Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On July 24, 1996, actress Virginia Christine (Ricketts) passed away. The inspiration behind her hometown of Stanton’s later coffee pot water tower (and later a cup and saucer), Virginia Christine built a successful acting career.
The slogan “Mountain Grown” appears in the popular Folgers ads featuring Virginia Christine, but the actress was, in fact, Iowa-grown. Virginia Christine grew up in Montgomery, Polk, and Des Moines counties before graduating from Mediapolis High School. Following graduation, she headed west to Hollywood, where she started working in radio during her college years at UCLA.
Breaking through with a recurring appearance on the popular radio version of “Gunsmoke,” Virginia Christine went on to sign with first Warner Brothers and Universal Pictures, where she appeared in a variety of film roles. Known for playing the memorable character of Hilary St. George opposite Katharine Hepburn in the 1967 film “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” Virginia Christine went on to also appear in at least 56 films, nearly 100 television shows, and numerous commercials.
Virginia Christine retired from acting in 1979. In 1971, the community transformed its water tower into a Swedish coffee pot to celebrate Virginia Christine. In 2000, the town replaced the pot with a cup and saucer while moving the coffee pot to another location in town. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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