Author Archives: Jeff

Apr 14

Titanic centennial

The last 1912 photo of the Titanic, taken by Father Frank Browne My first encounters with the story of the Titanic were in Robert Ballard’s book Exploring the Titanic in fifth grade and the December 1985 and December 1986 issues … Continue reading

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Apr 14

Photos by the numbers: 164

April 9, 2004: Once US 30 was expanded to four lanes around Colo, an exit tab was added to this sign. The interchange was constructed along with the realigned 30 in the 1960s but tapered back to two on either … Continue reading

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Apr 13

Photos by the numbers: 163

May 31, 2005: Business 163 passes a stub of old IA 163 to meet the west end of the Pella bypass.

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Apr 12

Photos by the numbers: 162

September 13, 2011: Mile markers on wooden posts are rare in Iowa, but here’s one, in Appanoose County, at what was an end of IA 142. Just to the south is a short segment of old IA 2, which separated … Continue reading

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Apr 11

Photos by the numbers: 161

December 28, 2001: AR 161 at I-40 just east of I-30. It is one of the pre-freeway segments of US 67 in central Arkansas.

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Apr 10

945* (Update: Still 946)

Clip from the first state highway map (1919) When the Iowa highway system was created in 1920, Mount Sterling was important enough that it (or the Missouri border just south) was the south end of IA 11. That only lasted … Continue reading

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Apr 10

Photos by the numbers: 160

July 23, 2008: West end of IA 160 in Ankeny. The entire route has been inside Ankeny’s city limits nearly since creation. It was originally a connector between IA 60 and US 69, but has moved off that original piece.

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Apr 09

A Civil War clarification

In commemoration of the 105th anniversary of the Battle of Shiloh (April 6-7, 1862), in which many Iowa soldiers died, historian Timothy Walch corrects a statement that many people, including myself, had believed to be true. It’s reprinted here for … Continue reading

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Apr 09

Photos by the numbers: 159

April 9, 2004: Old MM 159 for old US 6 east of Colfax. A few miles ahead, past these curves, is Exit 159 for I-80.

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Apr 08

Photos by the numbers: 158

January 26, 2012: I-35 at the north end of I-37 in downtown San Antonio. This picture is one tiny piece of this complex interchange. At this point, we’re not even a third of the way up I-35 in Texas. I-37, … Continue reading

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