American History Books

Name: African Americans of Des Moines and Polk County
Brand: Honesty Parker
SKU: 9780738582962
Price: 17.49 USD
Availability: InStock

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Grinnell in Vintage Postcards

Eastern Iowa's Aviation Heritage

$16.99

Baseball in Northwest Iowa

Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes

The Iowa State Fair: In Vintage Postcards

$16.99

Iowa City

$24.99

African Americans of Des Moines and Polk County

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Ames

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Ottumwa

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Council Bluffs

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The Floppy Show

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Clinton, Iowa

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Grinnell

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Orange City

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Iowa State Patrol

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Humboldt County

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Dubuque

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Dubuque

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

University of Northern Iowa

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

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African Americans of Des Moines and Polk County

9780738582962

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Although African American pioneers arrived in Des Moines, Iowa, in the early 1860s, the population exploded in the 1880s due to the surrounding coal mines. In the 1860s, the Burns Methodist Episcopal Church was the first African American church built in Des Moines, and its only address was "East Side of the River." From 1900 to the 1960s, African Americans across the United States called Center Street "the coolest place in the country." The likes of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and many others graced the hotels and clubs there. In Des Moines in the late 1960s and early 1970s, young African Americans discarded the term Negro and demanded to be referred to as Afro-American or black, as black pride swelled in their chests.

Ames

9780738519333

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Ames has been referred to as a railroad town; more correctly the railroad established itself at the same moment that Iowa Agricultural College, now Iowa State University, was taking form. While the railroad helped to develop Ames, it was the college that drew people with names like Welch, Beardshear, "Tama Jim" Wilson, Charles F. Curtiss, and their successors. The flourishing academic community also drew families like the Loughrans and the Tildens, who were attracted by the positive town-gown relationship.

In Ames: A Ride Through Town on the "Dinkey," readers will meet some of these people and tour historic Ames, as the narrow-gauge train nicknamed the "Dinkey" weaves its way through the city's history in over 220 vintage photographs. The images in this book, featuring people and landmarks both past and present, include Ames native J. Herman Banning, the first African-American aviator to be licensed in the U.S.; the dramatic 1922 burning and destruction of the Iowa State College Armory; a rare image of the 1895 Iowa State football team, the first to be called the Cyclones; and finally, downtown Ames' growth from dirt streets with wooden sidewalks to a modern college town.

Ottumwa

9780738550831

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Ottumwa was established in 1843 on the banks of the Des Moines River. The city quickly became a center of retail trade and industry for southeastern Iowa, as well as a railroad hub that shipped products across the country. More than 200 vintage postcard images show the booming industrial and retail city at the beginning of the 20th century and after--from the river to the railroads, from parks and recreation to business and retail, from quiet residential streets to churches and ice-cream parlors--bringing back the bygone days of a still thriving city.

Council Bluffs

9780738550756

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

During the 1830s, a path appeared where Indian Creek flowed out of the loess hills at Caldwell's Potawatomi village and led west across the Eight-Mile
Prairie. A decade later, that path became Broadway through Mormon Kanesville where California-bound 49ers found anything for sale. Kanesville became Council Bluffs after 1852 as Broadway spread from Mud Hollow and Old Town past the Fourth Street Angle across a "sea of prairie grass and sun-flowers" to the ferries on the Big Muddy, the Missouri River. More changes came with the Northwestern, Union Pacific, and Illinois Central Railroads as Broadway evolved into the route of four U.S. highways. People went to work at World Radio, Woodward's, and Omaha Standard, and notorious mobster Meyer Lansky ran greyhounds where stock cars later raced at Playland Park while teenagers cruised for hamburgers and entertainment.

The Floppy Show

9781467126045

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

In 1957, WHO-TV asked staff performer Duane Ellett to come up with an idea to help teach children how to better care for their pets. Ellett created Floppy, a high-voiced beagle dog puppet that became his sidekick for the next 30 years. Together, the iconic duo made 200 personal appearances every year at community festivals and events. The Floppy Show aired weekday afternoons in part of four decades, featuring a live studio audience of children telling Floppy riddles, beeping his nose for luck, and watching cartoons. On weekends, the duo appeared in a variety of programs over time, from the S.S. Popeye in earlier years to The Floppytown Gazette in the 1980s, featuring Floppy and other puppets Ellett created. Thousands of Iowans outside of Des Moines discovered the duo from their performances at the Iowa State Fair. Even now, 30 years after their last television appearance, Duane and Floppy still hold a warm place in the hearts of baby boomers across America.

Clinton, Iowa

9780738523491

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Since settlers first touched upon its shores in 1835, the city of Clinton, Iowa has evolved from a humble trading post on the Mississippi River into a vibrant city of thriving commerce, majestic homes, and riverfront splendor. Once the largest lumber milling center in the world, Clinton has long possessed a rich cultural heritage and a pioneering spirit. This book documents and explores the history of this proud community through a unique collection of historical photographs.

Grinnell

9781467114196

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

A passion for education, opposition to slavery, and yearning for a moral life led Josiah B. Grinnell and his band of like-minded New Englanders to establish a town and a college on the Iowa prairie in 1854. Over the years, a remarkable number of dreamers and doers from all walks of life have emerged from Grinnell, including pioneer aviator Billy Robinson; Harry Hopkins, advisor to Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt; and Robert Noyce, cofounder of Intel Corporation. Today, Grinnell is a distinctive blend of urban and rural culture that has been marked by the idealism of its beginnings, molded by the surrounding agricultural economy, and shaped by prestigious Grinnell College. Proudly known as the "Jewel of the Prairie," Grinnell is recognized in the National Register of Historic Places with two historic districts and 15 individual buildings. The Merchants National Bank designed by Louis Sullivan is a National Historic Landmark.

