March 9, 1966 – Kenneth Belle of H.D. Short’s & Sons relays some of his memories of growing up in Iowa City to The Press-Citizen – while an ad from that same time period invites customers to “an optimistic shoeshine”.

From owning a shoeshine box to accumulating a real estate portfolio, H.D. Short, his sons and grandson comprised three generations of Iowa City African-Americans whose legacy cannot be replicated. The building that now stands at 18 South Clinton was the family’s first acquisition and remains a vital part of the history of Iowa City’s downtown.

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