Without a doubt, the nickname, Hawkeye, goes with Iowa like summer sweet corn goes with butter. So, how did the name come about? We’ve got the facts, and they all date back about 1838 in Burlington, Iowa. Two men – Judge David Rorer and Newspaper Editor James G. Edwards – both became concerned that Iowa would be given an unflattering label by its regional neighbors, so they decided it would be better if Iowans created their own nickname. Based on their mutual friendship with the famed Sauk Chief – Black Hawk, and the Johnson County fur-trader Sumner “Hawkeye” Phelps, Edwards & Rorer combined their ideas with the lead character out of The Last of The Mohicans, and we now have the unique nickname – we’re all Hawkeyes from Iowa.

CHECK OUT THE COMPLETE BLOG SERIES – Iowa City’s Top 50 Influencers – Part I

Back in 1979 – The Iowa City Press Citizen ran a special seven-page section called Chronology 1841/1979 and it featured Iowa City’s famed historian – Irving Weber – and his look at 25 People Who Left Their Stamp On Iowa City. So, here we are – forty-four years later – and now, I’m offering these two posts – dedicated to those who have greatly influenced our city over the first 100 years or so. This page features the First 25, and as you can see, each of the 25 names has a brief overview with a link(s) to read more, if you like. Enjoy!

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