Name: Frank Lloyd Wright and Mason City
Brand: Roy R. Behrens
SKU: 9781467118606
Price: 16.49 USD
Availability: InStock

Frank Lloyd Wright and Mason City

9781467118606

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In the early 1900s, Frank Lloyd Wright transformed a small midwestern prairie community into one of the world's most important architectural destinations. Mason City, Iowa, became home to his City National Bank and Park Inn--the last surviving Wright hotel. In addition, his prototype Stockman House helped launch the Prairie School architectural style. Soon after, architect Walter Burley Griffin followed in Wright's footsteps, designing a cluster of Prairie School homes in the Rock Crest/Rock Glen neighborhood. Design historian Roy Behrens leads the way through Mason City's historic development from the Industrial Revolution to the modern era of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Irish Iowa

9781467139700

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Iowa offered freedom and prosperity to the Irish fleeing famine and poverty. They became the second-largest immigrant group to come to the state, and they acquired influence well beyond their numbers. The first hospitals, schools and asylums in the area were established by Irish nuns. Irish laborers laid the tracks and ran the trains that transported crops to market. Kate Shelley became a national heroine when she saved a passenger train from plunging off a bridge. The Sullivan family became the symbol of sacrifice when they lost their five sons in World War II. Author Timothy Walch details these stories and more on the history and influence of the Irish in the Heartland.

The Lincoln Highway in Iowa

9781467149808

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Iowa's Great Highway

Before there was Route 66, there was the iconic Lincoln Highway. A symbol of limitless potential, America’s first coast-to-coast highway spanned Iowa from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River. When you travel U.S. 30 across Iowa today, you’re never far from the historic Lincoln Highway, if not right on top of it. Learn the history of an Iowa landmark.

Steam Railroads of Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota

9781467102889

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Steam railroading became an integral part of the communities in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota in the late 1800s. The railroad provided hundreds of jobs and the ability to transport both goods and passengers across the Midwest. The Chicago & North Western Railway, the Chicago Great Western Railroad, the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway, the Chicago, Rock Island, & Pacific Railroad, and the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (called the Milwaukee Road by employees) served five principal gateways, which included Chicago, Illinois; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota; Omaha, Nebraska; and Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri. Operating steam engines required tremendous manpower, and by the 1920s, some steam passenger trains were replaced by more efficient motor cars, fueled by oil-powered engines. Steam engines could no longer compete with the reduced operating costs, smaller crew requirements, and time savings provided by diesel, which ultimately led to the fall of steam in 1955.

Cover image for Steam Railroads of Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota, isbn: 9781467102889

Iowa Agriculture

9781467142496

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The Tall Corn State's agricultural history influences countless aspects of modern life. To truly understand Iowa, you have to understand the culture of agriculture--the stories of the people of the land. In many ways, these are untold stories, especially as more generations of families are further removed from living or working on Iowa farms. Visitors from around the globe travel to Iowa annually for major events like the Farm Progress Show, the World Pork Expo and the World Food Prize. Agriculture has shaped Iowa's landscape from the location of towns and the evolution of the world-famous Iowa State Fair to Iowa's beloved culinary traditions like breaded pork tenderloins, sweet corn and more. Join fifth-generation Iowa farmer Darcy Dougherty Maulsby as she details the fascinating history of agriculture in Iowa.

The Mississippi River

9780738507453

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Named by Algonkian-speaking Indians, Mississippi can be translated as "Father of Waters." The river, the largest in North America, drains 31 states and 2 Canadian provinces, and runs 2,350 miles from its source to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River is truly one of the great forces that has shaped the United States into the country it is today.

Although its role has changed over the past few centuries, the Mississippi has always been important to those who lived along its banks. Indigenous peoples fished its waters and depended on the waterway for transportation. Explorers and traders traveled the river in hopes of conquering more land and obtaining wealth for their countries. Settlers moved close to take advantage of the rich farmland the river provided. All of these pursuits resulted in a trade industry that brought about a social and economic transformation, when news and goods made their way downriver and livelihoods were provided. In fact, the Mississippi River's economic and strategic value was so important that when Ulysses S. Grant won the siege of Vicksburg and control of the river during the Civil War, the Confederacy was dealt a serious blow. Today, although still used to transport goods, the river has taken on yet another identity: that of entertainer. Literature, pleasure boats, and floating casinos all showcase a new dimension of this magnificent river.

