endures in the history of the Iowa airwaves. #Iowa #OTD #History #Radio #Televison

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 2, 1969, Gene Emerald, a central Iowa radio and television personality, passed away. Long before late-night television became a national free-for-all, local personalities were the true stars, and in Des Moines, few shone brighter than Emerald. The career of Emerald, a singing cowboy, radio, and television host who pioneered local entertainment, exemplifies the enormous and intimate power of local radio and regional TV in the mid-twentieth century.

Emerald's career blossomed during a transformative period for Iowa media, moving from the radio waves to the nascent world of television. The 1950s and 1960s saw Des Moines's media landscape rapidly expand from WOI-TV to include major network affiliates such as WHO-TV and KRNT-TV (now KCCI). This growth created a considerable demand for local content. Emerald established himself on KRNT Radio and Television as a popular "singing cowboy" personality, a genre of wholesome, folksy entertainment that resonated deeply with Midwestern audiences who often felt disconnected from coastal trends.

Gene Emerald's tenure on KRNT-TV marked his transition into a long-running local talk show host. He was a familiar and trustworthy face who brought community figures and entertainment into the living rooms of thousands of Iowans. His death in 1969 was a sudden and significant loss felt across the viewing area, particularly by those who grew up watching him. Emerald represented the pinnacle of the Golden Age of local TV, where a host could be a neighbor, a friend, and a regional celebrity all at once.

Today, television is dominated by globally syndicated programming and anonymous streaming services, but the quiet passing of Gene Emerald reminds us of what we lost. He stands as a historical marker for a time when the media was rooted in the community. The lights of local television may not shine as brightly now. Still, Emerald's legacy as one of Des Moines’s original, beloved television stars endures in the history of the Iowa airwaves. #Iowa #OTD #History #Radio #Televison

📍Honey Creek State Park - Moravia, Iowa

📍Honey Creek State Park - Moravia, Iowa

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 1, 1827, Hoyt Sherman was born. An important early Iowa banker, real estate developer, insurance executive, and local historian, Sherman’s legacy lives on in Hoyt Sherman Place on the west side of downtown Des Moines.

Born in Ohio as one of eleven children, Sherman experienced hardship after his father died suddenly in 1829. Despite the setback, Sherman and his siblings all reached adulthood. He and his brothers, William Tecumseh Sherman (a Civil War general) and John Sherman (a U.S. Senator), went on to lead extraordinary lives after their difficult start. Hoyt Sherman headed west to Des Moines in May 1848 and began helping to shape the rapidly developing city almost immediately.

Sherman speculated in lands and started a bank. Partnering with Benjamin F. Allen, the two men built one of the most successful banks in early Iowa. Sherman served as an army paymaster during the Civil War before returning to Des Moines and helping to form Equitable Life Insurance of Iowa. Despite other financial challenges brought about by market forces beyond his control, he continued to build a successful career that helped shape Iowa’s capital city.

Later in life, Sherman started to record his memories of early Des Moines. The accumulated documents provide part of the foundation of knowledge about the city’s early history. After his death, his heirs transferred his estate to the Board of Park Commissioners for $500 and relief from encumbrances. Today, the headquarters of the Des Moines Women’s Club and the Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation, many Iowans enjoy attending concerts at the popular music venue located on the site. #Iowa #OTD #History #DesMoines #LiveMusic

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 1, 1827, Hoyt Sherman was born. An important early Iowa banker, real estate developer, insurance executive, and local historian, Sherman’s legacy lives on in Hoyt Sherman Place on the west side of downtown Des Moines.

Born in Ohio as one of eleven children, Sherman experienced hardship after his father died suddenly in 1829. Despite the setback, Sherman and his siblings all reached adulthood. He and his brothers, William Tecumseh Sherman (a Civil War general) and John Sherman (a U.S. Senator), went on to lead extraordinary lives after their difficult start. Hoyt Sherman headed west to Des Moines in May 1848 and began helping to shape the rapidly developing city almost immediately.

Sherman speculated in lands and started a bank. Partnering with Benjamin F. Allen, the two men built one of the most successful banks in early Iowa. Sherman served as an army paymaster during the Civil War before returning to Des Moines and helping to form Equitable Life Insurance of Iowa. Despite other financial challenges brought about by market forces beyond his control, he continued to build a successful career that helped shape Iowa’s capital city.

Later in life, Sherman started to record his memories of early Des Moines. The accumulated documents provide part of the foundation of knowledge about the city’s early history. After his death, his heirs transferred his estate to the Board of Park Commissioners for $500 and relief from encumbrances. Today, the headquarters of the Des Moines Women’s Club and the Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation, many Iowans enjoy attending concerts at the popular music venue located on the site. #Iowa #OTD #History #DesMoines #LiveMusic

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 1, 1827, Hoyt Sherman was born. An important early Iowa banker, real estate developer, insurance executive, and local historian, Sherman’s legacy lives on in Hoyt Sherman Place on the west side of downtown Des Moines.

