Name: The Mississippi River
Brand: James L. Shaffer
SKU: 9780738507453
Price: 17.99 USD
Availability: InStock

The Mississippi River

9780738507453

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Named by Algonkian-speaking Indians, Mississippi can be translated as "Father of Waters." The river, the largest in North America, drains 31 states and 2 Canadian provinces, and runs 2,350 miles from its source to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River is truly one of the great forces that has shaped the United States into the country it is today.

Although its role has changed over the past few centuries, the Mississippi has always been important to those who lived along its banks. Indigenous peoples fished its waters and depended on the waterway for transportation. Explorers and traders traveled the river in hopes of conquering more land and obtaining wealth for their countries. Settlers moved close to take advantage of the rich farmland the river provided. All of these pursuits resulted in a trade industry that brought about a social and economic transformation, when news and goods made their way downriver and livelihoods were provided. In fact, the Mississippi River's economic and strategic value was so important that when Ulysses S. Grant won the siege of Vicksburg and control of the river during the Civil War, the Confederacy was dealt a serious blow. Today, although still used to transport goods, the river has taken on yet another identity: that of entertainer. Literature, pleasure boats, and floating casinos all showcase a new dimension of this magnificent river.

Iowa's Last Narrow-Gauge Railroad

9780738541181

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When talk began circulating in 1848 about the importance of railroads, the people of Cascade grew anxious. Without direct access to navigable rivers other than the Mississippi over 36 miles away, their community could very well fade from existence. They needed a railroad as soon as possible. The idea raced forward, with the backing of the Chicago, Clinton, Dubuque and Minnesota Railroad Company, or "the River Road," which ran along the western bank of the Mississippi River and passed through Bellevue. Their hopes and dreams became reality in a three-foot-gauge line 31 years later, in 1879. In 1880, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway purchased the River Road, which included the narrow-gauge branch line to Cascade. Overjoyed at having a larger entity involved, anticipation for the widening of the rails to standard gauge grew quickly. This book relates the story from the beginning to its abandonment in 1936. Today Bellevue and Cascade survive as thriving small towns and are economically healthy. Despite the fact that 70 years have passed since the last spike was pulled, many people know of and recall Iowa's last narrow-gauge railroad.

Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes

9781467124935

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Generation after generation, families of vacationers have returned to northwestern Iowa's Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes for summertime rest and recreation. From the earliest pioneer days to the Spirit Lake Massacre to the first rustic outdoorsmen's accommodations, this deep glacial lake and its sister prairie lakes have been embraced by visitors for more than 150 years. Slow growing until rail service in 1882, the area saw investment in the form of the Orleans, the grandest hotel west of the Mississippi, which was demolished a scant 15 years later. By then, though, word had gotten out, and Lake Okoboji's wooded bluffs and sandy beaches became places of quiet repose for vacationers. Resorts of all sizes drew the wealthy and modest alike. Among the area's attractions were Arnolds Park Amusement Park; the Roof Garden; the Casino, Central, and Inn ballrooms; thrilling boat rides; skating; and summertime bathing in the revitalizing waters. Now largely given over to private residences of all sizes, the many marinas and public areas still draw summertime visitors intent on forging their own indelible memories.

Cover image for Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes, isbn: 9781467124935

Fort Madison

9781467161848

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Nestled between a bluff and the Mississippi River, Fort Madison is a quaint town that has thrived over the last two centuries. Known for its castle-like penitentiary, former Sheaffer Pen Company, and the largest double-deck swing-span bridge in the world, Fort Madison, Iowa, has a long and varied history from its beginnings as a military fort and trading post that grew into a turn-of-the-century town. Its rail system played a part in the westward expansion of the United States. Dana Bushong Jewelers, Faeth’s Cigar Store, and Dodd Printing and Stationery are still in operation today as century-old family businesses. Fort Madison has continued to develop in the 21st century with the reinstated Historic Santa Fe Train Depot and revitalization of the Fort Madison Marina on the Mississippi River shoreline. This book offers insight into the courageous men and women who formed the town as well as their homes, places of business, and their forms of entertainment. A quintessential small town, Fort Madison promises a beautiful view and unique perspective.

Author Krys Plate and amateur photographer Kathy Burkhardt, both residents of Fort Madison, are members of the North Lee County Historical Society and are avid volunteers in the community. Most of the images in this book come from the collections of the North Lee County Historical Society.

Cover image for Fort Madison, isbn: 9781467161848

Creating the Black Utopia of Buxton, Iowa

9781467140461

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Some have called Buxton a Black Utopia. In the town of five thousand residents, established in 1900, African Americans and Caucasians lived, worked and attended school together. It was a thriving, one-of-a-kind coal mining town created by the Consolidation Coal Company. This inclusive approach provided opportunity for its residents. Dr. E.A. Carter was the first African American to get a medical degree from the University of Iowa in 1907. He returned to Buxton and was hired by the coal company, where he treated both black and white patients. Attorney George Woodson ran for file clerk in the Iowa Senate for the Republican Party in 1898, losing to a white man by one vote. Author Rachelle Chase details the amazing events that created this unique community and what made it disappear.

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Davenport

9780738507286

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The city of Davenport traces its beginnings to an
1832 treaty signed by Chief Keokuk of the Sauk
Indians, which transferred a fifty-mile strip of land along the Mississippi River from the Yellow River in the north to the Des Moines River in the south. Over the past 168 years, the resultant city has evolved from a frontier outpost to a premier gateway to the West, a commercial powerhouse on a prime river location to a Midwestern banking and financial center. This pictorial history documents the transformation of the city through more than 200 vintage photographs. Davenport was a major entrance to the West, as well as a destination itself during the 19th century. Pioneer families and immigrants alike found a haven in the rapidly growing city, and they founded department stores, construction companies, breweries, banks, and churches. Germans, Irish, Swedes, Hungarians, and African Americans all brought cultural traditions and ideas that contributed to the flavor of the city. The Great Depression, two world wars, and the economy's conversion from agriculture to commerce also delineated the boundaries of Davenport as we know it today.

