Recalling pleasant things and taking the time to dwell on them.
Our Iowa Heritage: What’s New?
WHAT’S NEW @ Our Iowa Heritage?With our site growing larger, it’s important for you, our readers, to be able to easily navigate through our stories. Here’s a current list of our NEWEST posts on our site. Come back regularly to check for our latest posts.Iowa City: Opening Doors For The Deaf. In 1854, with the help of the deaf-and-blind-in-one-eye newspaper editor Edmund Booth, William E. Ijams comes to Iowa City to open Iowa’s first School for the Deaf. The following year, the State of Iowa adds on-going financial support and over the next twelve years, attendance triples in size: growing from twenty-one students to seventy-five.Tracking The History Of SHSI. Did you know that the State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) was birthed right here in Iowa City in 1857? Did you also know that over the last 168 years (1857-2025), SHSI has had its offices and historical collections on or near campus – in seven different Iowa City locations? From Old Capitol to Schaeffer Hall, and from an Old Stone Church to the UI Centennial Building, SHSI has shown its faithful commitment to bringing the important stories of Iowa’s past into the everyday lives of today’s UI students.
FHP – 50th Anniversary Celebration. On Saturday, November 1, 2025 – Friends of Historic Preservation (FHP) celebrated our 50th Anniversary. This page offers an overview of our special celebration held at Old Brick.
Frank E. McInnerny & His Iowa First Capitol Whiskey. Just as the Iowa City Beer Riots were coming to an end (1884), a second-generation businessman – an Irishman named Frank E. McInnerny – opened a high-brow saloon on South Dubuque Street in Iowa City. By the end of the century, McInnerny had added a wholesale liquor business on the side, featuring two unique products: Iowa First Capitol Whiskey, and a beer called McInnerny’s Special Brew. Purchased by the bottle at his Great Wine & Liquor House on S. Clinton Street, or by the glass at his 150-foot-long bar on Dubuque Street, customers flocked to McInnerny’s until 1916, when seven states, including Iowa, voted in prohibition – four years before the whole nation went “dry” in 1920.1878 – Samuel Baker: Iowa City’s Second Ward Grocer. Did you know that the iconic John’s Grocery of Iowa City can be traced directly back to a pioneer grocer who moved here in 1857, opened his first grocery store in 1868, and then, in 1878, built a state-of-the-art, two-story, red-brick building at 401 E. Market Street to house his masterpiece: The Baker House? Come read all the details.October 2025 – Iowa City’s Hummer’s Bell Returns Home. Have you heard the good news? After 175+ years, the 782-pound Troy Foundry Bell from 1846 – that once rang proudly on the streets of Iowa City – is finally making the long 1,180 mile journey back home from Salt Lake City! Hummer’s Bell is coming back home!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.Sylvester & Tucker’s Franklin Printing House. In 1856, Iowa City pioneer businessmen – R.A. Sylvester and A.G. Tucker – joined forces to build a three-story red-brick building on South Dubuque Street, housing their two newspapers – The Capital Reporter and The Daily Crescent, and their growing printing business – The Franklin Printing Company. Upon its opening, Sylvester called his new facility “well adapted to the carrying on of the great Philosopher’s immortal art — ‘heaven born’ like his own famed lightning — about the best establishment to be found west of Chicago.” Today, this iconic building remains as one of only a handful of downtown commercial buildings built prior to the Civil War.Surveying Johnson County’s Cedar Township – September 1843. Three Johnson County pioneers are looking to build a road from Cedar County through Cedar Township, connecting their farms to The National Road (today’s Highway 1). A survey has been completed and here – on a one page letter – is the proposal by surveyor William McCormick.The Lost Towns, Villages & Post Offices Of Johnson County. Over the last 180+ years, there have been at least 58 towns, villages and post offices that have completely disappeared from the map of Johnson County. Here, we take a brief look at each of these “ghost” locations scattered across 19 of the county’s 21 townships. Come pick a favorite. Might it be Shoo Fly, Wad Town, Snook’s Corner – or just maybe…Big Bottom and/or Buttsville?RFRIC – The CRANDIC Interurban Railway. Over a 120-year period (1850-1970) there were five different railway systems that attempted to serve the good people of Iowa City with passenger rail service. Today – there is none. Come reminisce with us as we review the amazing story behind the fourth: Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Interurban Railway.Riding The Five Rails Of Iowa City. Over a 120-year period (1850-1970) there were five different railway systems that attempted to serve the good people of Iowa City with passenger rail service. Today – there is none. Come reminisce with us as we review the amazing stories behind these five railways from our past. – The Lyons-Iowa Central RR – The Calico (1850-1854) – The Mississippi & Missouri (M&M) / Rock Island (CRI&P) RR (1853-1974) – The Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern (BCR&N) RR – The Plug (1873-1924) – The Cedar Rapids & Iowa City (CRANDIC) Interurban Railway (1904-1953) – The CRANDIC Interurban Railway Trolley Picture Page – The Iowa City Electric Railway (1910-1930)Meet Iowa City’s Mayors – 1853 To Today. After fourteen years as an independent community with no ties to Territorial or State government, in 1853, the people of Iowa City voted to officially become an incorporated city. With that decision, came city government and our first city mayor and city council. Forty years after Irving Weber’s ‘Mayors of Iowa City’ articles are printed, OIH publishes an updated 7-page overview of Iowa City’s Mayors – 1853 to 2025. Click here for the Introduction page Volume I: Mayors #1 through #12 – 1853-1869 Volume II: Mayors #13 through #24 – 1869-1887 Volume III: Mayors #25 through #36 – 1887-1925 Volume IV: Mayors #37 through #48 – 1925-1961 Volume V: Mayors #49 through #60 – 1961-1982 Volume VI: Mayors #61 through #73 – 1982-PresentThe 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!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.Here at Our Iowa Heritage, we not only want to share the powerful stories of those names most everybody knows, but we also want to strive to bring you uplifting stories of those individuals who, for no other reason than racial or sexual prejudice, have been overlooked in our history. As our series Rich Stories of Diversity grows, we hope this story index will help you see that here in Iowa, we do have a very rich heritage of those who have gone before us – lighting the way.
