Governor Nelson Kraschel: Iowa Time Machine October 27, 1889

Iowa Time Machine ⏰:  On October 27, 1889, Iowa’s 27th Governor, Nelson G. Kraschel, was born. A farmer and livestock auctioneer turned governor, Kraschel helped Iowa navigate the Great Depression during the mid-1930s.

In 1910, Kraschel moved to Harlan to farm and raise livestock. Kraschel later diversified his operation, working as a livestock auctioneer and selling more than $ 50 million in property during the 1920s. 

Kraschel entered politics in 1932, serving as Iowa's lieutenant governor for 4farm-to-market years. He won the 1936 Democratic gubernatorial nomination and election before swearing into the governor’s office on January 14, 1937. During his tenure, Iowa instituted a new social welfare board, Kraschel vetoed a farm to market road bill, and he dispatched the National Guard to intervene in a strike at the Maytag factory in Newton. 

After running unsuccessfully for reelection, Kraschel left office on January 12, 1939. He made one more run for the governor’s office in 1942, but also found defeat. After serving as an agent for the Farm Credit Administration from 1943 to 1949, Krashel eventually retired to his farm in Harlan. #Iowa #OTD #Governor #Politics #GreatDepression