Lost Buxton

9781467124386

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Buxton, Iowa, was an unincorporated coal mining town, established by Consolidation Coal Company in 1900. At a time when Jim Crow laws and segregation kept blacks and whites separated throughout the nation, Buxton was integrated. African American and Caucasian residents lived, worked, and went to school side by side. The company provided miners with equal housing and equal pay, regardless of race, and offered opportunities for African Americans beyond mining. Professional African Americans included a bank cashier, the justice of the peace, constables, doctors, attorneys, store clerks, and teachers. Businesses, such as a meat market, a drugstore, a bakery, a music store, hotels, millinery shops, a saloon, and restaurants, were owned by African Americans. For 10 years, African Americans made up more than half of the population. Unfortunately, in the early 1920s, the mines closed, and today, only a cemetery, a few foundations, and some crumbling ruins remain.

Iowa's WHO Radio

9780738576305

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When a Des Moines insurance company started a radio station in 1924, no one imagined it would bring news from a world war home to families desperate for information, carry the exploits of University of Iowa athletics to fans nationwide, draw the ire of a Cuban dictator, and be home to a future president. From the earliest days of "This is W-H-O. Who? Bankers Life, Des Moines" to today's "50,000-watt, clear channel voice of the middle west," one of the most powerful radio stations in America has been part of Iowa life for nearly 90 years. With a signal that reaches "from coast to coast, border to border, and then some," trusted voices such as Jack Shelley, Herb Plambeck, Jim Zabel, Lee Kline, and Duane Ellett have graced the WHO radio airwaves, while Van & Bonnie, Jan Mickelson, Bob Quinn, and others carry on the tradition today. From the Barn Dance Frolic and Phone Forum to Sportsman's Notebook and The Big Show, WHO has consistently reflected the values of Iowans.

Cedar Rapids:

9780738539652

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The City of Five Seasons, formerly known as the Parlor City, is shown in this book as it developed from a small but thriving community into the metropolis that it is today. The railroads, roads, and waterways leading into and out of Cedar Rapids allowed the city to grow and prosper. The pioneers and early leaders, with great vision and foresight, planned and developed the area, including its wide downtown streets that allowed for easy access into the city. Photographs taken in the past are compared with photographs taken today from the same location, allowing us to see what and where changes have been made.

Cedar Rapids

9780738531977

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Once called the Parlor City and now called the City of Five Seasons, Cedar Rapids has expanded and flourished since hundreds of passenger and freight trains first rolled through town in the early 1900s. With thoughtful and sensible planning, including the development of wide streets which allowed the city to grow, business pioneers became successful. Cedar Rapids became a regional hub that featured railroads, highways, and waterways. This book documents Cedar Rapids' growth by pairing old and new photographs to provide a striking comparative perspective. Cedar Rapids: Then & Now reveals how the city advanced from a humble settlement into a thriving metropolitan community.

Des Moines

9780738540733

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Founded at the fork of two wilderness rivers, Fort Des Moines (which narrowly escaped being named Fort Raccoon) was a temporary garrison of dragoons to keep the peace between Native Americans and settlers until the area could be organized into a territory. After the soldiers left in 1845, pioneers and squatters moved into the abandoned cabins of the stockade, and the city of Des Moines was born. Its central location between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers made it a natural center of provisioning and commerce for travelers heading west, and the city grew large enough to become Iowa's state capital in 1857. With the city consistently ranked in the top ten best places to live and work, the residents of Des Moines enjoy a quality of life that is the envy of most. This collection of images provides a look back to the historical roots that made the city what it is today.

Classic Restaurants of Des Moines and Their Recipes

9781467145459

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With Italian steakhouses, the Younkers Tea Room and Stella's Blue Sky Diner, Des Moines's culinary history is tantalizingly diverse. It is filled with colorful characters like bootlegger/"millionaire bus boy" Babe Bisignano, a buxom bar owner named Ruthie and future president of the United States Ronald Reagan. The savory details reveal deeper stories of race relations, women's rights, Iowa caucus politics, the arts, immigration and assimilation. Don't be surprised if you experience sudden cravings for Steak de Burgo, fried pork tenderloin sandwiches and chocolate ambrosia pie, à la Bishop's Buffet. Author Darcy Dougherty Maulsby serves up a feast of Des Moines classics mixed with Iowa history, complete with iconic recipes.

