Notes on Iowa
Live Last read · last published · next check
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 21, 1964, the Baseball Writers' Association of America elected Algona native and baseball pioneer James Leslie (J.L.) Wilkinson to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Founder and executive of the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues, Wilkinson also founded the All-Nations Baseball Club in Des Moines in 1912. After spending his earliest years in Algona, Wilkinson…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 21, 1970, Johnny Cash and June Carter took the Grandstand Stage at the Iowa State Fair for two shows. Over 23,500 Iowans packed in as the ‘Man in Black’ and his bride sent the rollicking crowd down in a ‘ring of fire.’ Cash and Carter packed audiences for shows starting at 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., with viewers paying between $3 and $5 for reserved seats. Their show…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 21, 1985, legendary Hawkeye running back Shonn Greene was born. A unanimous All-American, Doak Walker Award, and Jim Brown Trophy winner, Greene helped the Hawkeyes win the 2009 Outback Bowl. Born and raised in New Jersey, Greene headed west to Iowa after racking up 1,378 yards during his senior season at Winslow Township High School. After spending a year at…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 21, 1989, Andre the Giant was arrested in Cedar Rapids. Charged with assault and criminal mischief after altercations with a cameraman, the incident at the Five Seasons Center shed light on the challenges faced by performers living larger-than-life personas both inside and outside the ring. Born André René Roussimoff in 1946 in rural France, André the Giant suffered…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 20, 1897, Railroad executive and innovator Ralph Budd was born on a farm in Black Hawk County, Iowa, near Washburn. Budd sparked the diesel-electric revolution when he introduced the Zephyr streamliner. During a rural childhood focused on hard work and Presbyterian faith, Budd’s family relocated to Des Moines when he was thirteen. After attending North High School…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 20, 1926, early professional baseball player Cal McVey passed away. Born in Montrose, McVey went on to become the youngest member of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball’s first openly all-professional club. Born on August 30, 1849, less than three years after Iowa entered the Union, he spent his early childhood in southeastern Iowa before his family relocated…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 20, 2006, Guthrie Center-born CEO of Hardee’s, Jack Laughery, passed away. His career linked an Iowa upbringing to the national spread of fast-food restaurants, a business transformation that reshaped roadside dining and franchise ownership. Raised in Guthrie Center, Laughery graduated from the University of Iowa in 1957, worked for Connecticut General Insurance…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 20, 1804, Sergeant Charles Floyd of the far-famed Lewis & Clark Expedition died in Iowa. The only member of the Corps of Discovery to perish in the attempt to reach the Pacific, Floyd finds remembrance in the Sergeant Floyd Monument (US National Historic Landmark) in Sioux City. Born in 1772 in Kentucky, Floyd was related to Virginia Governor John Floyd and possibly…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 19, 1835, the 1st United States Dragoons arrived back at First Fort Des Moines (Montrose) following a successful expedition spanning over 1,000 miles exploring Iowa for the United States government. Arriving in Iowa during the late fall of 1834, Kearny’s men struggled through a bitterly cold winter before orders arrived for a summer campaign into Iowa’s interior.…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 19, 1951, actress Randi Oakes was born in Sumner. A fashion model and actress, Oakes gained national fame while playing Officer Bonnie Clark on the television series CHiPs. Oakes grew up in Randalia. During high school, she traveled to Des Moines twice a week to attend modeling school. After winning Miss Iowa Model of the Year as a 17-year-old, Oakes moved to New…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 19, 1968, Iowa Hawkeye running back Nick Bell was born. A gifted runner, blocker, and receiver, Bell bruised Big 10 defenses while helping lead Iowa to the 1991 Rose Bowl. Overcoming an asthmatic condition as a child, Bell starred at Ed W. Clark High School in Las Vegas after moving to running back as a senior. Heading east to play for Hayden Fry, Bell arrived in…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 19, 1985, Breadeaux Pizza officially became a chain by opening a store in Council Bluffs. Established in Corning, Iowa, in 1985, Breadeaux quickly expanded to become a staple in rural communities across the state, known for its signature French crust. In 1984, Jim Larkin worked for the Casey’s in Corning, Iowa. When the local pizza place went out of business, he…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 18, 1977, the City of Iowa City hired Linda Eaton as the city’s first female firefighter. After the birth of Eaton’s son Ian, a legal battle ensued when the department refused her request to breastfeed during her personal break time at the firehouse. A graduate of West Liberty High School, Eaton stood out as a popular student and star basketball player during her…
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 18, 1944, the Sioux City Herald reported on Marie Mountain Clark of Iowa, who served as a pilot in the Women's Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. The WASP program was a pioneering initiative that trained women to fly military aircraft, relieving male pilots for combat duty. Born on February 8, 1915, in a modest farmhouse in West Liberty, Iowa, Marie…