Railroads of Dubuque

9780738539577

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The city of Dubuque, settled on the west side of the Mississippi River in 1833, has historically been home to four major railways and numerous trolleys and passenger trains. Dubuque's railroad legacy was precipitated by local resident John Plumbe Jr., "the Father of the Transcontinental Railroad," who proposed a transcontinental railroad in 1838 and promoted the idea throughout the Midwest. The Illinois Central Railroad first reached the east bank of the Mississippi in 1855, followed by the Milwaukee Road, the Chicago and Great Western, and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroads. This book uses rare photographs and historical text to chronicle the development and heyday of these four pioneering railways, as well as Dubuque's many trolleys and its two funicular railroads. While the glory days of Dubuque's railroads may have passed, the legacy they brought to the city lives on, and is evident in the Fourth Street Elevator, which remains the world's shortest, steepest railroad.

Lost Buxton

9781467124386

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Buxton, Iowa, was an unincorporated coal mining town, established by Consolidation Coal Company in 1900. At a time when Jim Crow laws and segregation kept blacks and whites separated throughout the nation, Buxton was integrated. African American and Caucasian residents lived, worked, and went to school side by side. The company provided miners with equal housing and equal pay, regardless of race, and offered opportunities for African Americans beyond mining. Professional African Americans included a bank cashier, the justice of the peace, constables, doctors, attorneys, store clerks, and teachers. Businesses, such as a meat market, a drugstore, a bakery, a music store, hotels, millinery shops, a saloon, and restaurants, were owned by African Americans. For 10 years, African Americans made up more than half of the population. Unfortunately, in the early 1920s, the mines closed, and today, only a cemetery, a few foundations, and some crumbling ruins remain.

Dubuque

9780738507422

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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.

Des Moines

9780738540733

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Founded at the fork of two wilderness rivers, Fort Des Moines (which narrowly escaped being named Fort Raccoon) was a temporary garrison of dragoons to keep the peace between Native Americans and settlers until the area could be organized into a territory. After the soldiers left in 1845, pioneers and squatters moved into the abandoned cabins of the stockade, and the city of Des Moines was born. Its central location between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers made it a natural center of provisioning and commerce for travelers heading west, and the city grew large enough to become Iowa's state capital in 1857. With the city consistently ranked in the top ten best places to live and work, the residents of Des Moines enjoy a quality of life that is the envy of most. This collection of images provides a look back to the historical roots that made the city what it is today.

Appanoose County

9780738598994

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Appanoose County has a unique heritage, yet it shares a common legacy with all rural Midwestern communities. The boundaries were drawn in 1843, and pioneers from the East came and staked their claims. Jonathan Stratton, the surveyor who platted an addition to Ann Arbor, Michigan, that would eventually become the University of Michigan, did the same with the county seat, Centerville, and remained there. Coal was discovered in the county and became the primary industry for over 50 years. Waves of immigrants came to the area for work in the mines, changing the landscape of the populace forever. Even as coal mining faded away, the diverse culture of the residents remained. These people of Appanoose County maintained a strong work ethic and a positive attitude that pulled them through tough times. They took pride in the community and celebrated their great fortune to live in Appanoose County.

Muscatine's Pearl Button Industry

9780738550930

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The Mississippi River town of Muscatine produced billions of pearl buttons. By 1905, Muscatine made 37 percent of the world's buttons and earned the title of "Pearl Button Capital of the World." The rise and fall of the pearl button occurred over a period of 75 years. John Frederick Boepple, a German immigrant button maker, launched the industry in 1891. The button and clamming industries started small but quickly overwhelmed the town. Clamming became the Mississippi River's gold rush while large automated factories and shell-cutting shops employed nearly half the local workforce. Entire families--men, women, and children--contributed to the industry, giving weight to the popular local saying "No Muscatine resident can enter Heaven without evidence of previous servitude in the button industry." Although the industry peaked in 1916, several decades passed before the American-made pearl button buckled under the pressure of foreign competition, changing fashion, limited availability of shell, and the development and refinement of plastic buttons.

Along Iowa's Historic Highway 20

9781467112901

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US Highway 20 was designated a federal highway in 1926. For the first half of the 20th century, it was the most important east-west road across northern Iowa, extending from the Mississippi to the Missouri River. The road connected 13 counties, four major metropolitan areas, and many smaller communities along its route. Fortunately, the historic two-lane road remains almost completely intact and can be driven much as travelers did in years gone by. Along Iowa's Historic Highway 20 celebrates such a trip, illustrated by more than 200 antique postcards that show the personality of the road: town and city scenes, rural vistas, rivers, bridges, and historic sites. Not to be forgotten are the tourist courts, hotels, diners, and gas stations that made travel possible.

Ankeny

9781467110389

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For John F. Ankeny and his wife, Sarah, the 80-acre tract they purchased in 1874 was perfect for the town they envisioned. It was surrounded by coal mines and farms and close to the state capital, and plans for a railroad through their property assured success. By 1881, the town had several homes and businesses and a 33¢ train fare into Des Moines. Through fires and war, Ankeny was nurtured by a strong sense of community and people whose names are still familiar today: superintendent Ed Neveln, the Kirkendall brothers, businessman "Uncle Henry" Wagner, and Charles Irvine and his world-champion Belgian horses. World War II brought further growth with the establishment of an ordnance plant on land now occupied by John Deere Des Moines Works. Ankeny now has more than 45,000 residents and an enviable quality of life. It is listed among the top 10 towns in the United States for families and, in 2012, was voted a "Playful City USA" for the sixth consecutive year.

