The Iowa Historian, September-October 2011 PLAIN TEXT VERSION
SHSI Calendar
Sept. 17: The Art of Model Making, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., State Historical Building, 600 E.
Locust, Des Moines. Grades 2-6; first 120 registrants will receive a free model kit. RSVP
in advance to Jack Lufkin, (515) 281-8295.
Sept. 18: “The Rock Rolled On,” 2 p.m., Western Historic Trails Center, 3434 Richard
Downing Ave., Council Bluffs. Presentation on the history of two local radio stations,
including the antics of its disc jockeys, outlandish promotions and more. Call (712) 3664900 for information.
Sept. 22-23: Historic Preservation Basics Workshop, Clutier, Iowa. Registration deadline
is Sept. 20. Visit www.iowahistory.org or call (515) 281-3989.
Sept. 22-25: “Rendezvous and Educational Mountainman Days,” 9 a.m.-5 p.m. both
days, Western Historic Trails Center, 3434 Richard Downing Ave., Council Bluffs.
Demonstrations will take place on beading, trapping, hawks, teepees, flint knapping and
tanning. Historian, boatwright and educator Butch Bouvier will share his insight on the
pre-steam inland waterways. His newest boat will be on exhibit as part of the programs.
In partnership with John “Lizard” Wilcox. Call (712) 366-4900 for information.
Sept. 23-24: Sing-A-Long Grease! Sept. 23 at 7 p.m.; Sept. 24 at 1 p.m., State Historical
Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. $8/adults; $5/children 12 and younger. Tickets
may be purchased at the door one hour prior to show time.
Sept. 23-24: Artstop. Sept. 23, 4-9 p.m.; Sept. 24, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., State Historical
Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. This annual event connects cultural and
entertainment districts with performances, workshops, exhibits and more. The Historical
Museum will showcase two kinetic artworks by Iowa City artist Susan Chrysler White
through Oct. 9. Families are invited to drop in anytime Saturday for a free workshop to
make kinetic art, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sept. 24: Historical Discovery Discussion, “Smokey Smith, Iowa’s ‘Mr. Country
Music,” 10:30 a.m., State Historical Library, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. See related
story.
Sept. 25: Organ Recital at Union Sunday School with Dr. Gregory Peterson, 2:30 p.m.,
Clermont. Peterson is an associate professor at Luther College. A tea will follow the
recital in the nearby Larrabee School. Free and open to the public. Call (563) 423-7173
for details.
Oct. 6: An Evening with David Yepsen, 7 p.m., free, State Historical Building, 600 E.
Locust. Yepsen will kick off the Iowa Caucus Speaker Series. See related story.
Oct. 16: Ghost Hunting at the Historic Squirrel Cage Jail, 2 p.m., Western Historic Trails
Center, 3434 Richard Downing Ave., Council Bluffs. Hear from paranormal investigative
groups that have conducted overnight investigations in the Jail and discover how to apply
science and history to ghost hunting.
Oct. 20-21: Preservation Workshop presented by the State Historic Preservation Office,
Fort Dodge. Registration deadline is Oct. 6. Visit www.iowahistory.org or call (515) 2813989.
Oct. 21: Chad Lewis Presents “Haunted Locations in Your Own Backyard,” 7 p.m., $10
(appropriate for ages 10 and up), State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines.
Go on a ghostly journey to some of Iowa’s most haunted places! Complete with photos,
case history, eyewitness accounts, ghost lore, and directions, this unique presentation
encourages you to visit these places for your own ghost story. Call (515) 281-4132 for
ticket information.
History on the Move!
Bring “The Fiery Trial: Iowa and the Civil War” exhibit to your community! Call
Michael Smith at (515) 281-3859 for details. The exhibit is housed in a 32-foot trailer and
is part of the State Historical Museum’s “History on the Move” educational outreach
program that serves Iowans in their communities. Bookings include a $50 reservation fee
and a $150 travel expense fee.
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Historical Museum Updates Caucus Exhibit for 2012
As politicians begin ramping up for the 2012 political year and Iowa caucuses, the State
Historical Museum will re-open its Caucus Iowa exhibit Oct. 6, 2011, and kick off a new
Iowa Caucus Speaker Series.
