Author Archives: Jeff

Mar 22

A Fennelly year ending in 9

Posted on Friday, March 22, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Bill Fennelly has never been Big 12 Coach of the Year. It’s almost always given to the coach of the first-place team. The one time Iowa State was top seed in the conference tournament (2000), the award went to Oklahoma’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on A Fennelly year ending in 9
Mar 21

Marking the Marathon to Marathon

Posted on Thursday, March 21, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 23, 2009: Welcome sign for Marathon at the south end of former IA 390. Nearly a decade later, the paint on the church sign had noticeably faded. It’s 16 years to the day since I set foot in Marathon in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Marking the Marathon to Marathon
Mar 20

When Clear Creek was rural

Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

(An unintended companion piece to yesterday’s blog post.) During the 1980s, the Clear Creek school district was in dire straits. They couldn’t get money for nothin’. In 1989, Clear Creek cancelled its football season a week before it began, leaving … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on When Clear Creek was rural
Mar 19

Clay Central-Everly losing high school, junior high

Posted on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, at 10:10 AM by Jeff

October 3, 2016: The welcome sign for Royal, pop. 446, former end of IA 240 and soon-to-be-former football field for Clay Central-Everly. For the tenth time this decade, an Iowa district is closing its high school without getting any students in … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Clay Central-Everly losing high school, junior high
Mar 18

Viking Road SPUI construction restarting

Posted on Monday, March 18, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

According from a press release from the DOT, this week is when construction will resume on IA 58 at Viking Road. The two-year project to run the highway under grade and form a single-point urban interchange is expected to end … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on Viking Road SPUI construction restarting
Mar 15

The road to Backbone State Park

Posted on Friday, March 15, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 29, 2017: The Iowa Civilian Conservation Corps Museum in Backbone State Park shows off the contributions the New Deal program made to Iowa’s state parks and natural resources. Backbone, Iowa’s first state park, celebrates its centennial next year. At … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on The road to Backbone State Park
Mar 14

The west end of US 18 that officially wasn’t

Posted on Thursday, March 14, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

September 17, 2007: Westbound US 18 at US 75 in Sioux County. There are some ag-related businesses here, half a mile east of the unincorporated village of Perkins (which consists of a few houses and a salvage yard). I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous, Maps | Comments Off on The west end of US 18 that officially wasn’t
Mar 13

Significant part of country already ‘ahead of time’

Posted on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 15, 2013: The westernmost highway entry into the Eastern Time Zone, MI 28 in the Upper Peninsula, is farther west than a lot of Illinois. Longitudinally, it’s roughly on par with Sterling, less than 30 miles from Clinton. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography, Maps | Comments Off on Significant part of country already ‘ahead of time’
Mar 12

Hancock photos sprinkled across pages

Posted on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I raided Jason Hancock’s Flickr galleries (with his permission) to see if there were any gems that could augment these pages. They were taken at various points in the past decade, but they’re new here. At least one new photo, … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Hancock photos sprinkled across pages
Mar 11

License Plate Letters — HUG

Posted on Monday, March 11, 2019, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 7, 2008: The US 52 bridge in Point Pleasant, Ohio, is the Grant Memorial Bridge, named for its most famous son. US 52 hugs the north bank of the Ohio River from Cincinnati to Huntington. Grant also lived in … Continue reading →

Posted in License Plates | Comments Off on License Plate Letters — HUG