Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 9, 1980, Pella Patrolman John Van Haaftan lost his life in the line of duty. Shot during an undercover investigation, Van Haaftan volunteered for the assignment, which left Marion County in mourning. Born in Oskaloosa, Van Haaftan attended Pella Christian Grade School before graduating from Pella Community High School. After first working for the Otley Co-op and farming north of Pella, Van Haaften joined the Pella Police Department in 1978. Van H

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 9, 1862, residents of Oskaloosa, Iowa, walked away from their municipal election with a story that still sounds startling today: a woman, Mrs. Nancy Smith, had just been “elected” mayor. Newspaper tellings in later generations recast the moment as a pioneering victory for women in politics, a frontier town so progressive that it chose a woman leader decades before most women could vote. Yet when we look closely at the surviving evidence, the tale

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: Determining the true identity of Lyle Latell, the actor who played Pat Patton, on the popular film series “Dick Tracy” might take a little extra investigation. Sources suggest the famous actor born on April 9, 1904, is none other than Lyle Devereaux, of Elma, Iowa. Described as a lantern-jawed American character who racked up 121 film and television credits before his death on October 24, 1967, including spots on Perry Mason, Dennis the Menace, and The An

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 9, 1968, all-time Iowa wrestling greats Tom and Terry Brands were born. The brothers from Sheldon went on to achieve success on the mat at the high school, college, and Olympic levels, and now both coach the Hawkeye mat men. Wrestling for Galen Nelson at Sheldon High School, both Brands brothers quickly rose to statewide acclaim. Tom took home a state title while racking up a 109-12 record. Not to be outdone by his twin brother. Terry captured tw

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 8, 1973, possibly the worst late-season blizzard in the history of Iowa hit the state while dropping as much as 20.3 inches of snow. Winds north of 65 mph whipped as drifts as large as 16 feet closed most roads throughout the state. Belle Plaine recorded the most significant total snowfall, with 20.3 inches, and Des Moines recorded 10.3 inches of snow on April 9th alone. During the run-up to the storm, forecasters predicted about 3 inches of snow

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 8, 1870, the Iowa Legislature provided final approval of a permanent Capitol building for Des Moines. The efforts resulted in the soaring golden dome rising east of the Des Moines River, beloved by Iowans today. After the 1857 Iowa Constitutional Convention chose Des Moines as the new, more centrally located, site of the state’s capital, Wilson Alexander Scott and Harrison Lyon donated a picturesque parcel of roughly ten acres featuring a gently

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 8, 2007, Zach Johnson, a precise player from Cedar Rapids, etched his name into Masters history by besting the field. The unheralded golfer from Iowa defied ferocious winds and a field stacked with legends to claim his first green jacket at Augusta National. Born February 24, 1976, in Iowa City and raised in Cedar Rapids, Johnson honed his game at Elmcrest Country Club amid baseball fields and family life as the son of a chiropractor. He starred

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 7, 2000, the University of Iowa announced Lisa Bluder as the head coach for the Hawkeye women’s basketball. A standout player at Linn-Mar and the University of Northern Iowa, Bluder led the Hawkeyes to new heights. Following a successful high school career at Linn-Mar, Bluder headed to Cedar Falls, where she appeared in 108 games for the UNI Panthers. Averaging 9.6 points and 4.8 rebounds, the Panthers piled up a 57-30 record during her playing c

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 7, 1947, legendary Iowa State center Don Smith (Zaid Abdul-Aziz) was born. The 6’9” All-American and 1968 Big 8 Player of the Year left a legacy of dominance while starring for the Cyclones. Born and raised in the Bed-Stuy section of Brooklyn, New York, Smith arrived in Ames with an assist from fellow New Yorker and Cyclone great Hank Whitney. Spotted by Whitney at a local YMCA, Iowa State coach Glen Anderson recruited Smith after a call from the

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 7, 1856, voters chose Fort Dodge over Homer as the county seat by a margin of 407 to 264. When the losing party disputed the election, it set the stage for a wrestling match to determine which town would serve as the seat of the western Iowa county. Iowa's frontier expanded rapidly after statehood in 1846. Settlers poured into the tallgrass prairies, drawn by cheap land and promises of self-governance. Webster County was formed in 1853 from forme

