Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 14, 1860, author Hannibal Hamlin Garland was born. He became one of America’s most important chroniclers of Midwestern farm life, transforming memories of labor, loneliness, aspiration, and family strain into fiction that refused to sentimentalize the countryside. Garland’s childhood unfolded amid the westward movement of many nineteenth-century families seeking land and security. His parents, Richard Garland and Isabelle McClintock Garland,

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 14, 1847, 1st Lieutenant Benjamin Stone Roberts of Fort Madison captured the Mexican flag flying over the National Palace of Mexico in Mexico City and raised the Stars & Stripes. In the culminating moment of the Mexican-American War, Roberts served with the Mounted Rifles in General Winfield Scott’s American forces. Born in Vermont and educated at the United States Military Academy, Roberts first found himself in Iowa while serving as adjutan

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 14, 2001, Iowa-based Casey’s General Store officially debuted breakfast pizza across all locations. The unofficial breakfast of the Hawkeye state, the pizza joined an all-star lineup to further extend Iowa’s unapologetic love affair with gas station pizza. In 1959, Kurvin C. (K.C.) 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, Lam

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 13, 2025, with Iowa’s 47–7 victory over UMass at Kinnick Stadium, Kirk Ferentz earned his 206th win as Hawkeyes head coach and passed Ohio State’s Woody Hayes for the most victories by a coach while leading a Big Ten program. Ferentz arrived in Iowa City in 1999, inheriting a program that had gone 1–10 in its final season under the celebrated Hayden Fry. His connection to Iowa ran deeper than a new hire’s résumé. Ferentz coached Iowa’s offens

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 13, 1949, future bassist Craig “Thunderfingers” MacGregor of the rock band Foghat was born in Sioux City. Playing in the platinum-selling band from 1976 to 1993, as well as rejoining the group in 2005, MacGregor died after a diagnosis of stage four lung cancer in 2015. After his birth and early childhood on the banks of the Missouri in western Iowa, MacGregor moved to Connecticut with his family. A musical child, MacGregor started on the pian

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 13, 1997, Tavian Banks set the Iowa Hawkeye single-game rushing record. One of the most electric running backs in Iowa history, the Bettendorf-born Banks racked up yards, touchdowns, and memorable moments on the gridiron. Banks starred at Bettendorf High School. In an epic 1992 state quarterfinal matchup, Banks and the Bulldogs came up against his future teammate, Tim Dwight, and Iowa City High. Bettendorf came back to win the game 31-28 afte

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On the evening of September 13, 1897, President William McKinley used an electronic button in Washington, D.C., to set off an explosion on a boat floating in the Des Moines River. This act marked the opening of Seni Om Sed, a backward spelling of Des Moines, and one of the most unusual celebrations ever staged in Iowa’s capital city. Seni Om Sed began in 1888 as a companion festival to the Iowa State Fair, which had just relocated to its current east-side

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 12, 1918, a nation at war reached into nearly every Iowa community, asking men from eighteen through forty-five to place their names on draft-registration forms. That day, 283,893 Iowa men in the third and final major registration class entered the Selective Service system. Registration followed the United States' entry into the war in April 1917 and the establishment of a draft system to build the Army rapidly. The first registration, held J

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 12, 1902, veterinarian and politician John David Shoeman was born on a farm near Waukee. Shoeman grew up in rural Iowa and became a veterinarian, civic leader, Republican state senator, and animal-health researcher. After attending Waukee High School, Shoeman earned a veterinary medicine degree from Kansas State College in 1928. He practiced veterinary medicine in Dallas Center for nine years. He later worked in Atlantic for years, placing h

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 12, 1912, the curtain went up for the first time at Toledo’s Wieting Theater. An exceptional Iowa comeback story, the theater closed in 1958 only to find new life thanks to the Wieting Theater Guild. One of three opera houses Ella Wieting built in honor of her late husband, the 50’ x 100’ brick structure featured an auditorium, balcony, stage, dressing rooms, and an orchestra pit. When the curtain rose for the first time at 8:00 p.m. on Septe