Hidden History of Dubuque

9781467118590

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Poised on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, Dubuque provided a vital entry point for westward expansion. Explorers, Native Americans, fur traders, lead miners and pilgrims all played a part in the little-known history of Iowa's Driftless Region. It was Dubuque that contributed the first military company in the country for service at the start of the Civil War. Jefferson Davis made a foray into the city in pursuit of lead miners. And gangster Al Capone reportedly used the Hotel Julien as a retreat and hideout. Uncover these lost stories and more with author and historian Susan Miller Hellert as she chronicles the fascinating and all-but-forgotten tales of Dubuque and the surrounding region.

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Amana Colonies

9781467115407

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The Amana Colonies were founded by members of the Community of True Inspiration, a Pietist sect that originated in southwest Germany in 1714. Beginning in 1842, members of the sect migrated to New York and founded the Eben-Ezer Society, in which land, shops, and homes were owned communally. Members worked at assigned jobs, attended 11 church services each week, and received food, clothing, and shelter. Beginning in 1855, the community relocated to a 26,000-acre tract in eastern Iowa, where they founded the seven Amana villages, each with its own church, school, general store, craft shop, and barns. A disastrous fire, economic downturns, and a growing dissatisfaction with communal life led the members to vote to reorganize as a separate business and church organization in 1932. Images of America: Amana Colonies: 1932–1945 examines a time when the Amana people worked to preserve aspects of their traditional religious and cultural life while, simultaneously, learning to embrace American life and the waves of people who visited these unique villages in growing numbers.

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Lost Council Bluffs

9781467137478

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Nestled in the Loess Hills, Council Bluffs grew from a frontier settlement of wickiups and log cabins. The outpost boomed as a gateway to the West when gold was discovered in California in 1849. The Pacific House and the Ogden House became landmark hotels for the transient population. Meanwhile, residents thrived and cultivated a bustling city with the Masonic Hall, Dohany's Opera House and the Merriam block. None of these once iconic buildings remains today. Author S.M. Senden explores the perpetual rebirth of Council Bluffs through its most important buildings and relates a still unfolding story.

Ames

9780738519333

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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.

Dubuque

9780738507415

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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.

Red Oak

9780738561318

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Where the Red Oak Creek flowed into the Nishnabotna River, thick groves of walnut, oak, and cottonwood trees crowded about their banks. This gentle intersection of waterways was to become the junction of railroads, highways, and so many people's lives. The seeds of the hopes and dreams of early pioneers where planted in the fertile soil. Nurtured by the promise of the railroad, the town began to grow and earned the honor of becoming the county seat. With the building of the railroad, Red Oak Junction was regarded second only to Deadwood as a wild outpost on the western frontier. With the completion of the railroad, the laborers left, taking that reputation with them, and Red Oak blossomed into a booming city directed by the strong personalities of the city fathers who sought to have it be a leader of culture, building, technological improvements, and businesses in the state. Fires, grasshoppers, hailstorms, and floods could not dampen the indomitable spirit of those who have lived in Red Oak through the years.

Mount Pleasant

9781467116787

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From its earliest years, Mount Pleasant was known as the Athens of Iowa: a small town with a big story and a center of learning and culture. Even during the town's pioneer era, the citizens of Mount Pleasant championed education, establishing numerous schools and a college. Progressive ideals, including abolitionism and women's education, took root. As the home of Sen. James Harlan, an important ally of Abraham Lincoln, the city emerged as a bastion of support for the president. During the hardship of the Civil War, the community took up a second cause, becoming the location of the state mental health asylum. The drive for the improvement of life only increased, bolstered by the city's numerous schools, churches, and most importantly a spirit of community.

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Council Bluffs

9781467112284

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All traces of Captain Caldwell's Potawatomi settlement and the Mormon safe haven of Kanesville were gone from the Indian Creek hollow by 1900, when Council Bluffs already seemed a 20th-century city of bright lights, steam, and smokestacks. The old western trails and steamboats disappeared as the city on the east bank of the Missouri River opposite Omaha became a major American railroad center and the industrial and commercial hub of southwest Iowa. Vineyards and orchards surrounded a growing city, with more acres under glass for greenhouses than anywhere else in the country and a daily stop for the Zephyr, Hiawatha, Rocket, Challenger, and other streamlined passenger trains. The West End was filled in, and new neighborhoods like Danetown and Little Vienna grew with new immigrants. All of the people of Council Bluffs faced fires, floods, and tornados as the Blue Denim City, where America's mail was sorted survived economic upheaval, urban renewal, and eventual resurgence in the last decade of the century.

Cover image for Council Bluffs, isbn: 9781467112284

Fort Dodge

9780738561820

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Fort Dodge was founded in 1850 as a military post to police the Iowa frontier. A subsequent land boom created fortunes that were reinvested in the local economy. The town soon earned the nickname "Mineral City" because of the extensive deposits of coal, gypsum, limestone, and clay. By 1900, the city was a rail center and the world's largest producer of gypsum products. With a highly diversified economy, the city prospered and by World War I was able to claim to have more skyscrapers per capita than any other city in the Midwest and beautiful public buildings designed by some of the nation's leading architects. Between 1900 and 1925, Fort Dodge enjoyed the role as an important political center and the home of two U.S. senators, the director of the U.S. Mint, the solicitor of the Department of the Treasury, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, and the first presidential press secretary and speechwriter. Sons and daughters of the community went on to establish national reputations in art, music, literature, science, and journalism. Images used in this volume come primarily from the archives of the Webster County Historical Society and were chosen to represent the changing character of the community from 1850 to 1970.

Scott County Cemeteries

9780738583150

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After the Blackhawk Purchase of 1832, settlement of eastern Iowa was opened up to white settlers the next year. Antoine LeClaire, who served as the translator at the purchase, received large tracts of land from grateful members of the Sauk tribe. With this land, he and others founded the city of Davenport, named after Col. George Davenport, a successful fur trader. Other towns cropped up throughout Scott County, newly formed in 1837. Over the next several decades, Davenport and these other towns throughout the county grew and gave rise to successful, interesting citizens of their own. Some were inventors like William Bettendorf, who created the Bettendorf Truck. Others were lawyers and mayors, such as Ebenezer Cook and Ernst Claussen. Whatever their profession or the path they took in life, many left their mark on Scott County. They now lay in their final resting spot in the cemeteries of Scott County.