Orange City

9781467111584

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Orange City was founded in 1869-1870 as a colony of Dutch Americans from Pella. Led by Henry Hospers, the colonists made Orange City the center of Dutch agricultural expansion in northwestern Iowa and farther west. By 1874, the town had railroad connections, was the seat of Sioux County, and had a Dutch-language weekly newspaper that was read in the Netherlands as well as around North America. Hospers, along with others, founded an academy in 1882 to train young people in the classics and the Reformed faith. By the 1930s, the academy was maturing into what is now Northwestern College. The town's populace has never been exclusively Dutch; nevertheless, the Dutch heritage of the settlement has remained central to Orange City's identity. A tulip festival held in 1936 became an annual event that continues to draw tens of thousands of visitors each May. In 1986, a Dutch-front initiative was launched that has transformed much of the town with a distinctive Dutch look.

Iowa State Patrol

9780738598659

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The Iowa State Patrol was started by Iowa's first female secretary of state, Ola Babcock Miller, who was a champion for highway safety. Her vision for the Iowa Highway Patrol was a group of well-trained officers who would enforce Iowa's traffic laws but also, more critical to her, spread the word about the importance of safe driving. In 1935, fifty men were sworn in as officers of the Iowa Highway Safety Patrol. Known thereafter as the "First Fifty," they had been selected from a group of more than 3,000 applicants and more than 100 invited for the initial training at Camp Dodge. One member of that group, Buck Cole, proposed the patrol's motto of "Courtesy-Service-Protection," a tradition that has been passed down through the generations to today's Iowa State Patrol, whose male and female troopers promote Mrs. Miller's original premise of keeping the driving public safe.

Humboldt County

9780738576497

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The story of Humboldt County begins with a settlement of progressive dissenters and New England conservatives in north central Iowa. It is the tale of land-starved Scandinavian and Northern European immigrants who traveled to the area seeking rich soil for their farms. Early settlement in the county began in 1854, and Dakota City became the county seat. In 1863, the Reverend Stephen H. Taft brought a colony of his followers to form Springvale, now the city of Humboldt. After the coming of the railroad in 1879, the county prospered from the sale of agricultural products and equipment. Today, new industries are attracted to Humboldt County's skilled labor force, work ethic, and high quality of life. The combination of high-tech school facilities and a wide range of recreational opportunities attracts thousands of people every year.

Dubuque

9780738507422

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

While the 19th century saw the incorporation and maturation of Dubuque, it was the 20th century that defined the oldest city in Iowa. With the 20th century came the industrialization and globalization of America. For the average citizen of Dubuque, America's rise to international superpower meant the loss of sons to wars overseas, the loss of land to large manufacturers, and ultimately the loss of innocence. In the face of the extraordinary social, political, and economic changes of 20th century America, Dubuque remained what it had always been: a great place to raise a family. The city's reputation as a bustling center of trade along the Mississippi continued with the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. Even with the emergence of the automobile, the railroads and river steamboats of Dubuque still continued to evolve. Dubuque adapted, and this ability to adapt inevitably came to define this city in the 20th century, whether it be in response to the Great Depression, World War II, or the Civil Rights movement. The city of Dubuque proved itself capable of overcoming the rapid changes of this last great century.

Dubuque

9780738507415

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Situated on the west bank of the Mississippi River,
Dubuque, founded in 1833, is the oldest city in Iowa.
The region was originally inhabited by the Mesquakie
Indians. Early settler Julien Dubuque was granted
permission by the Mesquakie to work substantial lead
deposits south of the present city limits, and 20 years later, under the terms of settlement of the Blackhawk War, the area was incorporated and given his name. The tiny settlement quickly grew into a thriving river town, and Dubuque matured as an important shipping center for farm commodities and products of the lead mining industry. The mighty Mississippi River saw the growth of lumber mills on its banks, and fostered trade with surrounding communities. Railroads came to the Hawkeye State from the east in 1855, and rails soon snaked their way north and west along the river, further solidifying the city's reputation as a center of trade. Dubuque's inhabitants have also made it a city of firsts. It is home to the oldest college in the state, boasted the first printing press in the entire Northwest Territory, features the shortest and steepest railway in the world, and published Iowa's first newspaper in 1836.

University of Northern Iowa

9780738507224

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The University of Northern Iowa has evolved from its humble beginnings in 1876 as a normal school with 27 students to a thriving educational community with a student body of over 13,000. But as this pictorial history vividly depicts, its founding principles have remained the same: a commitment to high-quality education, an impressive teaching staff, and eager students with a desire to learn. Originally established in a former home for the orphans of Iowa's Civil War veterans, the University of Northern Iowa has matured from a small teacher's college to the university which is internationally known today. Inspired leadership from university presidents helped bridge this transition, and to give guidance to an institution deeply affected by the Great Depression, emerging only to face new challenges brought on by World War II. WAVES and US Army Air Corps personnel trained here, and GIs were educated upon their return from service. Civil Rights, the anti-war movement, and the technology revolution all helped shape the university into the excellent institution it is today.