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 12, 1867, the principal of Grammar School No. 2turned away Susan Clark, leading to a district court ruling that was eventually appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court. Initially denied admission due to the color of her skin, Susan’s father, Alexander Clark, sued in an act fundamental to the desegregation of Iowa schools. Alexander Clark, a true Renaissance man who truly valued the power of education, was known throughout the Muscatine community as

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 11, 2001, at least eight Iowans died during the combined al Qaeda attacks on the United States. Iowans perished at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and while aboard hijacked airplanes. At the Twin Towers in New York, Jim Cleere (Newton), Michael Tinley (Council Bluffs), and Timothy Haviland (Ames) all worked at the World Trade Center at the time of the attack. After the plans struck the tower, Jim Cleere left two voicemails for his wife Jean

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 11, 2015, Hawkeye Legend Roy Marble passed away. Marble left Iowa as the all-time leading scorer while cementing his status as one of the greatest Hawkeyes of all time. Marble and his fellow Michigander B.J. Armstrong arrived in Iowa City as part of George Raveling’s 1985 recruiting class, which also included Ed Horton, Les Jepsen, and Kevin Gamble. All five players went on to significant careers at Iowa before ultimately landing on NBA roste

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 11, 1862, the Iowa Legislature accepted the provisions of the Morrill Act to create the Iowa Agricultural College as one of the nation’s first designated land-grant institutions. Today, over 30,000 students realize the legacy of the Iowa General Assembly by studying at Iowa State University in Ames. Several counties across the state proposed hosting the new institution of higher learning. Still, Story County ultimately won the bid on June 21,

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 11, 1938, Marshalltown lost a hometown performer who had convinced audiences across the United States and Europe that coins could appear from thin air. Thomas Nelson “Tommy” Downs, known around the world as the “King of Koins,” died in the Iowa city where he had been born 71 years earlier. Downs was born in Marshalltown on March 16, 1867, the youngest of six children of Thomas and Cordelia Downs. His father died when he was an infant, and Dow

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 10, 1937, Lawrence Joseph “Happy Joe” Whitty was born. The originator of taco pizza and home to many Iowans' fondest childhood birthday party memories, “Happy” Joe Whitty grew a single pizza and ice cream parlor into one of Iowa’s favorite franchises. Originally from North Dakota, Joe Whitty moved to Davenport in the 1960s to run the Super Value Bakery on Fourth Street before opening his first restaurant. Whitty then worked as a manager at Sh

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 10, 1972, Iowan Doreen Wilber captured the gold medal at the Munich Summer Olympics in archery. The first Iowa woman to win gold, Wilber’s story is one of the unlikeliest Olympic achievements. Born in Rutland and a 1948 graduate of Jefferson High School, Wilber took up archery after her husband, Paul “Skeeter” Wilber, accepted a bow and arrow set as payment for auto repairs at his shop. With only Skeeter to teach her, Wilber displayed great n

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 10, 1973, Cornelia Lynde Meigs passed away. Her 1934 Newbery Medal for Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women made her the first author to win the award for a biography, securing her place among the major interpreters of history for young readers. Meigs was born in Rock Island, Illinois, on December 6, 1884, and arrived in Keokuk as an infant when her parents, Montgomery Meigs and Grace Lynde Meigs, moved there. Keokuk, pe

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 10, 1910, guests arrived at a gala to celebrate the newly opened Park Inn Hotel of Mason City. Designed by world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the building represents the only remaining hotel designed by Wright still standing today. Mason City attorneys J.E.E. Markley and James E. Blythe commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design a hotel and bank in the city’s downtown in 1907. Wright's initial drawings of the bank and hotel date to D

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 9, 1909, innovative Iowan Arthur Collins was born. Founder of Collins Radio Company, the forerunner to Rockwell-Collins, Arthur Collins was a pioneering radio engineer and entrepreneur. Born in Oklahoma, Arthur A. Collins moved to Cedar Rapids at age seven. His father founded the Collins Farm Company in 1925, an enterprise that combined small farms into a larger cooperative. Even as a child, Arthur showed an incredible interest in radio. At a