Opened in October 2007, Caucus Iowa is a 10,000-square-foot exhibit that explores the
history of the Iowa caucuses. The exhibit showcases the Iowa caucuses’ rise to national
prominence in the 1970s, explores “retail politics” in a typical coffee shop and recreates a
gymnasium and living room as they would appear on caucus night. The exhibit also
includes interactive kiosks where visitors can vote on issues and be part of a special straw
poll of current candidates.
The exhibit also examines the impact the media has had on transforming the caucuses
into an international event, and a public forum space will be available to political
campaigns, groups, organizations and schools for special programming.
Updates in the exhibit include:
 New interactive touch screen questions
 A new section summarizing the 2008 caucuses and general election
 Updated news footage in media room
 New artifacts on display from past presidential elections, 1840s through 2008
 Voting machines from the 1900s and 1950s

An optical scanner vote counting machine on loan from the Polk County Auditor
and Commissioner of Elections with fun questions for people to vote on.
The public is invited to view the updated exhibit the evening of Oct. 6 as part of the first
in a series of speaking events surrounding the caucuses, featuring David Yepsen, who
was chief political reporter, editor and columnist for The Des Moines Register for 34
years. In 2009, he was named director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at
Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill.
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Yepsen Headlines First in Caucus Speaker Series
The public is invited to hear one of Iowa’s foremost political authorities to kick off the
Iowa Caucus Speaker Series next month.
David Yepsen will be the guest speaker Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011, at 7 p.m. at the State
Historical Building, 600 E. Locust. The free event is sponsored by The State Historical
Society of Iowa, The Greater Des Moines Partnership, and WHO-HD.
Yepsen is director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois
University in Carbondale. Ill. Before assuming that position in 2009, he had a 34-year
career with the Des Moines Register, serving as the paper’s chief political writer, political
editor and political columnist.
Among the highlights of his career, Yepsen was a fellow at the Shorenstein Center on the
Press, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School in 1989; in 2008, he was
a fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard where he led a study group on the nation’s
presidential selection processes. In 1994 he was named political editor and in 2000
became the Register’s full-time political columnist. He was also a regular panelist on
Iowa Public Television’s weekly “Iowa Press” news interview program for over 30 years.
He has appeared on a variety of national radio and television programs commenting on
Iowa politics and the presidential caucus campaigns in the state.
Yepsen will review the development of the caucuses, the impact it has had on the nation’s
politics and look at what its future might be. The audience will have a Q&A opportunity
following his address.
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Smokey Smith: Iowa’s “Mr. Country Music” Topic of Sept. 24 Historical Discovery
Author Terry Manley and country music legend Smokey Smith (Manley’s father-in-law)
will participate in a “Historical Discovery Discussion” at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 24, 2011, in
the State Historical Library & Archives Reading Room, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. The
event is free and open to the public.
Manley will speak and sign copies of his new book, “Smokey: The Legendary Life of
Iowa’s ‘Mr. Country Music,’” and Smith will answer questions about his life and career
as one of country music’s most influential and legendary concert promoters. In addition,
a Library & Archives Reading Room exhibit will showcase items donated by Smith to the
State Historical Museum.
Manley’s book includes more than 300 never-before-seen photos from Smith’s personal
collection of country music superstars performing at the KRNT Theater, and offers
revealing but respectful recollections of his personal and professional relationships with
stars like Johnny Cash, Wanda Jackson, Ferlin Husky, Kitty Wells, Carl Perkins and
Charley Pride.
Smith’s career began in California, spanning most of the 1940s as a recording artist and
ballroom singer. In 1950, he moved to Des Moines to become a popular entertainer and
broadcast personality on KRNT Radio, where consistent high ratings earned him the
area’s first live primetime country music television show, when KRNT-TV began airing
in 1955.
By then he was also promoting successful country music shows at KRNT Theater,
prompting him to expand his regular events to six other Iowa cities and eventually across
six other states. This distinction earned him membership into an elite group of promoters
known as “package show specialists,” which controlled vast territory in their respective
regions.
