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.

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 2, 1959, the name of Des Moines ’ downtown baseball stadium changed from Pioneer Memorial Stadium to Sec Taylor Stadium in honor of longtime “Des Moines Register” sports editor Garner ‘Sec’ Taylor. Replaced in 1992 by a more modern stadium bearing the same name, the park continues to honor Sec Taylor through the name of its playing surface, despite Principal buying the stadium's naming rights in 1994. Born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1887, Taylor

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 1, 1959, the Hampton Oil Company, forerunner to the first Kum & Go convenience store, opened in Hampton. One of Iowa’s most recognizable brands, Kum & Go, helped pioneer the convenience store concept. In 1959, Tony Gentle bought a gas station in Hampton, Iowa, and started a partnership with his son-in-law, W. A. "Bill" Krause. The first station, known as the Hampton Oil Company, proved successful, and the two men eventually formed the Krause

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 1, 2011, Iowans could look skyward at the familiar swift, pointed wings of mourning doves and, for the first time in the state’s modern history, legally hunt them. For supporters, the season offered an accessible early-autumn hunt; for opponents, it raised pointed questions about wildlife ethics, public values, and the meaning attached to a bird whose mournful call had long signaled summer in Iowa. Mourning doves had lived across Iowa since t

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 1, 2000, the Central College volleyball team lost for the first time since 1998. The Dutch captured three straight championships during one of the most dominant stretches in Iowa sports history by any team. Coach Megan Clayberg’s Dutch team dropped only nine sets on the entire 1999 season, notching a perfect 41-0 record as part of an NCAA Division III record 60-match streak spanning 1998-2000. Abby Brown, a middle-hitter and native of Eldora,

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 1, 1947, Iowa Hawkeye legend Ed Podolak was born on a farm near Atlantic, Iowa, in Cass County. A gridiron standout for Atlantic, Iowa, and the Kansas City Chiefs, Podolak’s color commentary for Hawkeye football endeared him to generations of Iowans. A multisport athlete for Atlantic High School, Podolak shone as a quarterback on the gridiron while helping lead the Trojans to back-to-back undefeated seasons during his last two years of high s

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 31, 1899, Iowa’s seventh governor, Samuel Merrill, passed away. In addition to serving as governor, Merrill was a merchant, Union colonel, banker, and political leader who helped guide Iowa through the decades when a young farm state became more closely connected by railroads, public institutions, finance, and national politics. Born in Turner, Maine, on August 7, 1822, Merrill received a limited country-school education and briefly taught in Ma

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 31, 1833, Mary Frances Clarke arrived in America. Her arrival marked the beginning of a remarkable migration from Dublin to Philadelphia and, a decade later, to the Mississippi River town of Dubuque, where Clarke’s vision took root on the nineteenth-century frontier. Clarke was born in Dublin on December 15, 1802, into a Catholic family shaped by the constraints and opportunities of Irish life under British rule. Her formal schooling was limited

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 31, 1808, Edward Langworthy was born into a family whose ambitions would leave a deep imprint on Dubuque’s landscape, economy, and politics. Alongside his four brothers, he followed lead deposits and opportunity to the upper Mississippi Valley, then helped turn a mining settlement into Iowa’s oldest city. James, Lucius, Edward, and Solon Langworthy belonged to a generation drawn west by the lead-mining boom around Galena, Illinois, and the Missi

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 31, 1969, a Cessna 172 crashed near Newton, killing former heavyweight boxing champion of the world Rocky Marciano and two others. Over the course of a professional career spanning 1947-1955, Marciano finished with a 49-0 (43 KOs) record and held the belt from 1952-1956. Born to Italian immigrants in Brockton, Massachusetts, Marciano dropped out of high school in the tenth grade. After working as a delivery truck loader for an ice company, as a

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 30, 1927, William Edward (Bill) Daily was born in Des Moines, Iowa. The star actor and comedian, most famous for his role as Major Roger Healey on “I Dream of Jeannie,” also wowed audiences as Howard Borden on “The Bob Newhart Show” and in many other roles. Only a couple of weeks after Daily’s birth in Iowa’s capital city, his father left the house on an errand to pick up a loaf of bread and never returned. Ellis Daily, Bill’s pageant-winning mo

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 30, 1894, Major League standout Edmund John “Bing” Miller was born in Vinton, Iowa. Raised in a family with strong baseball roots, Miller’s early life on an Iowa farm laid the groundwork for a sporting career marked by talent, perseverance, and longevity. His rise from local teams to the major leagues reflected both his natural ability and the growing prominence of baseball as America’s pastime. Miller’s professional baseball career began when h

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 30, 1995, legendary Iowa State football and baseball great Mike Busch made his Major League debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Donahue, Iowa, native earned All-American honors on the gridiron while also shining for the Cyclones on the baseball diamond. Busch quickly proved to be a four-sport star at North Scott High School. An All-State selection in football and an honorable mention All-State selection in baseball, Busch also played basketba