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 9, 2021, Jerry Pezzetti claimed the title of the winningest high school football coach in Iowa history with his 433rd win. The 20th all-time wins leader nationally, Pezzetti coached at Murray, Melcher-Dallas, Ankeny, and Ankeny Centennial (current co-head coach) over a storied career. A native of Melcher-Dallas, Iowa, Pezzetti attended Drake University in Des Moines, where he lettered on the baseball diamond for the Bulldogs. After graduation

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 9, 1883, Iowans awoke to find a world covered in frost as the earliest general fall freeze on record blanketed the state. Reports throughout the state poured in of low temperatures at or below the freezing mark. In the extreme southern reaches of Iowa, reports from Muscatine and Keosauqua reported temperatures plummeting to right at the freezing mark as a cool weather pattern sailed across the upper Midwest. “Quite a severe frost,” quipped an

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 9, 1890, Ames residents began soliciting subscriptions for a railroad that promised to shrink a muddy, difficult journey into a quick ride on what would become known as the Dinkey Train. The proposed Ames Street Railway Company line would link downtown Ames with Iowa Agricultural College, later Iowa State University, about two miles away. Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm was established in 1858, and classes began in 1869. Ames was pl

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 8, 1972, Waterloo East lost in football for the first time since 1965. East set the state record for 56 consecutive unbeaten games while dominating opponents and capturing six straight state championships. The streak started in an innocuous way: East tied Cedar Rapids Regis 6-6. With no overtime provisions in place at the time, the tie started off the historic run of the Trojans, spanning nearly six years. After a win over Waterloo West to cl

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 8, 1857, physiologist and the first woman to conduct research at Harvard Medical School, Ida Henrietta Hyde, was born in Davenport. A pioneering scientist who developed a micro-electrode, the glass-ceiling-shattering woman stands out for numerous research accomplishments. Born the oldest of four children to German immigrants in Davenport, Meyer Hyde struggled to provide for his family as a traveling salesman. Opting to try to improve the fami

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 8, 1918, Mason City Junior College, the first public two-year college in the State of Iowa, started classes. Today’s North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) represents greater opportunities in higher education for Iowans. The idea for Mason City Junior College grew from a high school PTA meeting held in the Spring of 1916. The Mason City School Board passed a resolution in 1917 to establish a junior college, with classes slated to begin the

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 8, 1994, Orren “Putt” Mossman passed away, closing the life of an Iowa-born showman who treated a motorcycle as both a machine and a circus ring. Long before Evel Knievel became a household name, Mossman had built an international career by riding with a flaming sack over his head, climbing a ladder attached to a moving motorcycle, firing at balloons while in motion, and leaping toward water from ramps. Mossman was born on July 8, 1906, near

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 7, 1954, actor Michael Emerson was born in Cedar Rapids. Best known for his roles on “Lost” and “Person of Interest,” Emerson’s put together a long and successful acting career. Born in Cedar Rapids, Emerson grew up in Toledo, where he participated in the marching band during high school. He went on to major in theater at Drake University before heading to New York City after graduation. Struggling to find work, Emerson spent some time putti

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 7, 1914, the American physicist Dr. James Van Allen, who is credited with helping launch the US space program, was born in Mount Pleasant. The world-renowned physicist discovered Earth’s radiation belts in 1958 after assessing readings from the Explorer I satellite. After growing up in Mount Pleasant, James Van Allen attended Iowa Wesleyan College in the town. After graduating in 1935, he went to Iowa City to pursue a Master of Science (1936)

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 7, 1929, the first ad for the Universal Producing Company of Fairfield appeared in a local newspaper. Universal Producing Company of Fairfield was seeking college graduates to direct “Home Talent” shows, asking applicants whether they could sing, dance, and organize amateur productions. Raymond Stewart, a Fairfield native and son of a Methodist minister, had worked his way through part of his education at Grinnell College through theater-rel

