Category Archives: Iowa Miscellaneous

May 16

TEDx Okoboji

The Thought Leader of Businesstown pays a visit. (You may need to see the whole set of posts to get the context, and you should. Listen to Weird Al’s “Mission Statement” at the same time to maximize synergy.)

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May 06

Iconic Stanton water tower taken down

September 17, 2014: This water tower in Stanton has looked like a coffee pot for 45 years. The water tower in Stanton painted and tweaked to look like a coffee pot has been taken down, reports the Omaha World-Herald. It … Continue reading

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May 02

Marshalltown makes the Onion

Iowa Restaurant Patron Can Remember Every Breakfast Ruined By Presidential Candidates America’s Finest News Source made a slight misstep with the Nixon reference, as Iowa’s “first in the nation” caucuses didn’t become A Thing until 1976.

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Apr 22

Luther taking steps toward disincorporation

Months after the old school in Luther was lost to history, the same may be about to happen to the town itself. The state City Development Board held a hearing regarding Luther’s status earlier this month (PDF). Luther was in … Continue reading

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Apr 20

On legacies, and not being the only one out to visit every Iowa town

Or: Can someone’s thunder be stolen if it isn’t raining yet? June 5, 2014: Not the only buildings in Struble, but close. Struble, pop. 78, is near the Plymouth/Sioux county line in northwestern Iowa. I’ve been chugging along in my … Continue reading

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Apr 18

Nothing happening in Ames today

Nothing at all.

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Mar 31

Two additions to the “unvisited” list

Hey, that’s not how this is supposed to work! Since my New Year’s resolution to visit all of Iowa’s incorporated places (eventually), I have had to refine my list slightly. First, Klemme is obviously not on US 69, and I … Continue reading

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Mar 30

Waukee rest areas close Wednesday

September 28, 2012: The eastbound I-80 rest area near mile marker 119, as seen from the Alice’s Road bridge. The nearly unused six-lane bridge has loomed beside them for years now, and the end is finally here: The rest areas … Continue reading

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Mar 26

Reuters photo essay showcases rural Iowa, undersells Preston station

Reuters photographer Jim Young has compiled a photo essay of the Iowa countryside in conjunction with the beginning of caucus season. A slideshow with large pictures has a home on Reuters’ site, but the photo collection on Yahoo (also, sadly, a … Continue reading

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Mar 24

State newspaper archives still piling up

This long story from IowaWatch and shorter one from the Gazette are disheartening for me as a researcher. Newspapers from across the state have not been microfilmed since 2009 and continued to be stored. The Legislature was going to devote … Continue reading

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