Born in Ohio as one of eleven children, Sherman experienced hardship after his father died suddenly in 1829. Despite the setback, Sherman and his siblings all reached adulthood. He and his brothers, William Tecumseh Sherman (a Civil War general) and John Sherman (a U.S. Senator), went on to lead extraordinary lives after their difficult start. Hoyt Sherman headed west to Des Moines in May 1848 and began helping to shape the rapidly developing city almost immediately.

Sherman speculated in lands and started a bank. Partnering with Benjamin F. Allen, the two men built one of the most successful banks in early Iowa. Sherman served as an army paymaster during the Civil War before returning to Des Moines and helping to form Equitable Life Insurance of Iowa. Despite other financial challenges brought about by market forces beyond his control, he continued to build a successful career that helped shape Iowa’s capital city.

Later in life, Sherman started to record his memories of early Des Moines. The accumulated documents provide part of the foundation of knowledge about the city’s early history. After his death, his heirs transferred his estate to the Board of Park Commissioners for $500 and relief from encumbrances. Today, the headquarters of the Des Moines Women’s Club and the Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation, many Iowans enjoy attending concerts at the popular music venue located on the site. #Iowa #OTD #History #DesMoines #LiveMusic

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 1, 1827, Hoyt Sherman was born. An important early Iowa banker, real estate developer, insurance executive, and local historian, Sherman’s legacy lives on in Hoyt Sherman Place on the west side of downtown Des Moines.

Born in Ohio as one of eleven children, Sherman experienced hardship after his father died suddenly in 1829. Despite the setback, Sherman and his siblings all reached adulthood. He and his brothers, William Tecumseh Sherman (a Civil War general) and John Sherman (a U.S. Senator), went on to lead extraordinary lives after their difficult start. Hoyt Sherman headed west to Des Moines in May 1848 and began helping to shape the rapidly developing city almost immediately.

Sherman speculated in lands and started a bank. Partnering with Benjamin F. Allen, the two men built one of the most successful banks in early Iowa. Sherman served as an army paymaster during the Civil War before returning to Des Moines and helping to form Equitable Life Insurance of Iowa. Despite other financial challenges brought about by market forces beyond his control, he continued to build a successful career that helped shape Iowa’s capital city.

Later in life, Sherman started to record his memories of early Des Moines. The accumulated documents provide part of the foundation of knowledge about the city’s early history. After his death, his heirs transferred his estate to the Board of Park Commissioners for $500 and relief from encumbrances. Today, the headquarters of the Des Moines Women’s Club and the Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation, many Iowans enjoy attending concerts at the popular music venue located on the site. #Iowa #OTD #History #DesMoines #LiveMusic

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 1, 1920, influential farm writer and publisher James M. Pierce died. Owner of “The Homestead,” Pierce publicly quarreled with the publication’s editor, Henry “Uncle Henry” Wallace, leading to a split when the editor struck out on his own to establish “Wallaces’ Farmer.”

Pierce started his long career in journalism in 1866 when he established the Star in Ashley, Ohio. After moving to northern Missouri to farm, a lost crop to grasshoppers sent Pierce back into publishing, and he bought and edited the Grant City Star in 1870. After moving to southern Iowa in the 1880s, he published and edited the Taylor County Republican at Bedford and the Osceola Standard.

In March 1885, Pierce and a partner purchased “The Iowa Homestead” for $20,000, and he moved to Des Moines to serve as publisher. Pierce arrived at the paper where “Uncle” Henry Wallace had already served as the editor. Battling over editorial policy in 1895, Wallace left to edit a rival weekly. “The Iowa Homestead’s” paid circulation increased from about 1,000 in 1885 to 111,784 by 1918, while the rival Wallaces' Farmer only circulated 31,405 copies.

Dante Pierce inherited his father's position as publisher of “The Iowa Homestead”. In 1929, Dante Pierce sold the Iowa Homestead to the Wallace family. The last issue of the Homestead, dated October 19, 1929, did not mention the sale. Until the end of 1958, the merged paper carried the name “Wallaces' Farmer and Iowa Homestead.” Henry A. Wallace worked as editor of the merged paper, with Pierce's support, until Wallace became U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in 1933. #Iowa #OTD #History #Publishing #FarmNews

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 1, 1920, influential farm writer and publisher James M. Pierce died. Owner of “The Homestead,” Pierce publicly quarreled with the publication’s editor, Henry “Uncle Henry” Wallace, leading to a split when the editor struck out on his own to establish “Wallaces’ Farmer.”

