April 11, 1953 – Construction on the Airport Terminal & Administration Building is complete and the dedication date in June 1953 is set.

Designed by Iowa City’s famed architect – Henry L. Fisk – the Airport Administration Building & Terminal was placed on the drawing board in the late 1940’s and opened in June 1953.

Did you know? The Iowa City airport was once the center of activity for much of the first 50 years of aviation history in Iowa. As a matter of fact, our Iowa City airport – which opened in 1918 – is the oldest airstrip west of the Mississippi River – with many of the early pioneers of flight landing here – including Wiley Post, Jack Knight, Charles Lindbergh, Will Rogers, and more!

READ MORE HERE…

This Day In History is an Our Iowa Heritage blog series that offers you a little bit of Iowa trivia from a large selection of stories on our website. Subscribe to this FREE blog and you’ll get a new email from us daily. Click to learn more.

April 10, 1986 – The Franklin Printing House building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1856, Iowa City pioneer businessmen – R.A. Sylvester and A.G. Tucker – joined forces to build a three-story red-brick building on South Dubuque Street, housing their two newspapers – The Capital Reporter and The Daily Crescent, and their growing printing business – The Franklin Printing Company. Upon its opening, Sylvester called his new facility “well adapted to the carrying on of the great Philosopher’s immortal art — ‘heaven born’ like his own famed lightning — about the best establishment to be found west of Chicago.” Today, this iconic building remains as one of only a handful of downtown commercial buildings built prior to the Civil War.

READ MORE HERE…

This Day In History is an Our Iowa Heritage blog series that offers you a little bit of Iowa trivia from a large selection of stories on our website. Subscribe to this FREE blog and you’ll get a new email from us daily. Click to learn more.

Click here to go on to the next date…

April 9, 1874 – The Daily Press features the timetable for the four Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific (CRI&P) Railroad passenger trains that steam through Iowa City on a daily basis.

From the 1860’s to 1970, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad was the main source of transportation in and out of Iowa City, making the Rock Island depot into Iowa City’s Grand Central Station.

READ MORE HERE…

This Day In History is an Our Iowa Heritage blog series that offers you a little bit of Iowa trivia from a large selection of stories on our website. Subscribe to this FREE blog and you’ll get a new email from us daily. Click to learn more.

Click here to go on to the next date…