Story City

9780738593968

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In the early 1850s, as settlers began to move into central Iowa, a small pioneer community developed in the tall prairie grass. These first settlers named their community Fairview and began to transform the rich soil along the Skunk River into productive farmland. In the following years, an influx of Scandinavian immigrants arrived in the area, playing a major part in the development of a thriving rural community. After the introduction of a railroad line, the community continued to grow and was renamed Story City after US Supreme Court justice Joseph Story. Today, Story City is a heritage-minded community with a thriving Main Street district, a number of successful businesses, and beautiful historic architecture.

Mills County

9780738577487

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Covering 440 miles, "Queen Mills" stretches from the Point aux Poules and Five Barrel Islands on the Missouri River east through the loess hills to the West Nishnabotna watershed. Once the center of the Glenwood culture, the area later became the hunting grounds for the Otoes and was then included as part of the Potawatomi Indian reserve. The first Mormon refugees from Nauvoo arrived in 1846, and the California Gold Rush then brought new people west. Mills County was organized in 1851 as Mormon control faded and chaos filled the mud streets of what became Glenwood. Speculation ran rampant as farmers from Ohio, Kentucky, England, and Germany spread across the prairies. New towns and businesses appeared alongside the tracks of the railroads, and the Iowa Institution for Feeble-Minded Children grew into a major institution. One-room schoolhouses dotted the countryside as the county emerged as one of the country's major fruit-growing regions with orchards covering the hills around Glenwood.

Creston

9780738583457

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Creston sprang to life on the summit of the high prairie, where railroad officials pitched their camp one night in 1868. Creston was chosen as the division point between the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. The railroad brought its machine shops; roundhouse, and a rip-roaring, brawling construction camp to the new town. By 1869, the area was platted and construction began. Creston became an overnight industrial and transportation center, earning the nickname of "Little Chicago." In 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson implied that the Wild West began in Creston. He reported his first encounter with the open display of handguns in Creston when a passenger, without a ticket, was thrown from a moving train. He later wrote, "They were speaking English all around me, but I knew I was in a foreign land. It was the first indication that I had come among revolvers, and I observed it with some emotion."

Altoona

9781467111683

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Founded in 1868, Altoona was once just a small town on the prairie--at least until the planes, trains, and automobiles came. Trains started crossing this town as planes made their way to the Altoona Airport, and the construction of Interstate 80 on Altoona's north edge brought many tourists. The growing community has become known across the state as the "Entertainment Capital of Iowa." Altoona is home to Adventureland Park, Iowa's largest amusement park, as well as Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, and it hosted the state's first municipal airport, Hanna Air Field. Various innovative individuals called this community home, such as Robert Townsend with his single-pass color printer and George Kurtzweil and his idea to grow the first acre of hybrid seed corn. Altoona's history espouses a unique combination of small-town Iowa traditions and progressive thinkers that make it unforgettable.

Keokuk and the Great Dam

9780738507354

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This remarkable pictorial history tells the story of an engineering marvel: the first dam built across the
Mississippi River (from 1910-1913), and the historic
Midwestern community that fostered the world-famous
hydroelectric project. Keokuk and the Great Dam is the story of a colorful and historic river town with a dream of economic development and cultural progress; a self-taught engineer who took on a challenge that no one else wanted to attempt; and a massive construction effort that pitted men and machines against the awesome power of America's greatest river. Completed shortly before WWI, the Keokuk dam (now known as Lock and Dam No. 19) was the culmination of a long struggle to employ the Mississippi River for hydroelectric power and to improve navigation on the great waterway. In frontier days the Des Moines Rapids, stretching north from Keokuk, prevented loaded steamboats from moving upriver. They also created a business opportunity for local residents. A rapidly growing town by the 1850s, Keokuk went into decline for many years when it failed to secure adequate railroad connections. But the coming of hydroelectric power
fostered a new dream, and local leaders set out to harness the great river. What followed was a dramatic effort that drew international attention, produced the world's second largest dam (at the time), and forever changed both the community and the fabled American waterway.

Plymouth County

9780738560830

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Plymouth County is one of the largest counties in Iowa, claiming 864 square miles. The early pioneers made this observation: "If you stared long enough at the open prairie, it would stare back at you!" The first white settlers arrived in 1856 and began establishing the communities of Westfield and Melbourne that same year. The town of Le Mars was founded in 1869. The town name was derived from the first initials of five women who visited the site with a railroad official. The early pioneers endured hardships and disappointments. They were committed to a way of life, forging ahead to make a better life for themselves, their children, and their grandchildren. Plymouth County portrays an overview of the county's history in early photographs.

Dallas County

9781467126304

$29.99 $22.49 Save 25%

No Iowa county has influenced American history more than Dallas County. It propelled Harry Truman to an unlikely victory in the 1948 presidential campaign, following a fiery speech he delivered to 100,000 farmers on a sweltering September day at the National Plowing Match near Dexter. Just 15 years earlier, a shoot-out near Dexfield Park marked the beginning of the end for infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde and the notorious Barrow Gang. Dallas County, located just west of Des Moines, has produced several major-league baseball players (among them Bob Feller and Hal Manders), a US congressman (David Young), and Nile Kinnick, the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner and University of Iowa football legend whose grandfather George Clarke, of Adel, served as Iowa's governor from 1913 to 1917. Today, Dallas County is one of the fastest-growing counties in America and remains a region of opportunity with a rich heritage of small-town living, farming, coal mining, and the immigrant experience.

