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.
May 31, 1970 – An End Of An Era In Iowa City. After 114 years of passenger rail service in Iowa City, the last two Rock Island Rockets pulled into town on a Sunday afternoon in May 1970. One was headed west to Council Bluffs, the other eastward to Chicago. Fortunately, one man took a few photographs on that iconic day when the railroad era ended in Iowa City.
Saving Iowa City’s Old Brick – 1975-1977. When it was announced in 1966 that the leadership team of First Presbyterian Church had decided to tear down their iconic church building on Market Street, replacing it with a new facility, all hell broke loose within the congregation. By 1968, Professor Joseph Baker and his wife Matilda – long time members of the church – had been excommunicated, accused of causing division by steer-heading a city-wide effort to save ‘Old Brick’. Between 1975 and 1977, the preservation effort continued – working under the name of Friends of Old Brick. Standing their ground against all odds, by April 1977, Old Brick was saved from certain destruction. Today – 50 years later – the hard work of historic preservation continues, with Friends of Historic Preservation now leading the way.
1975 – 2025 Celebrating 50 Years Of Marriage. On July 12, 1975, Sandy Unrue from Elkhart, Indiana married Marty Boller from Iowa City. In July 2025, the couple celebrated their 50th anniversary, and to commemorate these five decades of wedded bliss, we have put together four web pages that bring together some facts, figures, and, of course, a few fun pictures from those days long ago when Marty & Sandy were first building their relationship.
Vol. I – March 2, 1974 to February 22, 1975 – The First Dates.
Vol II – February 22, 1975 to July 11, 1975 – Planning A Wedding.
Vol III – July 12, 1975 – The Special Day.
Vol IV – July 12 – July 24 – The Honeymoon.
July 1, 1976 – The Bicentennial & Iowa City. As America entered into the 1970’s, the nation prepared to celebrate our 200 years of Independence – Our Bicentennial: 1776 – 1976. On Thursday, July 1, 1976, The Iowa City Press-Citizen included in its daily 20-page newspaper, a massive 76-page special edition entitled The Bicentennial and Old Capitol. In the Spirit of 76, we undertake this big project of re-producing these 76 pages of stories & pictures for today’s readers.
1976 – Bicentennial Iowa City – A Fred Kent Album. On July 1, 1976, The Iowa City Press-Citizen published a special 76-page Bicentennial edition. That special section concluded with eight pages of Fred Kent photographs. Here, over eight web pages, we offer you a replication of those photographs.
2026 Prognostications From 1976 Iowa City. As part of The Press-Citizen‘s huge 1976 Bicentennial project, nine area students – ranging from elementary school thru high school – were asked to peer fifty years into the future and write a short essay projecting what life might look like for those living in Iowa City in 2026. Fifty years have now passed, and we thought it would be fun to offer up these nine student prognostications from 1976.
America’s Bicentennial – Restoring Old Capitol. By 1970, Old Capitol in Iowa City was starting to show its wear. As part of America’s celebration of our 200th Anniversary, the University of Iowa began a six-year restoration project that reworked this iconic building from the inside out – transitioning Old Capitol from a university administration building into a living history museum.
America’s Bicentennial – Waving The Flag. As part of America’s celebration of our 200th Anniversary, the U.S. Post Office issued a full-sheet of stamps featuring all 50 State Flags – a first in U.S. history. This Bicentennial celebration continued a rich tradition of U.S. commemorative stamps featuring the Iowa State Flag, and it wouldn’t be the last.
America’s Bicentennial – The U.S. Post Office. The first post office opened in Dubuque in 1833, and since then, Iowans have come to expect their mail to be delivered promptly and precisely. While that job has never been accomplished perfectly, we do offer this tip of the old hat to the men and women of the postal service who have stayed true to their oath: “Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds.”
Iowa’s Very Own – U.S. Postage Stamps. Lots of famous folks have Iowa connections, with a small handful of them having been pictured on U.S. postage stamps! The only prerequisite, sadly, is that you have to be deceased. Take a look at these famous Iowans who made their mark in the world, and here, in one place, is the complete list of U.S. commemorative postage stamps featuring events and locations with Iowa-based themes!