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 30, 1984, Duane Ellett and Floppy appeared for the final time on the popular WHO-TV Des Moines program “The Floppy Show.” The duo, running from 1957 to 1987, debuted on the show “Pet Corner” before becoming a breakout success on their own show. Ellett, a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, attended Drake University. Initially interested in studying law, the author took a journalism class that led to a job with WHO Radio in 1947. Developing variou

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 29, two important railroad events took place during the late 1800s. In 1866, the first train arrived in Des Moines on the Des Moines & Valley Railroad, and in 1877, the Rock Island derailed in Central Iowa at Four Mile Creek, resulting in the deaths of 20. Growing out of the failed Des Moines Lock & Navigation Company’s ambitious effort to create a 37-part lock and dam system to allow for steamboat navigation on the Des Moines River, the Des Moi

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 29, 1965, Wendell Johnson passed away. Johnson transformed his own lifelong stuttering into a career devoted to speech pathology, psychology, and the study of human communication. Johnson was born in Roxbury, Kansas, on April 16, 1906, and endured severe stuttering during childhood, though he excelled in school, athletics, and student leadership. After two years at McPherson College, he enrolled at the University of Iowa in 1926, intending to be

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 29, 1997, Gary “The Roland Rocket” Thompson went into the Iowa State University Hall of Fame. A legendary scorer who once held the Iowa high school and Iowa State total points titles, Thompson stood small in stature but tall on the court. Born in Story County, Thompson first gained the attention of Iowans as a 5’6” sophomore, leading the Roland Rockets to the title game of the 1951 Iowa high school basketball tournament. For three years, Thompso

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 29, 1998, actress and former “Baywatch” star Traci Bingham married musician Robb Vallier in an elegant ceremony at the First United Methodist Church in Ames, Iowa. The wedding was a notable event that brought Hollywood glamour to the heart of Iowa, blending the worlds of entertainment and the local community. Traci Bingham’s path to stardom was marked by her breakout role on the iconic television show “Baywatch,” where she gained national recogn

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 28, 2001, the heavy metal band Slipknot released their sophomore studio album titled “Iowa” on Roadrunner Records. Inspired by the band’s home state, the record topped the charts in nine countries and went Platinum in the United States, garnering a Grammy nomination for the song “Left Behind.” Joey Jordison, a gifted drummer and songwriter for Slipknot and Murderdolls, started hammering away at the drums at the age of eight. Early in his career,

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 28, 1965, Iowan Andy Williams took the Grandstand Stage at the Iowa State Fair. Over a 70-year career, Williams entertained audiences with hits like “Moon River” and as host of “The Andy Williams Show.” Born in Wall Lake, Iowa, in December of 1927, Williams spent his earliest years in Sac County. After moving first to Ohio and later to California, Williams served in the US Merchant Marine during World War II before embarking on a decades-long ca

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 28, 1979, a tornado tore across Fremont County, killing two people, injuring at least fourteen, and leaving families to measure loss in shattered homes, damaged farms, and interrupted lives. The storm emerged during an unusual atmospheric pattern. By late August, the strongest upper-level winds that help organize severe thunderstorms often lie farther north, across the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Canada. On August 28, a southward dip in the jet stre

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 28, 1936, prominent Major League Baseball umpire Don Denkinger was born in Council Bluffs. His legacy includes officiating iconic games and earning respect as one of the preeminent umpires of his generation. Denkinger began his Major League umpiring career in the American League in 1969 and continued through 1998. Over those years, he worked in four World Series (1974, 1980, 1985, and 1991), three All-Star Games, and six American League Champion

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 27, 1889, the Creston Bluegrass Palace opened to the public. The 92-foot-tall structure, built of veneered bales of hay and straw, featured exhibits from 12 of the 18 counties represented in the Blue Grass League of Southwest Iowa. During the 1880s, southwestern Iowa joined Kentucky and Russia as major international growers of bluegrass. By late February 1889, a group from Union, Adair, and Clarke counties came together at the Union County Court

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 27, 1972, Dan Gable captured an Olympic gold medal at 149.5 lbs in Munich. One of the greatest freestyle wrestlers and coaches of all time, Gable excelled on the mat in high school (64-0), college (117-1), and internationally. As a coach, Gable’s teams at Iowa captured 15 team wrestling titles and 45 individual national champions. Although wrestling success came eventually, swimming was the first sport in which Gable excelled as a Waterloo youth

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 27, 2020, legendary University of Iowa basketball coach Lute Olson passed away. The head coach for the Hawkeyes from 1974-1983, Olson led Iowa to new heights on the hardwood. Upon taking the Iowa job in 1974, Olson noted, "People didn't go from Long Beach to Iowa. They went from Iowa to Long Beach," Olson said. "I thought, 'Well, I'm just going to break that trend.” Olson quickly turned around the Iowa basketball program, posting a 167-91 record