Pierce started his long career in journalism in 1866 when he established the Star in Ashley, Ohio. After moving to northern Missouri to farm, a lost crop to grasshoppers sent Pierce back into publishing, and he bought and edited the Grant City Star in 1870. After moving to southern Iowa in the 1880s, he published and edited the Taylor County Republican at Bedford and the Osceola Standard.

In March 1885, Pierce and a partner purchased “The Iowa Homestead” for $20,000, and he moved to Des Moines to serve as publisher. Pierce arrived at the paper where “Uncle” Henry Wallace had already served as the editor. Battling over editorial policy in 1895, Wallace left to edit a rival weekly. “The Iowa Homestead’s” paid circulation increased from about 1,000 in 1885 to 111,784 by 1918, while the rival Wallaces' Farmer only circulated 31,405 copies.

Dante Pierce inherited his father's position as publisher of “The Iowa Homestead”. In 1929, Dante Pierce sold the Iowa Homestead to the Wallace family. The last issue of the Homestead, dated October 19, 1929, did not mention the sale. Until the end of 1958, the merged paper carried the name “Wallaces' Farmer and Iowa Homestead.” Henry A. Wallace worked as editor of the merged paper, with Pierce's support, until Wallace became U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in 1933. #Iowa #OTD #History #Publishing #FarmNews

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 1, 1991, a former University of Iowa graduate student named Gang Lu shot and killed three faculty members, an Associate Vice President, a fellow student, and himself. Lu also seriously injured another student in the attack, which represents one of the darkest days in the history of higher education in Iowa.

In May 1991, Lu graduated from the University of Iowa with a doctoral degree in physics and astronomy. However, he grew disgruntled that the faculty didn’t nominate his dissertation for a prestigious award, which he believed would have helped him find postdoctoral work and stay in the country on an extended visa.

On Friday, November 1, following a meeting on theoretical space plasma at Van Allen Hall in Iowa City, Lu opened fire with a .38 special. He killed Professor Christoph K. Goertz, Lu’s doctoral advisor, as well as Professor Robert A. Smith, and the winner of the coveted prize Linhua Shan. Lu then descended to the second floor, where he killed the Departmental Chair for Physics and Astronomy, Dwight R. Nicholson. Leaving Van Allen Hall, Lu stalked three blocks to the Jesup Hall office of T. Anne Cleary, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and primary grievance officer of the university. After shooting Cleary in the head, Lu also shot student worker Miya Rodolfo-Sioson, who survived but lived the rest of her life paralyzed from the neck down.

Lu allegedly planned to kill University President Hunter Rawlings III, but Rawlings had traveled to Columbus, Ohio, for the Iowa vs. Ohio State football game scheduled for the following day. By the time police located Lu, he had shot himself in the head and died soon after. #Iowa #OTD #History #UniversityofIowa #Vigil

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 1, 1991, a former University of Iowa graduate student named Gang Lu shot and killed three faculty members, an Associate Vice President, a fellow student, and himself. Lu also seriously injured another student in the attack, which represents one of the darkest days in the history of higher education in Iowa.

In May 1991, Lu graduated from the University of Iowa with a doctoral degree in physics and astronomy. However, he grew disgruntled that the faculty didn’t nominate his dissertation for a prestigious award, which he believed would have helped him find postdoctoral work and stay in the country on an extended visa.

On Friday, November 1, following a meeting on theoretical space plasma at Van Allen Hall in Iowa City, Lu opened fire with a .38 special. He killed Professor Christoph K. Goertz, Lu’s doctoral advisor, as well as Professor Robert A. Smith, and the winner of the coveted prize Linhua Shan. Lu then descended to the second floor, where he killed the Departmental Chair for Physics and Astronomy, Dwight R. Nicholson. Leaving Van Allen Hall, Lu stalked three blocks to the Jesup Hall office of T. Anne Cleary, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and primary grievance officer of the university. After shooting Cleary in the head, Lu also shot student worker Miya Rodolfo-Sioson, who survived but lived the rest of her life paralyzed from the neck down.

Lu allegedly planned to kill University President Hunter Rawlings III, but Rawlings had traveled to Columbus, Ohio, for the Iowa vs. Ohio State football game scheduled for the following day. By the time police located Lu, he had shot himself in the head and died soon after. #Iowa #OTD #History #UniversityofIowa #Vigil

📍Pammel State Park - Winterset, Iowa

📍Pammel State Park - Winterset, Iowa

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On October 31, 1964, a large crowd gathered to marvel at Iowa’s largest bovine, Albert the Bull, as the iconic statue debuted in Audubon. A 28-foot-tall bull with a 15 span between horns, weighing in at 45 tons, Albert is not only Iowa’s but the World’s Largest Bull.