West Des Moines and Valley Junction

9780738561882

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In 1867, James Jordan, one of the first European settlers in the area, agreed to donate land and plat a small town in exchange for a railroad spur to serve his cattle operation. Jordan's business prospered as did the railroads and with them the town, which became known as Valley Junction. In 1891, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad decided to relocate its engine shops from East Des Moines to the growing community that was now on the main line. Prosperity turned to bust when the rail yards moved out during the Depression, and the city renamed itself West Des Moines to invite a more stable population. The community bonded together during the war years, and when the interstate came, the city grew outward as a hub of retail commerce and transportation. Now a financial center in its own right, West Des Moines hosts several Fortune 500 headquarters and is a magnet for the best and brightest entrepreneurs in the state. This collection showcases the history and character of the city through the eyes of its citizens.

Cass County

9780738583181

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Ghosts still walk the land watered by the Nishnabotna and shaded by the great groves of walnut, oak, and maple. These are the spirits of men and women whose vision, faith, and daring led them to abandon homes in the East, leaving behind the social and physical amenities of an established community, to risk their lives and lay claim to a harsh and virginal land. The proud and handsome Ioway chief Mahaska, the visionary entrepreneur Franklin H. Whitney, and the wartime friend of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gov. Clyde Herring, are just three of the scores of extraordinary individuals who played a role in Cass County history. Not every effort met with success, as many early settlements now exist only in the ghostly images of fading memory; yet it is out of their vision and sacrifice that a thriving county of 16 proud townships emerged.

Washington

9781467110020

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Washington was founded in 1839 and is the county seat of Washington County. The population grew significantly after the arrival of the first railroad in 1858. Much of its past and present economy is based on agriculture, and the county has some of the richest soil in the world. Through the years, industries have included cigar, pearl-button, and buggy manufacturers, as well as calendar and biofuel producers. Washington has a rich history and many well-preserved historical sites, and it has been listed as "one of the best small towns in America" three times by author Norman Crampton. With approximately 7,200 residents, Washington maintains a historic downtown square and a variety of vintage buildings and homes, many of which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, it was designated a Main Street community.

Waukee

9781467114332

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In 1869, Gen. Lewis Addison Grant and Maj. William Ragan purchased the land around the Des Moines Valley Railroad bed owned by Cyrus W. Fisher in Walnut Township. A plat map was drawn, and Waukee began. The Des Moines Valley Railroad was completed in June 1869, and Waukee was incorporated in 1878. Work, family, and church were the centers of life, and agriculture was predominant in Walnut Township. The Harris Coal Mine opened in 1920 and closed in 1928. The Shuler Coal Mine, opened in 1921, employed 500 men and closed in 1949. Community events are still held at the historic Triangle. Waukee's first school, facilitated in 1870, was held in the Presbyterian church. Today, Waukee is the fastest-growing school district in Iowa. On April 16, 2014, the Waukee City Council unveiled plans for Kettlestone, a 1,500-acre mixed-use development that will include an outdoor town center, housing, retail space, green space, trails, and an amphitheater.

Clinton County

9780738532240

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Before settlers first arrived in the 1800s, Clinton County rested full of promise along the western edge of the Mississippi River. In the years that have passed, it has become an area of great commercial, agricultural, and industrial accomplishments. From the initial settlement of Lyons, DeWitt, and Camanche, where axe and oxen were prevalent on the scene, to the modern communities that are now home to astronauts and artisans, this book illustrates the incredible growth that has occurred over nearly two centuries. Through over 200 historical photographs, the Clinton County Historical Society documents how Clinton County has become a national treasure of culture and character.

East Village, Des Moines

9781467119627

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East Village was not always the fashionable destination it is today. When the first settlers arrived in 1843 on the muddy banks of the Des Moines River, it was in direct violation of a treaty with the local natives. The settlement grew so quickly that by 1855, the fledgling city had been selected to be the state capital, and the building was constructed in East Village. The next century saw rivalries with the western half of the city, the birth and battle of one of the city's largest red-light districts and the construction of some of Des Moines' most prized historic treasures. Historian Hope Mitchell investigates the people and events that shaped the culture and landscape of Des Moines' most dynamic neighborhood.

Clinton, Iowa

9780738523491

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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.

Humboldt County

9780738576497

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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.

Bettendorf

9780738507033

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By any standard, Bettendorf, Iowa, is a fairly young city, having awakened from its sleepy rural beginnings in the nineteenth century to become an industrial center in the first half of the twentieth century and, now, on the precipice of a new millennium, it is a city becoming what is yet unrealized, but not unimagined. With more than two hundred historic photographs, this volume offers up chapters of American history in its stories from the heartland: a packet of seeds that started an agricultural dynasty; a slave who took a stand for freedom and changed the course of the nation; two brothers, one with a mind full of innovative ideas and the other with a knack for business; a community that would not lay down and die in the depths of the Great Depression; and a new generation of civic leaders who took a second look at the great river that had long flowed quietly by and found a renewed strength in the promise of its constancy.

University of Northern Iowa

9780738507224

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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.

Sioux City Railroads

9780738552224

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Toward the end of the 19th century, railroads transformed Sioux City from a western outpost to one of the fastest-growing municipalities in the world. Prior to the arrival of the railroads, Sioux City depended on the Missouri River for transportation. The Missouri, however, was not dependable because of flooding and droughts. As an all-season mode of transportation, the railroads permitted the flourishing of the meatpacking industry in Sioux City. In fact, it was the large number of different railroad companies that made Sioux City a major agricultural center rather than just another county seat or market town. Trains carried cattle and hogs to the plants and then carted away the Sioux City-processed products to the nation and to the world.

Cedar Rapids

9780738519241

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One hundred years ago, Cedar Rapids was nicknamed "The Parlor City" and "Queen City," and was known for its massive grain processing plants. Today, Cedar Rapids is known not only for its agricultural products, but also for its communications industries ranging from radio to avionics manufacturing to telecommunications.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa focuses on the uniquely progressive heritage of the city, since its founding in 1842. The major institutions that made Cedar Rapids what it is today are included here in over 200 historic images from the collection of the History Center. Union Station, featured on the cover, was completed in 1897 and instantly became an impressive and fashionable gateway to the city. Other photographs look at the city's growth during the 1920s and '30s, when such structures as the Federal Building and Post Office, the Paramount Theatre, and the Art Center opened. This book focuses on Cedar Rapids from its early days as a "Parlor City" to its development of a "modern city" skyline in the late 1960s.

