Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

Tramp And Club-Footed Horse Lead Sheriff To Hog Thieves

Al and Emmet Burton thought they had a thriving little business going—illegal but profitable. But a German tramp who couldn’t speak English and a club-footed horse put them out of business and into the county jail.

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

/ 11 Jul 2015

Tramp And Club-Footed Horse Lead Sheriff To Hog Thieves

Mischievous ISU Student Becomes Celebrity

William Howard Taft's inaugural parade in March 1909 was canceled because of a snow storm, but the inaugural ball was held and a young Iowa woman was among the attendees. The young woman had just returned from touring Europe and performing on stages in London, Lucerne and Paris. But she also had a h

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

/ 4 Jul 2015

Mischievous ISU Student Becomes Celebrity

Prison Warden With a Heart

“Men are savages at meals. Give ‘em music.” That was the opinion of Fort Madison State Penitentiary warden James C. Sanders. Sanders was in the position for ten years, 1908 to 1918, and his philosophy about penal systems caused a sensation around the country.

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

/ 27 Jun 2015

Covered Wagon Camping at the State Fair

It was the Iowa State Fair of 1860—the seventh ever held. The state was young—only 14 years old. The American Civil War had not yet started in 1860. The capital had only recently been moved to Des Moines from Iowa City. The population of the state was not quite 700,000.

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

/ 20 Jun 2015

She Hath Done What She Could

Mary Virginia “Jennie” Wade was the only civilian killed at the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War, but her sacrifice would have been overlooked if not for a group of Iowa women.

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

/ 13 Jun 2015

Horse Thief Looks Forward to Prison

In the summer of 1913 a gang of horse thieves was operating from Boone to Belle Plaine and points in between all spring and summer. Finally, in August there was a breakthrough.

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

/ 6 Jun 2015

Rear view of herd of horses roped in by cowboys from 1890.

Horrifying Train Wreck Kills Many

Mae, Anna, Loren, and little Eva were just four of the 45 victims in a deadly train crash four and a half miles north of Green Mountain in March 1910. Descriptions at the scene of the tragedy were gruesome.

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

/ 30 May 2015

Rats Victorious Over Has Beens

Decoration Day (Memorial Day) in Iowa in the past was celebrated much as it was in other parts of the country—parades, picnics, speeches and church services. In Denison in 1911 Decoration Day was celebrated with a couple of baseball games between city teams. The Court House Rats defeated the Has Bee

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

/ 23 May 2015

High School Graduation in 1896

“As usual, this year’s class was the best in history.” The newspaper reporter who covered the Centerville High School class of 1896 must have been a cantankerous, but seasoned writer. And he certainly had attended more graduation ceremonies than he cared to in his lifetime.

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

/ 16 May 2015

Behind the Scenes at the Circus

How did Barnum & Bailey Circus performers prepare for a show when they came to Marshalltown in 1913? A fishing trip to Stanley Mill, an automobile trip to Albion for dinner, and a Mulligan down by the Iowa River.

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

/ 9 May 2015

New Market Businessman Missing in 1913

In 1910 New Market, Iowa, was a bustling community of 673 residents. There was plenty of competition among all the business owners; but when one went missing in the middle of the night in October 1913, everyone came out to search for him.

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

/ 2 May 2015

Man Wanted In Penitentiary

“I am here to be locked up,” E.P. Hessenius proclaimed as he walked into the warden’s office at the Iowa State Penitentiary at Fort Madison in October 1914.

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories

/ 25 Apr 2015

Tramp And Club-Footed Horse Lead Sheriff To Hog Thieves

Mischievous ISU Student Becomes Celebrity

Prison Warden With a Heart

Covered Wagon Camping at the State Fair

She Hath Done What She Could

Horse Thief Looks Forward to Prison

Horrifying Train Wreck Kills Many

Rats Victorious Over Has Beens

High School Graduation in 1896

Behind the Scenes at the Circus

New Market Businessman Missing in 1913

Man Wanted In Penitentiary

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