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.
Three Hundred Years of Iowa Maps. In 1718, the French map-maker, Guillaume (William) De L’Isle put together an amazingly accurate map of the central section of North America, at the time called Louisiana. Iowa was a part of that map back then, and over the last 300 years, others have filled in many more details. Join us as we take a look at some of these classic maps of The Hawkeye State.
The Mapping of Iowa City – 1832 To Today. In 1832, a map of Iowa City/Johnson County would be pretty simple: The Iowa River, a Native Iowan trail, and three Meskwaki villages. Today, we are fortunate to have access to numerous maps that give us a glimpse of our favorite town as it appeared over the last 200 years. Come take a historic look.
1839 Iowa City – One Square Mile That Lives On. Did you know that when Iowa City was first established, it all started within a footprint of one-square mile? From the Iowa River on the west to Summit Street in the east, from Court Street on the south to one block north of Brown, this was Iowa City in 1839. Join us as we look at nine different city maps – from 1854 to the present – and see how the “original” Iowa City became an integral part of our city’s on-going expansion.
Johnson County ‘Firsts’. 1838 was Johnson County’s first full year of existence, and over the next decade, it grew from less than 50 people to a population of nearly 5,000. During that time, there were a lot of historic “firsts” – from “first” settlers, to “first” structures, to “first” celebrations. Join us as we re-visit this intriguing “firsts” list – first published in the 1924-25 Old Settlers’ Association (OSA) Yearbook.
Johnson County Historical Resources. Over the last one-hundred and fifty years, there have been local historians who have painstakingly laid out the stories of our county, leaving us a treasure trove of facts and figures, names and places. Allow me here to introduce you to nine key historic resources, written from 1868 to the present, with on-line links included so you can easily access them as well.
National Historic Landmarks & Historic Places. The List of National Historic Landmarks (NHL) and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) are the official listings of the nation’s most historic places worthy of preservation. Here is an updated listing of those historic sites designated for these two lists here in Johnson County, Iowa.
NRHP list by Date of Acceptance
NRHP list by City & Street Address
Johnson County Remembrance Markers. Over the last 175+ years, the good people of Johnson County, Iowa have established many remembrance “stones” – memorials placed here and there with the hope that when you and I see them, we will stop and remember the person, event, or story that lies behind the monument we’re looking at. In this post, we give you a quick look at twelve such examples, ranging from 1837 to today.
X Marks The Spot – Johnson County’s Historical Markers. In October 2023, our good friend – Richard Hakes – wrote an informative article for The Iowa City Press-Citizen entitled Marking the spot: Local historic plaques abound to keep us linked to past events, places. Since it picked up on the same themes as our post – Johnson County Remembrance Markers – we thought you’d enjoy reading more, this time from Dick’s perspective.
Johnson County Historical Society (JCHS). The Johnson County Historical Society was organized in 1967 as the Mormon Trek Memorial Foundation and its purpose was to commemorate the Mormon Handcart Expeditions. The Foundation resolved to create a local history museum, and to reflect this new purpose, the name was changed to the Johnson County Historical Society (JCHS). In 2021, JCHS moved to it’s new location in the Iowa River Landing, to the Xtream Arena, a highly accessible venue for concerts, family shows, and special events.
Friends Of Historic Preservation (FHP). In 1975, a small group of individuals formed to save one of Iowa City’s oldest landmarks, the North Presbyterian Church, also known as Old Brick. Renamed in 1988, FHP sponsors books on local history and preservation, rehabs and restores historic houses, offers workshops & house tours, awards grants, oversees the Salvage Barn and Tool Library, and supports the work of the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission.
Iowa City’s Historic Landmarks. Beginning in 1975, one of Iowa City’s oldest landmarks – North Presbyterian Church – was designated as a Historic Landmark in Iowa City (ICHL). The battle to save Old Brick from the wrecking ball took almost two years to accomplish, but since then, over sixty other iconic buildings have been added to this illustrious ICHL list. Come, check out the latest of these Iowa City classics – many of which are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Here’s A Google Map – Iowa City & Johnson County Historic Places. We are fortunate to have over 100 historic sites across Iowa City and Johnson County that have been designated as landmarks by either the U.S. National Register of Historic Places or the City of Iowa City. 40+ have been designated as such by both! Here, we offer you an interactive resource in accessing all of these iconic properties in one place.
Iowa City’s Historic Skyscrapers. Maybe the word “skyscrapers” doesn’t come to mind when you think of Iowa City, but in 19th century Iowa, just about any three or four-story building that extended into the heavens might be considered as such. Join us as we look at the top 21 “skyscrapers” of Iowa City – spires, steeples, towers, and domes that have made our city’s skyline unique.
The Six Eras Of Transportation In Johnson County. Without a doubt, the subject of The Transportation History of Johnson County is a huge topic – one that could take hours and hours to unpack. Here, on this page, we simply give you a brief overview – breaking our 185+ year Johnson County transportation history into six major themes. We then offer you a few facts and figures about each era, followed by some page links for more study. Come take the journey!
A Bird’s Eye View Of Iowa City. Back in 1868, a panoramic artist named Albert Ruger produced our first look at Iowa City from above. Over the next ten decades, high-flying photographers, like SUI’s Fred Kent and others, gave us an exciting array of pictures – all offering a viewpoint of our favorite city – as seen from above. Enjoy this bird’s eye collection.
University Of Iowa Central Campus – Yesterday & Today. In September 2024, the University of Iowa Facebook page featured eight beautiful photographs taken of the UI central campus. The uniqueness here, however, was that these new pics also featured black & white snapshots of the same subject, taken in years gone by.
My Iowa Art – The Collection. So, none of these collectibles will ever be placed in a museum, but for me, they are treasures that speak of my love of Iowa, Iowa City, the University of Iowa, and everything Hawkeye.
My Iowa Art – The Book Collection. Now, that you’ve seen the art, allow me show you some of our favorite books. From history books to musical biographies to Iowa trivia – here’s our collection. Some, really old. Some, not. Enjoy this trip to our library!
Iowa City’s Top 50 Influencers: Part One – 1832-1845. 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!
Iowa City’s Top 50 Influencers: Part Two – 1846-1939. Continuing on, this page features the Second 25, and as you found in Part I, each of the 25 names has a brief overview with a link(s) to read more. Enjoy!
Iowa Football – The Five Elite Hawkeye Coaches. From 1889 to today – over 130+ years – the University of Iowa has been playing football here in Iowa City. Did you know that there have been 25 different men who have coached Hawkeye football over those many decades? Here are the top five – the elite ones – based on the number of games coached, their winning percentages, and the number of conference championships they’ve won.
UI Pentacrest Museums. Have you visited the University of Iowa’s Pentacrest Museums? Here at Our Iowa Heritage, we’ve used many resources from the museums’ websites – particularly the Old Capitol Museum website. Kudos to all these good folks who have generously given their help in making our pages on Old Capitol, the SUI Red Brick Campus, and the Pentacrest what they are.