Clarinda

9781467111546

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After fighting fiercely to provide for and protect its people and land for over 160 years against enemies and nature, Clarinda stands strong and proud on the west bank of the West Nodaway River in Page County, Iowa. Clarinda has achieved this goal due to the foresight and wits of a handful of early pioneers and the strength and pride carried in the hearts of generations of craftsmen and entrepreneurs. Now, with a population of over 5,000 and a community still strong in character, the town's history is highlighted in Images of America: Clarinda. Some of the photographs featured here may be cracking and fading in places, but this story of Clarinda offers a look back into a community that has a past as bright as its future.

Cover image for Clarinda, isbn: 9781467111546

Cedar Falls, Iowa

9780738545820

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Located in northeast Iowa along the Cedar River, the city of Cedar Falls is known as the "Garden City" of Iowa due to its lovely tree-lined streets and well-kept homes. Of special interest to those familiar with the city will be the many photographs of buildings that have been torn down or greatly altered from their original form. The section entitled "Main Street, the Heart of the City," traces the evolution of this central boulevard of the city from a dusty, dirt street to a lovely Victorian avenue, complete with cast-iron lamp posts, cobblestone streets, and a trolley line. Most of all, people familiar with Cedar Falls today, as well as visitors and former residents, will enjoy seeing the evolution of this Midwestern town from a tiny pioneer settlement to a modern industrial city.

Murder & Mayhem in Scott County, Iowa

9781625859761

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Scott County is one of the oldest counties in Iowa. It is where the Blackhawk Treaty was signed and where the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River was built. But Scott County has also been witness to many shameful deeds. Travel down Utica Ridge Road, where young Grace Reed paid the ultimate price for spurning the affections of a local farmer. Enter the bedroom of Margaretha Nehlsen, who poisoned her children with chocolate candies. Hear the tale of Harry Hamilton, a former policeman turned career criminal who played a key part in perhaps the most infamous bank robbery in Scott County history. Come and explore these stories and more with author John Brassard Jr. as he guides you through the darker side of Scott County history.

Waterloo

9780738583396

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Waterloo started out like many other towns: as a small pioneer village located along the banks of the Cedar River. It must have been a breathtaking sight--a beautiful river lined with red cedar trees, prairie grasses blowing in the breeze, and abundant wildlife. After winning the battle to become the county seat in 1855, Waterloo began to grow into the metropolis it is today. The popular slogan, "Waterloo Way Wins," has proven true over the years, and one can feel a sense of pride while looking at the images in this book.

Muscatine

9780738584386

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Muscatine, situated on one of the largest east-west bends of the Mississippi River, grew from a small territorial trading post into an Iowa community rich in agricultural bounty and manufacturing ingenuity. Mussels harvested from the mighty Mississippi propelled the city to the status of the "Pearl Button Capital of the World" by the turn of the 20th century. Booming lumber yards, sash and door manufacturers, and the first H. J. Heinz canning facility built outside of Pittsburg added to the town's growth and prosperity. An aspiring writer named Samuel Clemens, civil rights pioneer Alexander Clark Sr., the self-proclaimed cancer cure of Norman Baker, and other notables add even more texture to the town's rich heritage. The story of Muscatine is traced through these businesses and the men and women who left a legacy of work ethic that defines the Midwest.

Montgomery County

9780738577197

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Montgomery County was one of the last areas in Iowa to be settled. For many years it was considered to be uninhabitable and of little value-until the men and women with hopes and dreams began to settle, build towns, and till the rich, fertile soil. The Forks, Binn's Grove, Hungry Hollow, Frankfort, Milford, Red Oak Junction, Stanton, Villisca, and many more settlements came into being, budding with promise, but the coming of the railroad determined the survival of them all. Some are still thriving cities, while others are no more than a fading memory that only the winds of the prairie can recall.

Ottumwa

9780738541068

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Long one of Iowa's most important industrial cities, Ottumwa was established on the banks of the Des Moines River in 1843. The river was both a blessing, providing transportation as well as ice for early meatpacking plants, and a curse, inundating the city with periodic floods until it was tamed in the latter half of the 20th century. This collection of vintage photographs highlights the city's industries and laboring people, the river's role in the shaping of the community, and Ottumwa's unique place in history as the location of the Iowa Coal Palace and Industrial Exhibits of 1890 and 1891 and the Ottumwa Naval Air Station during the World War II era.

Cover image for Ottumwa, isbn: 9780738541068

Ringgold County

9780738583747

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Ringgold County was named for Maj. Samuel Ringgold, a hero of the Mexican-American War, who died in battle on May 11, 1846. The first white settler, Charles Schooler, came to what would later be called Ringgold County in 1844. Other settlers followed, and the county was officially established on May 14, 1855. The towns of Caledonia, Ringgold City, and Mount Ayr, the county seat, were all established that same year. Beginning in 1879, the railroads came, and other towns grew up quickly along those lines. Only one railroad town does not survive today: Knowlton, which forfeited its incorporation in the mid-1920s. Road construction and the automobile spelled doom for rural post offices, schools, and general stores, but much of this history was captured in pictures.

Atlantic

9780738584294

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The history of Atlantic is rooted in the story of unrelenting entrepreneur Franklin H. Whitney. His passion inspired a strong and enterprising breed of men who embraced his vision and settled in the lush hills and valleys of Cass County, Iowa, in the decade following the close of the Civil War. The railroad provided the impetus for rapid growth and prosperity, and Whitney's vision of a new city became a reality when his recommendation for a depot site was approved. Within six days, Whitney's agent, Thomas Miller, had built the first house from which Whitney ordered furrows plowed to the railroad grading. Atlantic was thus born. The town grew rapidly, and by 1869 civic and social organizations, churches, newspapers, banks, schools, and businesses were thriving. Atlantic also had its share of shady characters, outlaw gangs, and disasters. The photographs and stories in this book provide a glimpse into the lives of Atlantic's intrepid developers and the city they established in the valley of the Nishnabotna.