The Iowa visionary became an icon in Nashville’s entertainment community, not only for
hiring every name act of the era, but for providing significant leadership in 1953 during
creation of the Country Music Disc Jockeys Association. He was treasurer of the group in
1958 and again displayed foresight by encouraging the membership to disband in support
of creating a broader coalition called the Country Music Association. He became one of
the very first board members of the organization now recognized worldwide.
Smith was inducted into Nashville’s Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 1982.
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SHSI Awards More Than $480,000 in REAP/HRDP Grants
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs has awarded 29 REAP/HRDP grants totaling
$480,258 to organizations and individuals across the state for historic preservation,
museum and documentary collections projects, and for country school projects.
The Historical Resource Development Program (HRDP) is funded by the Resource
Enhancement and Protection Act (REAP), passed by the Iowa General Assembly in 1989.
Through REAP, local government units, various organizations and private individuals
can receive funding for eligible projects. REAP/HRDP provides grants to preserve,
conserve, interpret and educate the public about historical resources. The grant awards
announced today require organizations to supply matching funds.
SHSI awarded 26 HRDP/REAP grants totaling $474,962 for historic preservation,
museum and documentary collections projects. It also awarded three HRDP/Country
School Grants totaling $5,296 for the preservation of one-room or two-room buildings
once used as country schools in Iowa.
See the list of REAP/HRDP recipients.
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Annals: Van Allen Drives Iowa into the Space Age
The Fall 2011 issue of the Annals of Iowa features an article about James Van Allen’s
space research and another about the waste recovery plant in Ames.
In one feature article, James Rodger Fleming, professor of science, technology, and
society at Colby College, examines Iowa’s entry into the space age through the early
career of State University of Iowa scientist James Van Allen. Fleming’s story sheds new
light on Van Allen’s discovery and disruption of the near space environment for scientific
and military purposes and casts Van Allen in a new light.
In the other feature article, Angie Gumm, an independent scholar in Wichita, Kan., traces
the emergence and persistence of the resource recovery plant in Ames, Iowa, from the
1970s to the present, setting its history in the context of environmental and technological
debates during those years. Gumm argues that Iowans’ commitment to farmland
preservation combined with the city’s acceptance of engineering efforts and goals created
a unique situation that has enabled the resource recovery plant to carry on for all of these
years.
In a review essay, Travis Nygard reviews a new biography of Iowa artist Grant Wood by
R. Tripp Evans. The usual set of book reviews and notices includes reviews of books
about William Clark, early western scientist Ferdinand Hayden, a French aristocrat in the
early West, steamboats on the Missouri River, abolitionist women in the Old Northwest,
Abraham Lincoln’s ties to the West, the political economy of La Crosse, Wis., African
American 1904 presidential candidate George Edwin Taylor of Oskaloosa, Midwestern
bandit Frank Rande, exposition palaces, World War I propaganda, Iowa football legends
(Fred Becker, Jack Trice, Nile Kinnick, and Johnny Bright), the Hmong immigrant
experience in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and the Iowa caucuses.
To receive the Annals of Iowa as a benefit of membership, upgrade to the Heritage Circle
level. To order a single copy of this issue, or to subscribe, call Marvin Bergman at (319)
335-3931 or e-mail marvin-bergman@uiowa.edu and ask for the Fall 2011 issue of the
Annals of Iowa.
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Sign Up for Iowa’s Civil War Sesquicentennial License Plates
The Iowa Department of Transportation requires 250 paid start-up orders before the
legislature-approved Civil War Sesquicentennial license plate design can be put into
production.
Those who are interested are invited to visit www.iowadot.gov to fill out the application
and pay the $20 start up fee. Once 250 orders have been received, applicants will be
contacted to complete a license plate application form and submit payment of the
appropriate plate fee: $25 for a numbered regular plate with emblem; or $50 for
personalized plate with emblem.
The special fees collected for these plates are directed to the Iowa Department of Cultural
Affairs to be used for the Iowa Battle Flag project.
Don’t forget! The state still offers the “Iowa Heritage” license plate featuring the
American Gothic House in Eldon. Proceeds from the sale of these plates benefit National
History Day in Iowa. Visit www.iowadot.gov to order.
