Category Archives: Iowa Miscellaneous

Jun 11

Beautiful land. All 8,883 miles of it.

Posted on Thursday, June 11, 2015, at 10:04 AM by Jeff

June 8, 2015, 6:49 PM: The end of a journey years in the making. Between March 20, 2003, and June 8, 2015, I traveled every mile of every current state, US, and interstate highway in Iowa at least once. (Some … Continue reading →

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Jun 05

Kyle Munson’s Iowa history road trip

Posted on Friday, June 5, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

October 16, 2012: Birthplace Cottage at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch. Like most famous Iowans, Hoover left the state before anyone recognized him. In last Sunday’s Des Moines Register, Kyle Munson picked 18 landmarks across Iowa to … Continue reading →

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Jun 04

New map ‘officially’ released; Dows welcome center is kaput

Posted on Thursday, June 4, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

September 23, 2002: Iowa Welcome Center signage on I-35 for the Dows exit (former IA 72). Jason Hancock recently saw the signs for the Welcome Center in Dows had been removed from I-35. Turns out the end of the welcome … Continue reading →

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May 26

Carnforth Inn Supper Club shutting its doors

Posted on Tuesday, May 26, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

June 21, 2013: The Carnforth Inn Supper Club. The Carnforth Inn Supper Club, an eating establishment west of Victor, will close on June 28. Carnforth, on old US 6 east of IA 21, is a map dot so extinct it’s not … Continue reading →

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May 25

We Stick Together

Posted on Monday, May 25, 2015, at 3:49 PM by Jeff

After the very short Memorial Day service at the Traer Memorial Building, I felt a little more was needed. Here is a tribute to the Sullivan Brothers of Waterloo.

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May 16

TEDx Okoboji

Posted on Saturday, May 16, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

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

Posted on Wednesday, May 6, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

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

Posted on Saturday, May 2, 2015, at 10:23 AM by Jeff

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

Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

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

Posted on Monday, April 20, 2015, at 10:16 AM by Jeff

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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