Classic Restaurants of Des Moines and Their Recipes

Pella

9781467108249

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The Dutch settlement at Pella, Iowa, had its start in 1847 when Rev. Hendrik Scholte moved his flock to America from the Netherlands. To this day, Pella retains a good part of its Dutch heritage, which includes a Tulip Festival held each May and a working windmill, the tallest in the United States. It also contains the childhood home of Wyatt Earp, which is on display with other historic buildings at the Pella Historic Village. As Pella moved into the 20th century, several manufacturing companies decided to locate there. Pella is also home to Central College, founded in 1853 and today known for its strong STEM programs and sustainability education. The Pella Historical Trust is very active preserving Pella’s rich architectural heritage, including the Pella Opera House, which was built in 1900 and renovated in 1990.

Iowa State Hockey and Al Murdoch

9781467153928

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The Making of Iowa State Hockey During five decades, Alan Murdoch played for, coached and managed the Iowa State Cyclone hockey team, making a life's work out of his personal resourcefulness and initiative. Iowa State grew into a premier program in non-scholarship hockey, and as the network of similar teams became increasingly formalized under the auspices of the American Collegiate Hockey Association - an organization to which Murdoch was an essential contributor - the Cyclones played at a national championship-level. The trophy for which they were vying: the Murdoch Cup. By the time he left the bench, Murdoch's teams had won more than 1,000 games against opponents from around the world. Sometimes funny, sometime emotional, Murdoch and author Tim Harwood explore the story of how winning became a way of life for Cyclone Hockey.

Historic Tales of Old Dubuque

9781467152853

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History That Shaped a Nation

The history of Dubuque is as important to the nation as it is Iowa. Look into the life of railroad-attorney Abraham Lincoln as he pays a visit to a prominent railroad engineer in Dubuque prior to becoming president. Follow congressional debate on whether U.S. Rep. William Vandever (R-IA) had the right to simultaneously hold a seat in Congress and a commission in the U.S. military during the Civil War. View some of the more popular Americans photographed by famed Dubuque photographer Samuel Root, including an image of Frederick Douglass captured while in Dubuque for one of three lectures the “Self-made Man” made in the Key City. Author and historian John T. Pregler sheds light on these rediscovered facets of American history and many others.

Haunted Iowa City

9781609492861

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Iowa City is rich in tradition, including a lively history of spooky tales and odd goings-on. Follow in the footsteps of the Wandering Cadaver and accompany the Whistling Janitor. Come up with an explanation for the leg bones encased in a tree. Meet ghosts Maude and George at their respective homes on Bloomington Street and at the Hall Mall. Shrink back against a wall in the Gaslight Village and then realize it is made from cemetery footstones. Pass into the shadow of the Black Angel. Join Vernon Trollinger in discovering the haunted past of Iowa City.

A Culinary History of Iowa: Sweet Corn, Pork Tenderloins, Maid-Rites & More

9781467136327

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Iowa's delectable cuisine is quintessentially midwestern, grounded in its rich farming heritage and spiced with diverse ethnic influences. Classics like fresh sweet corn and breaded pork tenderloins are found on menus and in home kitchens across the state. At the world-famous Iowa State Fair, a dizzying array of food on a stick commands a nationwide cult following. From Maid-Rites to the moveable feast known as RAGBRAI, discover the remarkable stories behind Iowa originals. Find recipes for favorites ranging from classic Iowa ham balls and Steak de Burgo to homemade cinnamon rolls'served with chili, of course! Author Darcy Dougherty Maulsby serves up a bountiful history of tasty tradition.

A Culinary History of Iowa: Sweet Corn, Pork Tenderloins, Maid-Rites & More

Sac County

9781467104999

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Every box of Cracker Jacks comes with a prize inside. Judging by the number of prizes found in Sac County, Iowa, it is only fitting that the area has grown most of Cracker Jack's popcorn. The 1908 Chautauqua Pavilion in Sac City is one of the nation's best monuments to the movement Teddy Roosevelt described as "the most American thing in America." After becoming a county in 1851, the area's rich agricultural land attracted many settlers. W.P. Adams acquired the 7,000-acre Wheeler Ranch in 1896 and worked tirelessly to improve plant genetics, animal husbandry, and farm marketing techniques, laying the groundwork for modern farming practices. Profits from farming contributed to the growth of the county's nine incorporated communities, development of commercial and manufacturing districts, investment in cultural resources, and construction of an extensive transportation system.