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Why My Museum Matters
By Jodi Evans, registrar, State Historical Museum
More than 20 years ago as I escorted my grandmother through our new galleries, she
stopped short in front of one of the displays. “I have one of those,” she said, pointing to
an object. “How can it be in a museum when I’m still using it?!”
My grandmother’s astonishment at what is considered to be an historical artifact
preserved in a museum reinforces the notion that people connect with objects. The power
of the object is not just abstract museum studies theory; rather it is found in the heart of
each visitor who enters a museum.
The State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) has a broad but simple dual mission of
preservation and education. The vision statement directs SHSI “…to help Iowans
comprehend who they are and what they can become…” Our purpose is a little more
succinct: “We connect generation to generation – past, present, future.”
The objects we collect, preserve and interpret bring the past to life in ways the printed
word cannot. Every history museum employee can tell stories about families who
encounter great-grandmother’s quilt or grandad’s uniform for the first time. Every
museum has its iconic objects, displays and themes that become touchstones for
generations of museum visitors.
In the permanent collection of the State Historical Museum are two oak shadow box
cases with glass fronts. Each box holds more than 100 two-inch square glassine
envelopes. Within each envelope is an object – bottle caps, coins, pins, needles, safety
pins both open and closed, seeds, earrings, and enough bones to construct an entire
chicken. It’s a collection of materials extracted from the throats of the patients of Dr.
James A. Downing, a pediatric Otolaryngology or ENT specialist in Des Moines. Dr.
Downing removed the objects between 1929 and 1956, choosing to display them in his
office ostensibly as a warning for children and adults alike to be careful what they put in
their mouths. In reality, it was a cabinet of morbid curiosity. Museum staff lovingly refer
to the display as “Things People Gagged On.” Even though the cases were removed from
display many years ago, it remains one of the most asked about exhibits in the museum.
Why is this odd little collection so beloved? Because it connects who we are with whom
we were. These everyday, ordinary, disposable items, collected by Dr. Downing and
preserved by the State Historical Society of Iowa, capture a snapshot of human nature
that is relevant across generations. People gravitate to them first as oddities; then as a
lesson in history they can relate to.
It isn’t always pretty, this business of connecting people with their past. Shaking with
anger and sorrow, I have witnessed individuals view objects that figured prominently in
childhood abuses. It is in these moments that mothers gather their children close with
assurances that “it” cannot harm them. Fathers clench their fists and walk away in rage.
Abuse survivors whisper, “You are just a thing. I am not afraid of you.” These are not the
good days, in a conventional sense. I’d much rather hear squeals of delight and watch as
family mementos are handled lovingly, or listen to an illustrated lecture on the danger of
putting things in your mouth. But it is the objects themselves that elicit these responses,
happy or sad, and it is our responsibility to encourage the contact that allows Iowans to
truly comprehend who they are.
My museum matters because of the collections, those three-dimensional survivors
providing direct contact with the past. My museum matters because we are stewards of a
history both shared and fragmented. My museum matters because we are entrusted with
the preservation of the past for generations of Iowans.
This article was written for the Fall 2011 newsletter of the Midwest Registrars Committee.
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IMA Annual Meeting & Conference: “Transforming the Cultural Landscape”
The Iowa Museum Association will hold its annual meeting and conference Oct. 16-18,
2011, in Des Moines.
Sessions offered during “Transforming the Cultural Landscape” will generate discussion,
ideas, and energy for museum professionals and others to take back to their
organizations.
Highlights include:
 A behind the scenes tour of the State Historical Museum collection
 Opening reception at the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum, Johnston
 Special guest presenter Beverly Sheppard, Institute for Learning Innovation
 Breakout sessions on design, connecting with audiences, partnerships with
schools, social media and more.
For a complete schedule and to register by Oct. 6, 2011, visit www.iowamuseums.org.
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“An Evening Like It Used to Be” Oct. 1 in Historic Movie Theater
Movie nostalgia and Iowa’s historic movie houses will be spotlighted next month during
Preservation Iowa’s 2011 Preservation at its Best Awards ceremony.
The historic Windsor Theatre in Hampton will be the backdrop for “An Evening Like It
Used to Be,” Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, beginning with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are
$19.17 (the theater was built in 1917), available at www.hamptoniowa.org or at the door
the night of the event. The registration deadline is Sept. 23.