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 7, 1944, Camp Algona in Iowa swung open its gates to the first contingent of German prisoners of war. Five hundred weary soldiers from Nebraska trudged into muddy barracks amid howling winds, marking the start of a surprising chapter in America's heartland. This POW outpost amid cornfields reveals the unexpected intersections of enmity and everyday labor during World War II. World War II thrust the United States into managing hundreds of thousand

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 6, 1862, Mayor Robert Dott of Anamosa, along with many of his fellow volunteers in the 14th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, found himself “in the thick of the fray” at the Battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War. Born in Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1824, Robert Dott headed for America and arrived in Anamosa in 1848. A pillar of the community, Dott served as a justice of the peace, worked as the Auditor of Jones County, and served as mayor. W

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 6, 1867, the uniquely flamboyant Samuel Franklin Cody was born in Davenport. A man almost as colorful as the Wild West itself, the cowboy, showman, and aviation pioneer born Franklin Samuel Cowdery tried to pass himself off as the son of American and Iowa icon Buffalo Bill Cody. Early in his career, Samuel Franklin Cody’s shows dazzled audiences, confusing many into believing they were witnessing the legendary Buffalo Bill himself. After his days

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 6, 1986, the University of Iowa officially announced Dr. Tom Davis as head coach of the Hawkeyes. The former all-time winningest coach at Iowa, Dr. Tom, led the Hawks to two Sweet Sixteen appearances and an Elite Eight appearance. Davis grew up in Wisconsin and played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. After graduation, Davis coached high school basketball before moving to the college ranks. Davis got his first head c

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 6, 1954, Simon Roberts of Davenport captured a high school state wrestling championship. A barrier-breaking achievement, Roberts went on to a dominant career on the mat at the University of Iowa, where he continued to advance the sport while capturing a national championship in 1957. Wrestling for Jim Fox at Davenport, Roberts stood out as part of a Blue Devil team that also featured state champion Vince Garcia at 95 pounds. Roberts won sectional

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 5, 2020, Cyclone Hall of Famer Hank Whitney passed away. A lanky 6-foot-7 forward, rebounding machine, Whitney grabbed boards in Ames before crashing ABA glass as the first Cyclone pro grad. Brooklyn streets forged Whitney's hoops fire during post-World War II waves of migration, channeling raw talent to Iowa State amid expanding college integration. Born April 28, 1939, he arrived at ISU in 1958, joining a squad in the evolving Big Eight Confere

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 5, 1961, political cartoonist Dan “Tom Tomorrow” Perkins was born. His Iowa roots seeded a strip syndicating nationwide, earning Pulitzers nods and Herblock glory. Born April 5, 1961, in Wichita, Kansas, his family relocated there around age five after parental divorce, immersing him in a college town pulsing with Vietnam protests and alt-publishing ferment. Local shops stocked Zap Comics and Freak Brothers, while late nights at Iowa Theater bond

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 5, 1911, actor Gordon Jones was born in Alden. Best known for playing Lou Costello's TV nemesis "Mike the Cop" and appearing as “The Green Hornet,” Jones built a deep resume of Hollywood credits over a long career. Jones started out playing minor roles in Wesley Ruggles' and Ernest B. Schoedsack's “The Monkey's Paw” (1933), and his first credited role came in Sam Wood's “Let 'Em Have It” (1935) and Sidney Lanfield's “Red Salute” (1935). By 1937,

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On the evening of April 5, 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark sat down to write speeches inviting representatives from the Báxoje (Ioway) and Yanktonai to Washington D.C., as the Americans prepared for their famous journey up the Missouri River. Written at the expedition’s winter camp at Wood River, Illinois, Lewis entrusted the messages to Des Moines River trader Lewis Crawford. “Last night wrote the Speaches, to the Aiyous….Send by Mr. Crawford So

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 4, 1941, MLB pitcher Eddie Watt was born in Lamoni. His journey from Iowa fields through the University of Northern Iowa and on to two World Series triumphs etched him into Orioles lore as their most trusted reliever. Watt emerged from southern Iowa, where he grew up the youngest of four. He moved to Iowa City as a teen, honing his arm in Babe Ruth League before semipro stints against grizzled pros. Iowa State Teachers College, now the University

