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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Our Iowa Heritage 