Named for local bank president Albert Kruse, the man who schemed up a local beef promotion called ‘Operation T-Bone,’ Albert came into being through related efforts of the Audubon Junior Chamber of Commerce during the early 1960s. Operation T-Bone itself came about when Kruse declined to ride east to Chicago with beef on the hoof headed for the Chicago Stockyards. However, when a Pullman Car was attached to the train, Operation T-Bone commenced.

In 1961, the first ideas of a giant bull statue in Audubon emerged. However, it wasn’t until 1963 that the Junior Chamber of Commerce paired 108 members with Operation T-Bone to start work on the massive moo-er. With $30,000 raised entirely without soliciting locals, the group used fundraisers and donations from agricultural interests to bring Albert into being.

“Authentic right down to the tonsils,” 65 gallons of paint covered the metal and concrete sculpture before its initial dedication in 1964. Visible from Highway 71, Albert continues to bring thousands of visitors to Audubon almost sixty years later. #Iowa #OTD #History #RoadsideAttraction #RoadTrip

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On October 31, 1964, a large crowd gathered to marvel at Iowa’s largest bovine, Albert the Bull, as the iconic statue debuted in Audubon. A 28-foot-tall bull with a 15 span between horns, weighing in at 45 tons, Albert is not only Iowa’s but the World’s Largest Bull.

Named for local bank president Albert Kruse, the man who schemed up a local beef promotion called ‘Operation T-Bone,’ Albert came into being through related efforts of the Audubon Junior Chamber of Commerce during the early 1960s. Operation T-Bone itself came about when Kruse declined to ride east to Chicago with beef on the hoof headed for the Chicago Stockyards. However, when a Pullman Car was attached to the train, Operation T-Bone commenced.

In 1961, the first ideas of a giant bull statue in Audubon emerged. However, it wasn’t until 1963 that the Junior Chamber of Commerce paired 108 members with Operation T-Bone to start work on the massive moo-er. With $30,000 raised entirely without soliciting locals, the group used fundraisers and donations from agricultural interests to bring Albert into being.

“Authentic right down to the tonsils,” 65 gallons of paint covered the metal and concrete sculpture before its initial dedication in 1964. Visible from Highway 71, Albert continues to bring thousands of visitors to Audubon almost sixty years later. #Iowa #OTD #History #RoadsideAttraction #RoadTrip

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On October 31, 1991, the Halloween Blizzard thwarted trick-or-treating plans for many throughout Iowa and the upper Midwest. Although many still braved the conditions with winter coats obscuring costumes, the storm cut electricity throughout the state, creating a truly scary situation.

By mid-morning on Halloween, snow, sleet, and freezing rain blanketed southeast Minnesota and most of eastern Iowa. As October turned to November, the mixture continued to come down well into the following day’s afternoon. Many areas in Iowa saw up to two inches of ice accumulate on top of eight to 15 inches of snow.

Ghoulish winds of 30 to 40 mph downed trees and utility poles, cutting power throughout the state and darkening an estimated 80,000 homes in Iowa. The downed lines left many Iowans without power for over a week and closed several highways due to the obstructions they created.

The storm’s damage to utilities alone totaled over $63 million, and the governor of Iowa declared a state of emergency in 52 of the state’s 99 counties because of the storm’s severity. Across Iowa, 30 locations broke daily snowfall records, with Sioux City topping the daily total at 9”. #Iowa #OTD #History #Weather #Halloween

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On October 31, 1991, the Halloween Blizzard thwarted trick-or-treating plans for many throughout Iowa and the upper Midwest. Although many still braved the conditions with winter coats obscuring costumes, the storm cut electricity throughout the state, creating a truly scary situation.

By mid-morning on Halloween, snow, sleet, and freezing rain blanketed southeast Minnesota and most of eastern Iowa. As October turned to November, the mixture continued to come down well into the following day’s afternoon. Many areas in Iowa saw up to two inches of ice accumulate on top of eight to 15 inches of snow.

Ghoulish winds of 30 to 40 mph downed trees and utility poles, cutting power throughout the state and darkening an estimated 80,000 homes in Iowa. The downed lines left many Iowans without power for over a week and closed several highways due to the obstructions they created.

The storm’s damage to utilities alone totaled over $63 million, and the governor of Iowa declared a state of emergency in 52 of the state’s 99 counties because of the storm’s severity. Across Iowa, 30 locations broke daily snowfall records, with Sioux City topping the daily total at 9”. #Iowa #OTD #History #Weather #Halloween

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