Guests will be taken back in time with a silent movie feature complete with orchestra
music, live vaudeville performances, an opera aria performance, dance troupe number
and an old-time sing along.
The first film at the Windsor was “A Romance of the Redwoods,” starring Mary Pickford
Oct. 18-19, 1917. Tickets for the movie were 10 cents and 20 cents. The theater operated
until 1996, when it closed for two years before being purchased by the Windsor Theater
Development Corporation in 1998. Over the following year, the theater underwent
extensive remodeling and re-opened in May, 1999. Since then, more than 330,000 people
have attended a movie at the Windsor with more than 650 movies shown.
During the reception, guests may view classic cars, take an informal tour of the Windsor
and see a presentation titled “Hollywood in the Heartland” which illustrates highlights of
Iowa’s movie house history. Following, Preservation Iowa will present its 2011
Preservation at Its Best Awards to individuals, organizations, projects and program
whose work demonstrates a commitment to excellence in historic preservation. The
awards are presented in partnership with the Iowa Gaming Association.
“An Evening Like it Used to Be” is sponsored by Preservation Iowa and the Windsor
Theater Development Corporation, with support from the State Historic Preservation
Office, the Franklin County Arts Council, Franklin County Tourism and the Hampton
Chamber of Commerce.
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Burlington Group Seeks Proposals for Development of Historic “Bookend
Buildings”
A Burlington nonprofit organization with a focus on the preservation and revitalization of
its downtown core is seeking proposals for a historical redevelopment opportunity.
Downtown Partners, Inc. (DPI), a Main Street organization and a division of the Greater
Burlington Partnership, is looking for individuals or developers to take over
redevelopment of the properties known as the Bookend Buildings.
Located near the foot of the famous Snake Alley and along a major entryway to
downtown Burlington, The Bookend Buildings at 512-522 Jefferson Street are central to
commercial development in that area. DPI purchased the Bookend Buildings in April,
2011, to facilitate their sale and redevelopment.
“After years of negotiations, we finally acquired the properties last spring and are
preparing them for purchase and redevelopment,” said Steve Frevert, executive director
of DPI. “This summer we cleaned up the storefronts, unveiled the prism glass transoms,
removed the metal cladding from the middle building, and repaired some brickwork; it
looks 100 percent better!”
The Bookend Buildings were built in 1883 by prominent local businessmen William
Forney and Samuel Mellinger and have been used as commercial space for a wide range
of businesses ever since. The combined structures are contributing properties in the West
Jefferson Historic District, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1991.
Over the years, the Bookend Buildings have experienced disinvestment, evidenced by
empty storefronts and the lack of activity onsite. Currently all the buildings are entirely
vacant on every floor. However, they feature unique, historically significant architecture,
and because they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, they are eligible
for financial incentives offered at the state and federal level. DPI encourages the use of
State and Federal Historic Tax Credits in the financing package presented for this project.
The deadline to submit proposals is Dec. 31, 2011, to the DPI Office, 610 N Fourth
Street, Suite 200, Burlington, Iowa 52601. For more information or to obtain the RFP,
visit www.greaterburlington.com.
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Annual Country School Conference Oct. 7-8
The 12th annual Iowa Country Schools Preservation Conference sponsored by
Preservation Iowa will be Oct. 7-8, 2011, at Southwestern Community College in
Creston. This year's conference will focus on the various ways country schools and their
memories are being preserved.
The conference will open with remarks by four writers who have recently produced new
publications about their country school experiences. The writers include Dr. Barbara
Dilly, Butler County; Sandra Host, Sac County; Joe Millard, Greene County; and Paul
Juhl, Webster County. The authors will describe why they decided to write about country
schools and how they got their writing into print.
Artists, photographers, re-enactors and country school museum operators will also appear
on the program. Friday evening the new country school documentary supported by
Preservation Iowa entitled Country School: One Room – One Nation will be shown.
Saturday morning there will be a tour of historic sites including preserved country school
museums. There is a $30 conference registration fee. To download a brochure or for more
information, visit www.preservationiowa.org or contact Bill Sherman,
wsherman41@gmail.com.