Category Archives: Tama County

Oct 13

Here fishy fishy fishy (2)

Posted on Friday, October 13, 2023, at 10:27 AM by Jeff

Just like at Otter Creek Lake in 2021, the Iowa DNR is relaxing fishing regulations at a lake in Tama County. Limits have been removed at Casey Lake in Hickory Hills Park in the far northeast corner of the county, … Continue reading →

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Sep 08

Montour celebrates 150th year of being Montour

Posted on Friday, September 8, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 23, 2008: RAGBRAI riders stop outside Montour’s most famous institution, Rube’s Steakhouse. Rube’s turns 50 this year. RAGBRAI bounced off the corner of Montour in 2023 despite the locals’ best efforts to get riders to divert. The southern Tama … Continue reading →

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Aug 24

We triple-did-it

Posted on Thursday, August 24, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The 99 I experienced in Albuquerque in 2019 was a dry heat. This is not a dry heat. Glory to corn sweat. Cedar Rapids’ last 100-degree day was a decade ago next week (August 30, 2013).

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Aug 23

Tama bridge’s future remains unclear

Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, at 1:00 PM by Jeff

For the second week in a row, I went to a Tama City Council meeting. Once again, the Lincoln Highway bridge was the subject. My Substack is ideally about Iowa history and highways, and right now, this is the story … Continue reading →

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Aug 16

Lincoln Highway bridge can’t be rehabilitated

Posted on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

See my story about Monday’s Tama City Council meeting on Substack.

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Aug 11

Winding Stairs Festival marks Traer’s sesquicentennial

Posted on Friday, August 11, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 9, 2023: Happy birthday! We’re celebrating Traer’s 150th birthday this weekend, although many of the activities were back in June. The schedule is on the WSF committee’s Facebook page. My parents are grand marshals for tomorrow’s parade, which starts … Continue reading →

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Aug 09

At long last, a correction in Traer’s highway history

Posted on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

For years I have tried to reconcile early 20th century maps of the area just east of Traer with the present alignment of IA 8. I knew that at least part of the diagonal heading east from Second Street did … Continue reading →

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Aug 07

‘Tidings from Traer’

Posted on Monday, August 7, 2023, at 3:00 PM by Jeff

August 9, 2008: The north side of Traer’s business block was constructed after a fire in 1894 burned the whole thing down. Toledo Chronicle, August 7, 1873: The town of Traer, the present terminus of the Pacific branch of the … Continue reading →

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Jul 25

Tama-Toledo RAGBRAI maps available

Posted on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 23, 2008: Riders enter Tama on RAGBRAI XXXVI. Tama-Toledo is again a host community this year. RAGBRAI will be going from Des Moines to Tama-Toledo on Thursday, and highs are expected to be in the upper 90s. By the … Continue reading →

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Jul 24

Sandblasting, new paint for Winding Stairs

Posted on Monday, July 24, 2023, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 9, 2023: Crop of a picture of the Winding Stairs, before cleaning. On July 16, Traer’s iconic Winding Stairs had a refreshment. It wasn’t a drink, but a full-on sandblast followed by a new coat of paint. The North … Continue reading →

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