Hidden History of Clinton, Iowa

9781467144841

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Two things people frequently say about Clinton are that it was the lumber capital of the world and home to the most millionaires per capita. While those interesting nuggets are not exactly true, there are plenty of fascinating facts about the city. Learn why Clinton could easily be known as a holiday town if not overshadowed by the meetings and parties of America's lumber kings. See what life was like guiding an acre-long log raft down the Mississippi. Enter the century-long debate on the location of the Big Tree. And find out how Clinton fed the world. Matt Parbs, director of the Sawmill Museum, unearths Clinton's past from the weight of myth and details its hidden history.

Dubuque

9780738507422

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While the 19th century saw the incorporation and maturation of Dubuque, it was the 20th century that defined the oldest city in Iowa. With the 20th century came the industrialization and globalization of America. For the average citizen of Dubuque, America's rise to international superpower meant the loss of sons to wars overseas, the loss of land to large manufacturers, and ultimately the loss of innocence. In the face of the extraordinary social, political, and economic changes of 20th century America, Dubuque remained what it had always been: a great place to raise a family. The city's reputation as a bustling center of trade along the Mississippi continued with the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. Even with the emergence of the automobile, the railroads and river steamboats of Dubuque still continued to evolve. Dubuque adapted, and this ability to adapt inevitably came to define this city in the 20th century, whether it be in response to the Great Depression, World War II, or the Civil Rights movement. The city of Dubuque proved itself capable of overcoming the rapid changes of this last great century.

Mills County

9780738577487

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Covering 440 miles, "Queen Mills" stretches from the Point aux Poules and Five Barrel Islands on the Missouri River east through the loess hills to the West Nishnabotna watershed. Once the center of the Glenwood culture, the area later became the hunting grounds for the Otoes and was then included as part of the Potawatomi Indian reserve. The first Mormon refugees from Nauvoo arrived in 1846, and the California Gold Rush then brought new people west. Mills County was organized in 1851 as Mormon control faded and chaos filled the mud streets of what became Glenwood. Speculation ran rampant as farmers from Ohio, Kentucky, England, and Germany spread across the prairies. New towns and businesses appeared alongside the tracks of the railroads, and the Iowa Institution for Feeble-Minded Children grew into a major institution. One-room schoolhouses dotted the countryside as the county emerged as one of the country's major fruit-growing regions with orchards covering the hills around Glenwood.

The Iowa State Fair: In Vintage Postcards

9780738540375

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Each August, the Iowa State Fairgrounds, home to America's quintessential state fair, becomes 400 acres of sights, sounds, and aromas. More than just a showcase for farm machinery, the fair has one of the world's largest livestock shows, hundreds of competitive events, first-class entertainment, and ever imaginable food-on-a-stick. The first Iowa State Fair, held in 1854 at Fairfield, drew 10,000 visitors, and attendance now tops one million each year. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it has been held at its present location in Des Moines since 1886. In the early 1900s, fairgoers could choose from a large selection of postcards, stick on a penny stamp, and mail them to friends to describe their blue ribbon, an exciting midway ride, or the great entertainment. Over 190 vintage postcards provide glimpses of the fair from the 1890s to the mid-1950s in The Iowa State Fair.

The Iowa State Fair: In Vintage Postcards

Iowa Supper Clubs

9781467145138

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From relish trays and Old Fashioned cocktails to prime rib and fried fish, supper clubs are a quintessential part of midwestern dining culture. In Iowa, hundreds of supper clubs once dotted the state's rural highways and byways, serving as havens for hungry travelers and community gathering places for small towns. Opened in 1912, the Lighthouse Inn Supper Club in Cedar Rapids is one of Iowa's oldest supper clubs. In their heyday, Iowa supper clubs were also home to nefarious activities, with frequent visits from mobsters, bootlegged beverages and illegal gambling. Supper clubs like Archie's Waeside and Breitbach's Country Dining have even won James Beard Awards. Author Megan Bannister relays the delicious details of an Iowa staple.

The Floppy Show

9781467126045

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In 1957, WHO-TV asked staff performer Duane Ellett to come up with an idea to help teach children how to better care for their pets. Ellett created Floppy, a high-voiced beagle dog puppet that became his sidekick for the next 30 years. Together, the iconic duo made 200 personal appearances every year at community festivals and events. The Floppy Show aired weekday afternoons in part of four decades, featuring a live studio audience of children telling Floppy riddles, beeping his nose for luck, and watching cartoons. On weekends, the duo appeared in a variety of programs over time, from the S.S. Popeye in earlier years to The Floppytown Gazette in the 1980s, featuring Floppy and other puppets Ellett created. Thousands of Iowans outside of Des Moines discovered the duo from their performances at the Iowa State Fair. Even now, 30 years after their last television appearance, Duane and Floppy still hold a warm place in the hearts of baby boomers across America.

