Author Archives: Jeff

May 22

Part of original Fort Madison found

Posted on Friday, May 22, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

December 18, 2006: Based on archaeological evidence found in 2020, this photo’s position is practically on top of a War of 1812-era fort. IA 2’s east end was moved west after the opening of the US 61 bypass. About a … Continue reading →

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May 21

Reinbeck cancels Independence Day weekend

Posted on Thursday, May 21, 2020, at 12:10 PM by Jeff

Announced Tuesday. šŸ™ It is with heavy heart that the Citizens of Reinbeck 4th of July Committee and Reinbeck City Council have jointly decided not to have this years July 4th festivities. UPDATE: Dysart cancelled last week.

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May 20

Lincoln Highway program honored

Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

October 23, 2019: An interpretive panel about Henry Ostermann, a Lincoln Highway Association official who died in a car accident east of Montour, was placed in Tama County in 2019. A press release from Prairie Rivers of Iowa (linked here … Continue reading →

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May 19

Centerville, Knoxville, Pella losing their newspapers

Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Centerville Daily Iowegian, Pella Chronicle, and Knoxville News-Sentinel, all of which have been around for about a century and a half,Ā have become victims of the coronavirus. The first, which stopped publishing a Monday paper 14 months ago and stopped … Continue reading →

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May 18

Traer Star-Clipper, 1883-2020

Posted on Monday, May 18, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

December 25, 2018: The former (and most famous) home of the Traer Star-Clipper, downtown Traer. ā€œIt is with extreme modesty that we take upon us the duty of editor, for we feel that its paths are not always paths of … Continue reading →

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May 15

Mallard school gone

Posted on Friday, May 15, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

As covered here, here, and here, the school building in Mallard was a victim of declining enrollment in the West Bend-Mallard school district in northwest Iowa. The Emmetsburg News website has an eight-paragraph story about the school, ending with the … Continue reading →

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May 13

Cronk’s Cafe closing in Denison

Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The pandemic has claimed Cronk’s Cafe. The Denison restaurant started in 1929, the WHO-TV story says. That would mean it opened right when US 30 was paved in Crawford County. The cafe is located where the north-south route intersected 30 … Continue reading →

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May 11

Traer Star-Clipper needs an editor

Posted on Monday, May 11, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Through a photo with aĀ Gazette article about two Vinton-Shellsburg seniors who are Certified Nursing Assistants currently in New Jersey, I found out something completely unrelated: No one’s writing for the Traer Star-Clipper right now. Two years and two months ago, … Continue reading →

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May 08

King Tower sign being restored

Posted on Friday, May 8, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

November 27, 2002: The King Tower Cafe on the east edge of Tama. The Indian head sign/icon/logo outside the King Tower Cafe is being restored. The Tama-Toledo News website reports that Berleen Wobeter is finishing her work this month. You … Continue reading →

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May 07

IA 144 to be three-laned in Perry

Posted on Thursday, May 7, 2020, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

December 12, 2005: South end of IA 144 on the south side of Perry. According to a story this week from the Perry Chief, Perry is spending $1 million to resurface 60 blocks in town. The last sentence adds another … Continue reading →

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