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 4, 1913, the actress and singer Rosemary Lane was born in Indianola. A standout solo performer and with her sisters, Lane left a legacy of entertaining audiences in a variety of ways. Often singing with her sisters, Lola and Priscilla, as the Lane Sisters during childhood, Rosemary started performing at an early age. The sisters received dance lessons from Rose Lorenz in Des Moines before making their debut at the city's Paramount Theater in 1930

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 4, 1972, Cyclone standout and MLB baseball pitcher Matt Wagner was born in Cedar Falls. Best known for his time with the Seattle Mariners, Wagner’s journey from small-town Iowa to the big leagues is a testament to perseverance and passion for the game. Wagner’s baseball career began at Cedar Falls High School, where his talent caught the attention of scouts. After an unconventional recruitment process involving a VHS tape, he earned a scholarship

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 4, 1853, the Iowa Asylum for the Blind opened in Iowa City under the direction of founder Samuel Bacon. Made nationally famous by Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie,” the school, after the graduation of the noted author’s sister, Mary, in 1889, provided education and other services for the visually impaired until its doors closed for good in 2020. Samuel Bacon, blinded by a bout with Scarlet Fever at the age of 11, dedicated his

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 3, 1849, newspapers carried reports of the United States Supreme Court decision ending a bloodless territorial dispute started in 1839 between Iowa and Missouri known as the “Honey War.” The dispute centered on a 9.5-mile-wide strip running west from the Des Moines River along the border between the two states. Confusion arose due to unclear wording in the Missouri. In 1816, John C. Sullivan set out to survey a line 100 miles north of where the K

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 3, 1993, C. Vivian Stringer’s Iowa Hawkeyes fell in the Final Four. The finale to an unforgettable season, the Hawkeyes rallied through adversity to come up big time and again, triumphing in the face of tragedy. Hired in 1983 following a 7-20 season, Stringer set about quickly improving the program. 17-10 in her first season at the helm of the Hawks, the team continued to improve as Iowans took notice and packed Carver-Hawkeye with 22,157 fans fo

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 3, 1869, the first orphan train arrived in Fairfield. The orphan trains were a remarkable welfare program that transported thousands of orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children from crowded Eastern cities to rural communities where they could find foster homes. The orphan train movement, which operated between 1854 and 1929, relocated over 200,000 children across the United States. Many of these children came from impoverished immigrant familie

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 3, 1886, Leanna Field Driftmier was born on a farm near Shenandoah, Iowa. Her creation, Kitchen-Klatter, became America's longest-running homemaker radio show, turning everyday homemaking into a lifeline of connection. Born to Solomon Elijah Field Sr. and Celestia Josephine Eastman Field, she shared roots with six siblings on Sunnyside Farm near Shenandoah. Her sister, Jessie Field Shambaugh, launched after-school clubs in 1901 that evolved into

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 2, 1889, the deadline arrived for a contest soliciting designs for a monument to celebrate the service of Iowans in the Civil War. Designed by Mount Pleasant’s Harriet Ketcham, the 135-foot-tall monument, crowned with a ‘Victory’ statue, still stands on the south lawn of the Iowa State Capitol building. Although Ketcham’s design and revisions led to the monument, she unfortunately passed away on October 13, 1890, shortly before the Iowa Legislatu

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 2, 1970, baseball pitcher Jon Lieber was born in Council Bluffs. A standout at Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln and Iowa Western Community College, Lieber went on to an all-star career with five MLB teams. Growing up in western Iowa, Lieber stood out as an all-city performer for Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln during his senior year despite only starting to pitch full-time as a junior. Pitching primarily in relief for the Reivers over the course of

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 2, 1930, cranes swung into action at Sioux City's bustling Fourth and Nebraska streets, launching the Fontenelle Hotel. Known today as the Warrior Hotel, that 11-story terra-cotta-clad Art Deco beacon still welcomes travelers. Sioux City's stockyards and packing plants boomed in the 1920s, funneling Midwest meat to urban tables via rail and river. Local boosters eyed a grand hotel to rival Omaha rivals and snag conventions, enlisting Kansas City