March 7, 1837 – My ggg grandfather – George F. Boller – applies for United States citizenship in Wooster, Ohio. George arrived in America in 1816, and it’s possible he was onboard the ship Ceres which arrived in Philadelphia on October 21, 1816.

George F. Boller, age 22, arrived in America, from Bavaria, in October, 1816, establishing our Boller family in the United States. Shown above is his application for naturalization (citizenship) filed in the Wayne County Court of Common Pleas on March 7, 1837. In that application George, age 43, is applying for U.S. citizenship and is stating that he came to America from the Kingdom of Bavaria in October of 1816. This application is an exciting find since it not only helps confirm George’s birth in November 1793, but it also gives us the time frame – October 1816 – when our Boller family first arrived in America!

Other records indicate that George left Amsterdam on May 9, 1816, sailing on the ship Ceres, which arrived in Philadelphia on October 21, 1816.

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March 6, 1889 – The Iowa State Press announces C.M. Reno’s first return to the mayor’s office after a three-year hiatus – defeating the Republican candidate – Former Mayor (1878-79) Jacob Ricord.

After fourteen years as an independent community with no ties to Territorial or State government, in 1853, the people of Iowa City voted to officially become an incorporated city. With that decision, came city government and our first city mayor and city council. Join us – over six pages – as we take a deeper look at the 60+ men and women who have led our city over the last 170+ years, including our 23rd, 27th & 29th mayor – Charles M. Reno, who served three separate terms (1884-1886, 1889-1893 and 1895-1897).

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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.

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Did you know that the State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) was formed right here in Iowa City in 1857? Did you also know that over the last 168 years (1857-2025), SHSI has had its offices and historical collections on or near campus – in seven different Iowa City locations? From Old Capitol to Schaeffer Hall, and from an Old Stone Church to the UI Centennial Building, SHSI has shown its faithful commitment to bringing the important stories of Iowa’s past into the everyday lives of today’s UI students.

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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.