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 7, 1886, Iowans flocked from all over the state to take in the dedication of the permanent home of the Iowa State Fair. A familiar favorite to many from the Hawkeye State, the Iowa State Fairgrounds still welcomes over 1,000,000 visitors annually. The first fair took place in Fairfield in 1854. During the early era, it was held in different communities, including Muscatine, Oskaloosa, Iowa City, Dubuque, Burlington, Clinton, Keokuk, and Cedar

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 6, 1950, Sergeant John R. Rice was killed in action while serving in the Korean Conflict. A Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) man also known as “Walking in Blue Sky,” Rice’s death kicked off controversy when a Sioux City cemetery barred his body from burial due to his Native American ancestry. Born in Winnebago, Nebraska, Rice enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. During the conflict, Rice won a Bronze Star for heroism during the

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 6, 1999, a devastating explosion ripped through the home of Jerry Usovsky in Richland, Iowa, during a Labor Day family gathering, killing seven people and injuring six others. Investigations revealed that the explosion was triggered by a buildup of liquid propane gas in the home’s basement. Jerry Usovsky had mistakenly severed a buried propane line while installing posts for a dog pen in the yard the day before the incident. The gas went unde

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 6, 1998, Iowa Hawkeye legend Tim Dwight made his NFL debut for the Atlanta Falcons. An all-time great at Iowa City High and the University of Iowa, Dwight shone on the gridiron and the track during a decorated career. Born in Iowa City, Dwight grew up in the shadow of Kinnick Stadium before starring in football and track at Iowa City High School. On his first carry as a freshman running back, debuting in a playoff game, Dwight found daylight

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 6, 1969, four days of festivities kicked off to dedicate the Red Rock Dam and Reservoir. The dam holds back the massive Lake Red Rock reservoir, which collects drainage from a 12,320 square-mile area in Iowa and Minnesota. The dam serves as a significant check on the Des Moines River's flood potential, boasts a flood-control pool over 33 miles long, and covers 65,500 acres. The government initially authorized dam construction on the Des Moine

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 5, 1916, Ruth Anne Dodge, wife of Civil War general and railroad builder Grenville M. Dodge, passed away shortly after telling her daughters about a recurring dream in which an angel offered her water from a bowl. The dark bronze figure that later rose above Fairview Cemetery transformed that intimate story into one of Iowa’s most memorable public monuments. Ruth Anne Browne Dodge belonged to a family whose life became closely tied to the mak

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 5, 1953, Teen Time debuted in Des Moines to mark a lively chapter in Iowa’s cultural and broadcasting history. Teen Time provided a new venue for Iowa teens to celebrate music, dance, and popular culture while forging a collective identity in the state’s capital. The format of Teen Time typically featured live music, dancing, and friendly contests, mirroring the nationwide phenomenon of television shows for young audiences during the early 19

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 5, 1985, Ted Waitt and Mike Hammond founded Gateway Computers (then TIPC Network) in a Sioux City farmhouse. The company, which shipped products in cow-themed boxes, grew alongside the personal computing boom of the late 1980s and quickly became an iconic example of Iowa ingenuity. Waitt and Hammond met while working at a computer store in the Des Moines area. Utilizing a $10,000 loan from Waitt’s grandmother, the company started out selling

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 5, 1982, 12-year-old Des Moines, Iowa, paperboy Johnny Gosch disappeared in an apparent kidnapping while delivering the Des Moines Register. Still an unsolved cold case 40 years later, police never found Gosch’s body, made an arrest, or even identified a potential motive. Starting as a West Des Moines paperboy roughly a year before, Gosch built a reputation for reliability with customers along his route. A 7th grader at Indian Hills Junior Hi

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 4, 2010, three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and Iowan Paul Conrad passed away. An Iowan by birth, the world-famous cartoonist found his calling while creating cartoons for the “Daily Iowan” at the University of Iowa. Born in Cedar Rapids, Conrad grew up in Linn County until his family moved to Des Moines. While at St. Augustin Elementary School, teachers forced young Paul to switch from writing (and drawing) left-handed. C