‘Wild Bill’ Sackter – Iowa City’s Friendly Smile. In 1974, film screenwriter Barry Marrow came to Iowa City from Minneapolis to take a new job with the University of Iowa’s School of Social Work. With him, came Bill Sackter – a 60-year old recluse who had been institutionalized for 44 years, yet through his friendship with Marrow had found new purpose in living. Over the next eight years, ‘Wild Bill’ became known throughout Iowa City, and when CBS ran a made-for-TV movie on his story in 1981, the whole country found a new national hero.
Barry Morrow’s Life-Changing Essay – Bill’s Triumph. You might know the amazing story of Bill Sackter and Wild Bill’s Coffee Shop, but now, find out more about the Oscar-winning playwright – Barry Morrow. This compassionate young man worked at the University of Iowa School of Social Work from 1974-1982, and in 1975, Barry and his wife, Bev, brought Bill Sackter from Minneapolis to Iowa City, changing both Sackter’s life while re-shaping his own as well.
1978 – The Bill Sackter Story. In 1977, Bill Sackter received the Handicapped Iowan of the Year Award for 1976, attending the national awards ceremony in Washington D.C. later that same year. This “feel-good” story about how one handicapped man overcame many of life’s biggest obstacles began to spread across the nation, and in October 1978, Bill’s hometown newspaper – The Minneapolis Tribune – did an eight-page spread on the story. Come take a look at the pictures and text that help prompt CBS-Television executives to contact Barry Morrow, making his story – Bill’s Triumph – into a made-for-TV movie starring Mickey Rooney.
“Hey Buddy, I’m Bill” – The UI Library Exhibit. During the fall quarter of 2023, the University of Iowa Library hosted an enlightening exhibit celebrating the life of Iowa City’s own Bill Sackter. Coming here from Minnesota in 1975, where he was a ward of the state for 40+ years, Sackter, with the help of his UI School of Social Work “buddies”, became a national icon when two made-for-TV movies debuted his life story on national television. Bill died 40 years ago, but thanks to this exhibit, his story lives on.
Mae Driscoll – Iowa City’s Compassionate Landlady. With the hope of finding medical treatment for her daughter who was suffering from leukemia, Mae Driscoll came to Iowa City with her three children in the mid-1940’s. To make ends meet, Mae worked in the SUI dietary department, finally retiring, at age 69, after the death of her husband, John, in 1970. At that point, Mae took up the work of becoming a compassionate landlady – a role she played over the next 22 years – offering refuge to three mentally-impaired individuals. One of those dear souls who called Mae’s house their home was Bill Sackter – Iowa City’s famed coffee-maker from 1975-1983.
Iowa City’s Man Of Compassion – Thomas Walz. Continuing with the Bill Sackter story, none of it would have happened without the guiding hand of Tom Walz – the Director of the UI School of Social Work (1973-1978). Not only did Walz help create Wild Bill’s Coffee Shop – giving a place for Bill to find his calling – this man of great compassion also kept the vision of Bill Sackter alive from 1983 (when Bill passed) until 2018, when Walz died, at age 84. Called an American Gandhi, Walz encompassed a heart of compassion for all people, especially those who are most overlooked in society.
Over The Hill To The Poor Farm. Caring for the poor and disadvantaged has always been a high priority for compassionate individuals like Iowa City’s Tom Walz. From 1855 to 1988, Johnson County, like most American communities, used a “poor farm” model where those who were unable to care for themselves lived and worked under detestable conditions. Come learn more about this sad era in Iowa City history.
Making Elbow Room For A Pulitzer-Prize Winner. Over a thirty-year period, James Alan McPherson, the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, found plenty of “elbow room” for both himself and others while teaching at the University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop. In 2021, Iowa City renamed one of its city parks in his honor.
Honoring James Alan McPherson. On August 5, 2021, the City of Iowa City held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the newly-renamed park honoring McPherson. Both the mayor and McPherson’s daughter, Rachel, were there for the festivities…and so were we. Enjoy the pics!