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 27, 1931, a tornado tore through Clear Lake’s waterfront, killing one person. The tornado’s path through Bayside, City Park, and downtown turned a summer resort town into a scene of wreckage. By 1931, Clear Lake had developed into a regional destination shaped by its shoreline. The city had been incorporated in 1871, and Bayside Amusement Park opened in 1909, joining parks, docks, entertainment venues, and lake recreation that drew residents and

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 26, 1873, Lee de Forest, the inventor of the audion vacuum tube and “Father of Radio,” was born in Council Bluffs. Over a tumultuous career, Lee de Forest obtained over 300 patents while developing the technology that made radio broadcasting and long-distance telephone lines possible. After spending his early childhood in Pottawattamie County, Lee de Forest’s Presbyterian father moved the family to Alabama. Taking over the Talladega College, a l

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 26, 1973, the rubber hit the road as the first-ever RAGBRAI (then ‘The Great Six-Day Bicycle Ride ') got underway in Sioux City. Founded by the Des Moines Register’s John Karras and Don Kaul, the annual ride across Iowa continues to offer an opportunity for Iowans to cross the state on bicycles each year. Karras and Kaul started with a simple idea: create a column chronicling a bicycle ride across Iowa. With a rough route laid out and an invitat

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 26, 2011, Urbandale’s Allen Lazard set a state record when he successfully returned three interceptions for touchdowns. An all-time great at Urbandale and Iowa State, Lazard set a standard for on-field dominance while starring for the J-Hawks and Cyclones. Born in Des Moines, Lazard proved to be an immediate impact player for Urbandale as a two-way star. As a four-year starter, Lazard racked up school records in receptions (105), receiving yards

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 26, 1990, Bob Dylan took the stage at the Iowa State Fair, delivering a performance that was part of his extensive "Never Ending Tour." This tour, which began earlier that year, marked a period of prolific touring for Dylan, as he played over 90 shows worldwide in 1990 alone. Dylan’s Iowa concert at the State Fairgrounds in Des Moines showcased his enduring ability to captivate audiences with a rich blend of classic hits and newer material. Dyla

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 25, 1862, a new military camp opened in Davenport, turning a portion of the city between Farnam Street and Churchill’s Addition into a staging ground for the Union war effort. Camp Herron was one of five Davenport camps that received and trained recruits during the Civil War. Davenport’s location on the Mississippi River made it a practical center for moving men and supplies. After the war began in April 1861, the city developed a network of cam

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 25, 1992, Jamie Solinger became the first and only Iowan to be crowned Miss Teen USA. Born in Altoona, Jamie Solinger grew up in Iowa and showed early promise in modeling and pageantry. Jamie Solinger’s journey into modeling began with a contest called Miss Caboodles, sponsored by Teen Magazine. Demonstrating early promise, she became a finalist in her region and was flown to Santa Monica, California, for an intensive week-long photo shoot. Ther

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 25, 1913, actor Don DeFore was born in Cedar Rapids. Best known for his roles on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” and the sitcom “Hazel,” the Cedar Rapids, Washington, and University of Iowa graduate shone in a variety of roles on Broadway, on television, and in film. One of seven children born to local politician and railroad man Joseph Ervin DeFore and Sylvia DeFore (née Nezerka), Don grew up in the seat of Linn County. A part of the vibr

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 25, 1868, Hendrik Scholte, a religious leader and founder of Pella, died. After arriving in Iowa with a group of roughly 850 Dutch immigrants in August 1847, Scholte helped guide Pella toward prosperity in his late life. Born in Amsterdam in 1805 to a relatively well-off family, Scholte experienced tragedy when his father, grandfather, and mother all passed away over six years. Inheriting a substantial sugar-refining business, Scholte sold it an

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 24, 1945, Davenport baseball fans expected to see Jackie Robinson, the Kansas City Monarchs’ dazzling rookie shortstop. Instead, the game’s most consequential event happened far from the diamond: Robinson was in Brooklyn meeting with Dodgers executive Branch Rickey, beginning the process that would break organized baseball’s color line. Robinson arrived in professional baseball at a time when racial segregation denied Black athletes access to th

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 24, 1888, Lewis Bergman (LB) Maytag was born. He helped turn the family’s Iowa manufacturing firm into a nationally recognized appliance maker. L. B. Maytag grew up in a family already invested in Newton’s industrial life. His father, Frederick Louis “F. L.” Maytag, had become a partner in the Parsons Band Cutter & Self Feeder Company in 1893, making farm machinery. The firm added its first washing machine in 1907 and reorganized as the Maytag C