Campustown

9781626199903

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

For more than one hundred years, Campustown has served the students and community of Iowa State University. The originally residential neighborhood west of Ames was born in the early 1900s, when the school compelled students to seek residence off campus. However, local government overlooked the neighborhood, and it fell behind the achievements of Big Ames. After the boom of the previous decade, community leaders organized a secession movement in 1916. It took nearly a quarter century, but the neighborhood finally connected to the grid of public utilities. Author Anthony Capps takes readers on a journey from Campustown's roots, through its vibrant years in the 1960s to current projects breathing new life into the district.

Cover image for Campustown, isbn: 9781626199903

Ottumwa

9780738550831

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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

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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.

Grinnell

9781467114196

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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

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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.

Anamosa

9780738598932

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Anamosa is in the heart of Jones County along the Wapsipinicon River. Initially named Buffalo Forks in 1838, the town was platted as Dartmouth and incorporated as Lexington. In 1842, a Native American girl named Anamosa passed through with her family and endeared herself to those who met her. At Edmund Booth's suggestion, the town's name was changed to Anamosa in 1851. Gradually, it incorporated Strawberry Hill, a small settlement to the east. Grant Wood was born just east of Anamosa and is laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery. He is best known for his painting American Gothic; the dour woman and somber man, who is holding a pitchfork, is an iconic image of the 20th century. Anamosa is now a thriving community and was named the "Pumpkin Capital of Iowa" in 1993. It is the only "Anamosa" in the world.

Des Moines

9780738550886

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The city of Des Moines experienced a rebirth at the beginning of the 20th century. The City Beautiful movement focused on cleaning up the city, starting with a new civic center along the Des Moines River. A progressive wave in city politics organized the Des Moines plan of commission government. Modern streetcars traveled along recently paved roads and newly constructed bridges, while electric lights kept the streets safe at night. The city motto said it all: Des Moines Does Things. This postcard collection showcases the best the city had to offer during that time, as the city changed and prospered, becoming the "City of Certainties," through challenges during both world wars, and beyond into the postwar boom, when Des Moines became the crossroads of the nation.

Ames

9781467111638

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Ames began as two communities. At its founding in 1864, Ames Station, on the Chicago & North Western Railway's main line, lay two miles east of Iowa Agricultural College, across the Squaw Creek. When the Ames & College Railway joined the college to the town in 1891, a cooperative spirit emerged that exists to this day. A rich history of achievements and colorful characters marks Ames's 150 years. One founding father commanded the 20th US Colored Infantry in the Civil War, while a Confederate veteran served as commander of the Iowa State College corps of cadets. Physicists at Iowa State College developed the uranium refinement process for the first atomic bomb and established the Ames Laboratory, the smallest US Department of Energy National Laboratory. Companies like Collegiate Manufacturing made material for the soldiers in World War II, and Kingland Systems now stands among global leaders in reference data software. Ames's businesses, citizens, and institutions, past and present, have created a rich community heritage for a vibrant, 21st-century city.

Cover image for Ames, isbn: 9781467111638

Coralville

9781467113441

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Although Coralville is a lot like other small American cities, it is unique as the only community of that name in the United States. Located on the Iowa River, the name refers to the ancient coral reefs that are its geological bedrock. The river has always been a key aspect of Coralville's history, along with its proximity to Iowa City, the first capital of the Territory of Iowa and the home of the University of Iowa. Incorporated as a city in 1873, Coralville had few residents until the 1960s, when dynamic commercial and residential development brought substantial growth to the area. Today, Coralville is a city of industry, commerce, and hospitality. It is not surprising, therefore, that "Coralville Pride" is the city motto.

Carter Lake

9781467118583

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

When a flood redirected the Missouri River in 1877, a small patch of Iowa landed in Nebraska—and a new town was born. Carter Lake incorporated as an independent city in 1930 as Iowa's only community west of the Missouri River. But the town continued to face Nebraska's continued annexation attempts and floods. The Flood of 1952 covered the town in three feet of water. Meanwhile, uncertainty over the state lines led gamblers to flock to Carter Lake for illicit dogfighting, cockfighting, boxing matches and alcohol. Celebrated journalist John Schreier illustrates how the border town once known for its illicit nightlife has evolved into a growing bedroom community beneath the Omaha skyline.

Cover image for Carter Lake, isbn: 9781467118583

Cedar Falls

9781467114073

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In 1952, Cedar Falls, Iowa, celebrated the centennial of its founding with parades, contests, food, and fun. The city had grown from a village with a stump-filled Main Street into a shining example of post–World War II America. The city's diversified economy provided opportunity to thousands through large employers such as the Viking Pump Company, Clay Equipment, and Iowa State Teachers College. Thanks to the foresight of earlier residents, the city had its own hospital and utility company, which allowed for a comforting self-sufficiency. Known over the years as the Garden City of Iowa, the City Beautiful, and the Smiling City, by the middle of the 20th century Cedar Falls had fulfilled the promise foreseen by its earliest founders and looked forward to its next 100 years.

