Our Iowa Heritage: An Introduction. We might suggest you start here! Here’s how & why I got started collecting stamps, coins, and other Iowa memorabilia.
Iowa Celebrates: The 1950’s. Yup, it’s me, your humble guide, taking a brief look at my first decade on planet earth. Nothing earth-shattering here, but a fun trip back to the days of black-n-white television and Leave It To Beaver.
Mapping Out My Iowa – 1951. This “official” State of Iowa Highway Map takes us back to 1951 – no interstates – no rest stops – no cruise control. Come drive across the Hawkeye State with this roadmap!
Growing Up In Mt. Pleasant – Old Threshers. Agriculture and Iowa go hand-in-hand. Look back with me at the by-gone days of steam-operated threshing machines, as celebrated annually in my home town of Mt. Pleasant: The Midwest Old Settlers & Threshers Reunion.
The Iowa Award – 1951 To Today. As a result of the 1946 Iowa Centennial Celebration, a new award – called The Iowa Award – was developed. The plan was to celebrate every five years or so by honoring one significant Iowan, giving them this award – our state’s highest honor. President Herbert Hoover won the first award (1951) and his friend, Ding Darling, won the second (1955).
Preserving Iowa City’s Rich Airport Heritage. Designed by Iowa City’s famed architect – Henry L. Fisk – the Iowa City Airport Administration Building & Terminal opened in 1953, so today, our hope is to find a creative way to preserve the past while looking ahead to the future. Come join the conversation.
Preserving Iowa City’s Rich Airport Heritage – Vol. 2. Take a look at what the Iowa City Press-Citizen had to say about the brand new Iowa City Airport Administration Building. From the start of construction in April 1952 to the big dedication on Flag Day, June 14, 1953 – read all about it!
Roland Wehner – Iowa City’s Architect Of Historic Places. Working alongside Iowa City’s first registered architect – Henry L. Fisk, Roland Wehner helped create three Iowa City icons that remain with us today. Over his forty-year career (1956-1996), Wehner and his partners drew up plans for homes, schools, city buildings, churches, apartment buildings and more. Today, two of those Iowa City creations have been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.
Remembering Henry L. Fisk. In 1955, Henry L. Fisk was looking to add a young intern to his small architect’s office in Iowa City. On July 5th, he sent an invitation letter to Roland C. Wehner. The rest, as they say, is history. Come read Wehner’s remembrances from his six years of working alongside Iowa City’s first registered architect.
Meet Vincent Harris – Iowa City’s High-Flying Traveling Salesman. In 1955, United Air Lines produced a 30-minute promotional film encouraging Americans to fly, using the theme: The Sky Is For Everyone. One three-minute segment features the fictional traveling salesman from Iowa City – Vincent Harris. In this entertaining story, family-man Harris has now found a “new way of life” since using United and Hertz Rent-A-Car for his long-distance sales calls. Come enjoy this high-flying tale!
The 1950’s – Hooray For Evy’s Hawkeyes. In 1952, Iowa football had only had three winning seasons in the previous 16 years – not winning an outright Big Ten Conference championship for three decades. But then a young football coach named Forest Evashevski came to Iowa City, and with his creative offense he called the Winged T, made the Iowa Hawkeyes into a national powerhouse. As the Evy era came to an end, sports historian Dick Lamb put together an entertaining collection of Hawkeye football highlights on a long-playing (LP) record called Hooray For The Hawkeyes. Come relive the big moments in Iowa football as they were broadcast.
Herky The Hawk Comes To Life. Herky the Hawk was first created – on paper – in 1948, but by the early 1950’s – thanks to a frat brother from Delta Tau Delta – a real, live Herky the Hawk, via a papier-mâché headpiece, was appearing in Iowa Stadium on game day. In October 1956, as Evy was prepping his team to win the Big 10 championship, an Iowa farmer donated his two sons’ favorite pet – a red-tailed hawk to the Hawk-I Pep Club. Come read the story of this Herky’s first appearance in Iowa City.
The Big Three Radio Voices Of The Iowa Hawkeyes. In the days before multiple television networks, the only way to keep up with the Hawkeyes was to either 1) be at the game in Iowa City or 2) listen to the game on radio. From the late-1940’s well into the 1990’s, there were three major sportscasters who became the Voice of the Hawkeyes. Come hear the stories of Jim Zabel, Bob Brooks, and Ron Gonder – three giant names in Iowa Hawkeye radio.
Iowa’s Own Rocket Man – Dr. James Van Allen. After years of conducting high-altitude research using hot air balloons, the advent of rocket science provides scientists with a whole new way of reaching to the stars. By 1958, the space race is on and Dr. Van Allen has SUI right in the middle of the fray. As a result, the Explorer space program makes landmark discoveries that impact space travel even to today.
A Penny From Heaven – Rev. Fred L. Penny. In 1958, Rev. Fred Penny and his family came to Iowa City to take over the struggling Bethel AME Church. The church was formed in 1868, but at age 90, had fallen into deep debt and disrepair. Over the next 36 years, Rev. Penny not only turned the church around, but became a true friend to the entire community with his caring hands, his friendly smile, and determined effort to help anyone in need.
July 1959 – A&P Grocery Expands. Serving our city since the late 1920’s, A&P Grocery moves from downtown Iowa City, opening its new, state-of-the-art 21,000 sq. ft. facility at 700 South Clinton Street – just one block from the Rock Island Railroad Depot. Over the next 15 years (1959-1974), A&P becomes one of Iowa City’s favorite supermarkets, featuring low prices and high quality Ann Page foods, Plaid Stamps, and Eight O’Clock Coffee.
The Day MLK Came To Iowa City. On Wednesday, November 11, 1959, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke to a standing-room-only crowd gathered in the SUI Memorial Union Ballroom. Dr. King warned his audience to not fall into complacency on the never-ending march toward social justice. Come re-visit this special day in Iowa City with the help of The Daily Iowan.
Iowa, U.S. Presidents, & U.S. Postage Stamps. On November 21, 1959, the 1960 Democratic presidential hopeful – Senator John F. Kennedy – came to Iowa City to stir up support for his campaign. One important stop was to attend the Notre Dame – Iowa football game at Iowa Stadium. Read about Kennedy’s visit with the Hawkeyes and get a peek at a few other U.S. Presidents along the way.