Creston

9780738583457

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Creston sprang to life on the summit of the high prairie, where railroad officials pitched their camp one night in 1868. Creston was chosen as the division point between the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. The railroad brought its machine shops; roundhouse, and a rip-roaring, brawling construction camp to the new town. By 1869, the area was platted and construction began. Creston became an overnight industrial and transportation center, earning the nickname of "Little Chicago." In 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson implied that the Wild West began in Creston. He reported his first encounter with the open display of handguns in Creston when a passenger, without a ticket, was thrown from a moving train. He later wrote, "They were speaking English all around me, but I knew I was in a foreign land. It was the first indication that I had come among revolvers, and I observed it with some emotion."

Lost Cedar Rapids

9781467140652

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Cedar Rapids is the only city in America to house its government offices on an island. But tons of other iconic structures that defined the city are no longer around. The Little Gallery on First Avenue was created to showcase local artists. Yager's "moved up to bring prices down." The area was home to thirty-nine theaters, including two from 1928 that are still in operation. From the hotels to the factories, the ethnic districts to the depots, the dance halls to the amusement parks, these are the places that made a difference in the City of Five Seasons. Local author Pete Looney traces the history of the structures.

Iowa State Patrol

9780738598659

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The Iowa State Patrol was started by Iowa's first female secretary of state, Ola Babcock Miller, who was a champion for highway safety. Her vision for the Iowa Highway Patrol was a group of well-trained officers who would enforce Iowa's traffic laws but also, more critical to her, spread the word about the importance of safe driving. In 1935, fifty men were sworn in as officers of the Iowa Highway Safety Patrol. Known thereafter as the "First Fifty," they had been selected from a group of more than 3,000 applicants and more than 100 invited for the initial training at Camp Dodge. One member of that group, Buck Cole, proposed the patrol's motto of "Courtesy-Service-Protection," a tradition that has been passed down through the generations to today's Iowa State Patrol, whose male and female troopers promote Mrs. Miller's original premise of keeping the driving public safe.

Altoona

9781467111683

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Founded in 1868, Altoona was once just a small town on the prairie--at least until the planes, trains, and automobiles came. Trains started crossing this town as planes made their way to the Altoona Airport, and the construction of Interstate 80 on Altoona's north edge brought many tourists. The growing community has become known across the state as the "Entertainment Capital of Iowa." Altoona is home to Adventureland Park, Iowa's largest amusement park, as well as Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, and it hosted the state's first municipal airport, Hanna Air Field. Various innovative individuals called this community home, such as Robert Townsend with his single-pass color printer and George Kurtzweil and his idea to grow the first acre of hybrid seed corn. Altoona's history espouses a unique combination of small-town Iowa traditions and progressive thinkers that make it unforgettable.

Bill Riley on the Air and at the Iowa State Fair

9781467136525

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Many know Bill Riley as Mr. Iowa State Fair, the voice of the Drake Relays or the force behind the Bill Riley Talent Search. He wore all of those hats, along with countless more. An Iowan through and through, Bill worked tirelessly on behalf of the state's outdoor spaces and young people, raising money for bike trails and the Des Moines Children's Zoo, later known as the Blank Park Zoo. In the last years of his life, he collected these memories from a career stretching back to the debut of television in the Hawkeye State.

Bill Riley on the Air and at the Iowa State Fair

Madison County

9781467106221

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Mention Madison County and many people think of the iconic covered bridges that have graced the landscape for more than 140 years. While Hollywood made the bridges famous, there are many more stories to share, thanks to Madison County's rich history and vibrant culture. These stories include unforgettable people who shaped America--the men and women of the Underground Railroad in Madison County; renowned scientist George Washington Carver; and social reformer Susan B. Anthony, who advocated for women's voting rights from the county courthouse in 1875. Madison County natives have also made their mark on the world. Marion Morrison, who became the movie star John Wayne, was born in Winterset in 1907. During World War II, Winterset native George Stout protected priceless works of art from being looted and destroyed by the Nazis. A visionary, steadfast spirit continues to thrive in Madison County, where time-honored values of faith, family, and friendship endure. Growing from its strong agricultural heritage, Madison County embodies modern Iowa, where charming small towns, family farms, thriving businesses, and innovative people reflect the best of the Midwest.

