Our Picture of the Week 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.
May 24, 1859 – The Johnson County Tornado kills five people – including Iowa City’s first schoolmaster – Jesse Berry.
Around 6 pm, on Tuesday, May 24, the sky darkened around Iowa City. Soon, a devastating tornado swept across the south edge of the city, leaving a swath of destruction – homes destroyed, crops obliterated, dozens injured, and five dead. The next day, Isaac A. Wetherby – Iowa City’s finest photographer and artist – toured the area, producing both a news story and corresponding wood engravings that took the story to a national audience – appearing in the popular publication, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper.
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.
May 23, 1941 – Bing Crosby – accompanied by the John Scott Trotter Orchestra – recorded Meredith Willson’s first pop-song hit: You And I.
Long before Meredith Willson became known for The Music Man, he was writing pop songs that were being recorded by all the big-name stars of Hollywood. Take a brief glimpse and an enjoyable listen to three of Meredith’s top radio hits from the early 1940’s – You And I, Two In Love, and his first salute to his home state – Iowa.
Did you know? 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.