Diamond Jo Reynolds: Iowa Time Machine February 21, 1891

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 21, 1891, important Mississippi River steamboat tycoon Joseph “Diamond Jo” Reynolds died. A true American entrepreneur, Diamond Jo helped develop Iowa’s transportation network during the Gilded Age.

By the time Diamond Jo arrived in McGregor, Iowa, to open a grain business in 1860, he already had a history of business success in milling and tannery operations. With stiff competition for getting his grain shipped on the Mississippi, Diamond Jo entered the steamboat business. His first boat, the “Lansing,” proved successful and led him to build a 242-ton sternwheeler named the “Diamond Jo.”

Over the 1860s and 1870s, Diamond Jo grew his fleet and acquired a shipyard near Dubuque, which became one of the dominant shipping concerns on the Mississippi River between St. Louis and St. Paul. Commonly called the “Diamond Jo Line,” the steamboats represented opportunities for Iowa grain farmers to ship to external markets.

In addition to shipping and railroads, Diamond Jo also invested in railroad grain elevators to purchase directly from farmers throughout the state. Diamond Jo acquired an estate valued between eight and ten million dollars (roughly $2.5 billion in 2023) by the time of his death in 1891. #Iowa #OTD #History #Innovation #Business