Red Oak

9780738561318

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Where the Red Oak Creek flowed into the Nishnabotna River, thick groves of walnut, oak, and cottonwood trees crowded about their banks. This gentle intersection of waterways was to become the junction of railroads, highways, and so many people's lives. The seeds of the hopes and dreams of early pioneers where planted in the fertile soil. Nurtured by the promise of the railroad, the town began to grow and earned the honor of becoming the county seat. With the building of the railroad, Red Oak Junction was regarded second only to Deadwood as a wild outpost on the western frontier. With the completion of the railroad, the laborers left, taking that reputation with them, and Red Oak blossomed into a booming city directed by the strong personalities of the city fathers who sought to have it be a leader of culture, building, technological improvements, and businesses in the state. Fires, grasshoppers, hailstorms, and floods could not dampen the indomitable spirit of those who have lived in Red Oak through the years.

Lost Resorts of the Iowa Great Lakes

9781467103206

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Since the first rustic vacation retreat for hunters and fishermen was built in 1871, Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes have been a drawing card for families, generation after generation. Over the decades, dozens of vacation resorts, from the magnificent Hotel Orleans on Big Spirit Lake to the iconic Inn on West Okoboji, have lured happy summertime visitors. Just mentioning the name of a resort often evokes memories of swimming, boating, fishing, waterskiing, or just good times spent with friends and family. However, most of these vacation resorts are now gone-The Inn, Manhattan Beach Hotel, Templar Park, and Crandall's Lodge have all been demolished. Vacation Village has become Village West, and the Crescent Beach resort, which at one time boasted over 100 apartments or cottages, now has fewer than 30 motel-style units. Gone too are dozens of friendly mom-and-pop cottage resorts all around the lakes, replaced by condominiums and private residences.

Cover image for Lost Resorts of the Iowa Great Lakes, isbn: 9781467103206

Ankeny

9781467110389

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For John F. Ankeny and his wife, Sarah, the 80-acre tract they purchased in 1874 was perfect for the town they envisioned. It was surrounded by coal mines and farms and close to the state capital, and plans for a railroad through their property assured success. By 1881, the town had several homes and businesses and a 33¢ train fare into Des Moines. Through fires and war, Ankeny was nurtured by a strong sense of community and people whose names are still familiar today: superintendent Ed Neveln, the Kirkendall brothers, businessman "Uncle Henry" Wagner, and Charles Irvine and his world-champion Belgian horses. World War II brought further growth with the establishment of an ordnance plant on land now occupied by John Deere Des Moines Works. Ankeny now has more than 45,000 residents and an enviable quality of life. It is listed among the top 10 towns in the United States for families and, in 2012, was voted a "Playful City USA" for the sixth consecutive year.

Muscatine's Pearl Button Industry

9780738550930

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The Mississippi River town of Muscatine produced billions of pearl buttons. By 1905, Muscatine made 37 percent of the world's buttons and earned the title of "Pearl Button Capital of the World." The rise and fall of the pearl button occurred over a period of 75 years. John Frederick Boepple, a German immigrant button maker, launched the industry in 1891. The button and clamming industries started small but quickly overwhelmed the town. Clamming became the Mississippi River's gold rush while large automated factories and shell-cutting shops employed nearly half the local workforce. Entire families--men, women, and children--contributed to the industry, giving weight to the popular local saying "No Muscatine resident can enter Heaven without evidence of previous servitude in the button industry." Although the industry peaked in 1916, several decades passed before the American-made pearl button buckled under the pressure of foreign competition, changing fashion, limited availability of shell, and the development and refinement of plastic buttons.

Creating the Black Utopia of Buxton, Iowa

9781467140461

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Some have called Buxton a Black Utopia. In the town of five thousand residents, established in 1900, African Americans and Caucasians lived, worked and attended school together. It was a thriving, one-of-a-kind coal mining town created by the Consolidation Coal Company. This inclusive approach provided opportunity for its residents. Dr. E.A. Carter was the first African American to get a medical degree from the University of Iowa in 1907. He returned to Buxton and was hired by the coal company, where he treated both black and white patients. Attorney George Woodson ran for file clerk in the Iowa Senate for the Republican Party in 1898, losing to a white man by one vote. Author Rachelle Chase details the amazing events that created this unique community and what made it disappear.