Cover image for Cedar Falls, isbn: 9781467114073

Allen College

9781467124249

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In the early 1920s, Waterloo businessman Henry B. Allen donated $200,000 and 80 acres of land to the Allen Memorial Hospital Association to establish a hospital in memory of Mary, his wife. The hospital opened in 1925 and was operated by the Deaconess Hospital Association of the Evangelical Church. The School of Nursing was founded in 1925, but a lack of resources during the Depression forced the hospital into receivership and the school was closed. Hospital management was assumed by the Lutheran Good Samaritan Society in 1938, and the school reopened in 1942 as the Allen Memorial Hospital Lutheran School of Nursing. In 1989, the school became Allen College of Nursing, a degree-granting institution. Today, as Allen College-UnityPoint Health, it offers an associate degree in radiography; bachelor of science degree in nursing; bachelor of health science degree with majors in diagnostic medical sonography, nuclear medicine technology, medical laboratory science, public health, and dental hygiene; master of science degrees in nursing and occupational therapy; and two doctoral degrees in health professions education and nursing practice. Throughout its 90-year history, Allen College has remained faithful in its mission to prepare health care professionals for their roles in society.

Fremont County

9780738583129

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Situated in the extreme southwest corner of Iowa, with its western border being the Missouri River, Fremont County has been part of two states at different times. It is part of the Loess Hills found only in western Iowa and China. Lewis and Clark took their first steps in what would become the state of Iowa, more specifically Fremont County. Later abolitionists sheltered slaves there who were crossing the river from Nebraska to Kansas on their way to freedom. Mormons settled there. Communities started in the 1830s have used the Missouri River for supplies, then overland pack wagons, and then railroads. The story of Fremont County is a blend of national historical events, the good and bad effects of a mighty river, and the people who created the thriving communities described in this book.

Iowa City

9780738584027

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

After raucous times on the western frontier during the 1840s and 1850s, Iowa City settled into a relatively sleepy existence while its principal industry, the University of Iowa, was finding its way from obscurity into an important Iowa resource. Its once-too-small-to-succeed university hospital has blossomed into a medical and economic powerhouse. Research in widely varied fields, from space science to microbiology, finds fertile grounds and minds. Big Ten football beckons on fall Saturdays.

Grinnell in Vintage Postcards

9780738532271

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

From an abolitionist hotbed to the home of a prestigious liberal arts college, Grinnell, Iowa, is known across the country as a "jewel of the prairie." Originally conceived as a Congregationalist utopia, Grinnell developed a reputation as a highly-educated community with a wealth of incredible architecture. It was also a turn-of-the-century industrial hub, despite a population of less than 5,000, where buggies, early automobiles, and gloves were made.

The historic postcards in this book recall a community on the verge of transition, from a small agriculture-based town on the prairie to a thriving center of commerce and higher education. They provide a remarkable glimpse of the buildings that make up what is now a "Historic Commercial District" on the National Register of Historic Places. Still others are visual reminders of great buildings-both in the community and on the Grinnell College campus-that now exist only in memory.

Calhoun County

9781467114486

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

View the history of small-town, rural Iowa through the eyes of those who lived it. Images of America: Calhoun County showcases this unique heritage through remarkable glimpses into the past and intriguing stories that bring these images to life. Discover the region's pioneer heritage, the birth of the railroad and prairie towns, and the growth of some of most productive farms in the world. Calhoun County claims two nationally acclaimed authors as native sons, welcomed Babe Ruth in 1940 (but not on the baseball field), and was the target of a bank robbery by Bonnie and Clyde in the 1930s. Calhoun County offers a well-researched pictorial journey designed for native Iowans, transplanted Iowans, and those curious about the evolution of small towns and farms in the Midwest.

East Village

9780738577425

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

A little neighborhood in the shadow of the state capitol, East Village in downtown Des Moines used the statehouse dome as a backdrop to establish itself in what was low, mostly unusable land along the Des Moines River. Just after the dawn of the 20th century, the neighborhood burgeoned with blue-collar industry and corner stores, while boasting the convenient use of railroads for industrial development and travel. It seemed to be in competition with the west side, where the insurance industry and wealthy neighborhoods blossomed on high ground. By midcentury, though, East Village suffered as a mobile population chose suburban shopping malls over traditional mom-and-pops. By 1990, buildings were in disrepair, and crime was increasing. A group of dedicated individuals came together and, with assistance and cooperation from the city, brought East Village back into focus, with a clear urban identity that sparked a renewed sense of pride.

Clermont, Fayette County, Iowa

9780738501482

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Located on the east and west banks of the Turkey River, Clermont has historically attracted settlers for both its idyllic setting and its proximity to water. Clermont's story is revealed here in over 200 vintage photographs that trace the town's progress from the early days through the late 1920s. Drawn by inexpensive and fertile land, immigrants from Germany, Ireland, and Norway came to Clermont because of the new possibilities and opportunities afforded to those living by the river. The building of the brick mill, the cooper mill, and the introduction of the railroad were all major events that resulted in Clermont's development as a trading center. With informative captions narrating your visual tour, this collection provides an intimate look at the town.

Davenport

9780738551579

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Native Americans inhabited the gentle sloping bluffs along the Mississippi River on which Davenport now sits. The peoples who lived on the fertile soil of eastern Iowa were forced into selling their land for pennies to white settlers. From the original survey of the town in 1836 throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, progress was steady as steamboats navigated the dangerous rapids of the Mississippi River, and settlers came to battle extreme Midwest winters and plow the unbroken prairie. In 1856, the first bridge to span the river was completed here, heralding the locomotive from the east and becoming of major importance to the movement west. German and other immigrant families came in droves and with them the development of major national industrial centers for agriculture and its implements, lumber and building material, alcohol and tobacco, and numerous other products. Davenport has been a town of unusual and fascinating history.

Perry

9780738561660

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Perry came to life in 1869, when town founder Harvey Willis convinced a railroad surveyor to run the train through the town. The "magic" town then boomed almost overnight, as schools, churches, and businesses sprang up. Although the last train left Perry in 1980, the town has proved resilient through the changes of the last 150 years. Fueling Perry's vibrant history are the many people who came to town seeking opportunity. From the arrival of early European settlers to the development of a Latino community in more recent years, Perry continues to be a place for people to set down roots and find a home. Because many threads of Perry's history reflect events happening in the wider world, this community is a lens through which to understand not just the history of small-town America but the lessons it holds for the future.