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 4, 1971, Iowa’s 29th Governor Bourke Blakemore “Hick” Hickenlooper died. A native of Taylor County’s Blockton, “Hick” also served as lieutenant governor, and as a longtime United States Senator. Born in the extreme southern Iowa town of Blockton during July of 1896, and went on to attend Iowa State. Uncle Sam came calling early in Hickenlooper’s college career, and he enlisted in the officer’s training program at Fort Snelling during 1917. Se

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 4, 1911, Iowan Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt wrestled in the new Comiskey Baseball Park in Chicago. A crowd estimated at nearly 30,000 saw Gotch win two falls in less than 30 minutes, cementing his fame as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. The first American to claim the world heavyweight free-style belt, Gotch’s career helped to popularize professional wrestling in the United States. Born on a small farm three miles south of

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 4, 1872, 19-year-old Emma Coger, a Black schoolteacher from Iowa, refused to give up her seat on the steamboat SS Merrill after being denied entry to the first-class dining room because of her race. What began as a simple act of defiance soon became a turning point in Iowa’s civil rights history. When the captain physically removed her from the table at his wife's urging, Emma decided she would not stay silent. She took the North Western Uni

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 3, 1997, Iowa Civil Rights activist Virginia Harper died. Best known for helping integrate the residence halls at the University of Iowa and organizing opposition to the routing of Highway 61 through diverse communities in Fort Madison, Harper spent her life fighting for equality in Iowa. Harper’s family history in Iowa stretched back for five generations. Her ancestor, George Stevens, arrived in Iowa after leaving enslavement following the C

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 3, 1910, A large crowd gathered as former President Theodore Roosevelt chugged into Sibley, Iowa, during a whistle-stop tour crisscrossing the nation. At least on Roosevelt’s fourth trip to the Hawkeye State, other stops in the state during the year included Ames, Missouri Valley, and Des Moines. Roosevelt first ventured to Iowa long before he became a public figure, hunting in the Hawkeye State during an 1880 trip with his younger brother El

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 3, 1948, Bill Riley hosted the “Hey Bob Show” for the first time on KRNT Des Moines. A children’s radio program recorded live, the show focused on child safety and drew in large audiences of devoted fans. Originally dreamed up by Robert Hassett, a former Des Moines City Traffic Engineer and eventual Manager of the Des Moines Safety Council, the show focused on making child safety exciting and fun. The program featured the “Safety Legion Club”

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 3, 2016, the UNI Panthers beat the Iowa State Cyclones 25-20 at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. The 130th win for Panther Head Coach Mark Farley, the victory made him the winningest coach in UNI football history. A Cedar Falls native and UNI graduate, Farley played for the Panthers in the early 1980s before beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Darrell Mudra. He became UNI’s head coach in 2001. By the start of the 2016 seaso

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 2, 2017, the Hawkeye Wave first debuted following the first quarter of a game against Wyoming. A quickly beloved college football tradition, the wave unites fans and players in acknowledging the patients at the University of Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Located on Hawkins Drive, the $300 million new facility for Stead Family Children’s Hospital opened on Hawkins Drive. The 12-story building peeks over Kinnick Stadium, providing pa

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 2, 1890, the Iowa Library Association was founded in Des Moines. The second-oldest state library association in America, the ILA brings together librarians, library workers, trustees, students, and other supporters. In the late summer of 1890, librarians throughout the state of Iowa received an invitation to meet at the State Library in Des Moines. Undersigned by Ada North, then librarian of the State University of Iowa in Iowa City, spearhea

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 2, 1874, Emmetsburg did something few towns can claim: it began to pick itself up and move. The first business left “Old Town” for a freshly platted site near the railroad, launching a relocation that remade the county’s commercial and political geography. The town’s roots reached back to the Irish migration that helped settle northwestern Iowa in the 1850s. Iowa entered the Union in 1846, and Palo Alto County was established in January 1851.