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Iowa History
State Historical Society of Iowa. Preserving and providing access to Iowa History.
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A Walk through Iowa’s Environmental History
A Walk through Iowa’s Environmental History
To truly know someone, one must walk a mile in their shoes. For Kevin Mason, a hands-on historian, walking 371 miles of the Dragoon Trail…
Iowa Culture
May 31, 2023
Uncovering Untold Narratives with the Sioux City Railroad Museum
Uncovering Untold Narratives with the Sioux City Railroad Museum
The value of an object is often set by price, disregarding the personal narrative objects hold.
Iowa Culture
May 18, 2023
‘Jewel’ of the Preserve Iowa Summit
‘Jewel’ of the Preserve Iowa Summit
Architecture has often been seen as the embodiment of the nation, culture and landscape. The Woodbury County Courthouse is no exception.
Iowa Culture
May 10, 2023
With National History Day, Students Connect With the Real World
With National History Day, Students Connect With the Real World
Seventy middle and high school students from across Iowa are competing in the National History Day contest online this week, June 12–16…
Iowa Culture
Jun 15, 2022
Iowa Celebrates Juneteenth
Iowa Celebrates Juneteenth
Communities across Iowa are gearing up this month for Juneteenth, the celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States…
Iowa Culture
Jun 15, 2022
When Iowa was America’s Breadbasket
When Iowa was America’s Breadbasket
When the Yetter elevator in northwest Iowa ruptured a few weeks ago, it was no shock that thousands of pounds of corn spilled across the…
Iowa Culture
Mar 26, 2022
History With Humanity: American Indian Burials in Iowa
History With Humanity: American Indian Burials in Iowa
“When a man dies he should be buried and left in peace.”
Iowa Culture
Mar 26, 2022
After a Steamboat Scuffle, Ripple Effects for Civil Rights
After a Steamboat Scuffle, Ripple Effects for Civil Rights
On Sept. 4, 1872, a young schoolteacher named Emma Coger boarded the steamboat S. S. Merrill in Keokuk. She asked to purchase stateroom…
Iowa Culture
Mar 4, 2022
Mason City’s Music Woman
Mason City’s Music Woman
In what would be a harbinger of future success, the Mason City Globe-Gazette of Feb. 17, 1914, reported that a crowd packed the Cecil…
Iowa Culture
Mar 4, 2022
March is Iowa History Month
March is Iowa History Month
If you really want to understand Iowa, you’d better explore it from the ground up. You have to get up close and personal.
Iowa Culture
Mar 2, 2022
Readers Wanted: Iowa History Book Club
Readers Wanted: Iowa History Book Club
The Iowa History Book Club has opened a new chapter in the study of Iowa history. Since its formation last year by the State Historical…
Iowa Culture
Mar 2, 2022
Spotlight: State Historic Preservation Office in Iowa
Spotlight: State Historic Preservation Office in Iowa
Fifty years ago, on Jan. 21, 1972, then U.S. Rep. John Culver led a group of Iowans in a discussion about the low number of historic…
Iowa Culture
Feb 17, 2022
At 75, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Offers Real-Life History Lessons
At 75, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Offers Real-Life History Lessons
Frank Capra may have loved small-town America, but George Bailey definitely did not.
Iowa Culture
Nov 30, 2021
Iowa Museums and Archives Showcase Collections Online
Iowa Museums and Archives Showcase Collections Online
More than 200 million pieces of Iowa history are now more accessible than ever before.
Iowa Culture
Oct 18, 2021
Preserving the First Draft of History
Preserving the First Draft of History
Ever since John King started publishing the Dubuque Visitor in 1836, Iowa newspapers have been writing the first draft of the state’s…
Iowa Culture
Aug 31, 2021
Historic preservation should include Black history, too
Historic preservation should include Black history, too
With one eye on the past and the other on “The Trail Ahead,” the upcoming 2021 Preserve Iowa Summit (June 3–5) will look two ways at once…
Iowa Culture
May 25, 2021
Preserve Iowa Summit to Spotlight Council Bluffs
Preserve Iowa Summit to Spotlight Council Bluffs
One of Google’s biggest data centers is in Council Bluffs because Abraham Lincoln made a surprise visit to the city one afternoon in August…
Iowa Culture
May 10, 2021
Virtual Exhibit Resources Use New Tools to Explore the Past
Virtual Exhibit Resources Use New Tools to Explore the Past
During the past year, the State Historical Museum of Iowa has collaborated with Iowa students and teachers to overcome the challenges of…
Iowa Culture
Apr 12, 2021
The Middle Years of the Civil War
The Middle Years of the Civil War
Historian Kenneth Lyftogt is writing a trilogy about Iowa and the Civil War. The first volume, published in 2018, received a Shambaugh…
Iowa Culture
Mar 31, 2021
A Closer Look at Grant Wood
A Closer Look at Grant Wood
Iowans are familiar with Grant Wood, or at least, they’re familiar with his art. “American Gothic” and “Arbor Day,” which was used as a…
Iowa Culture
Mar 31, 2021
A History of the Rock Island Line
A History of the Rock Island Line
The clack of the wheels, the roar of the engine, and the wail of the whistle are sounds that are imbedded in our culture. Even though most…
Iowa Culture
Mar 31, 2021
Cook’s Point and Holy City — two barrios, or neighborhoods, that once thrived alongside the…
Cook’s Point and Holy City — two barrios, or neighborhoods, that once thrived alongside the…
Contrary to popular thought, Mexican migrants arrived in Iowa long before the 21st century waves. Many individuals and families traveled…
Iowa Culture
Mar 19, 2021
Iowa: History Happens Here
Iowa: History Happens Here
Someone once told me they really didn’t understand why I cared about Iowa history when, “nothing really happened here.”
Iowa Culture
Mar 17, 2021
The Meskwaki Remain
The Meskwaki Remain
The Meskwaki are a persistent people.
Iowa Culture
Mar 17, 2021
When Southeast Asians Came to Iowa
When Southeast Asians Came to Iowa
In 1975, Southeast Asians who allied with America against communism faced torture, starvation and murder. The Tai Dam, an ethnic minority…
Iowa Culture
Mar 4, 2021
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