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For a text version of this newsletter, click here.
 April-May 2011 |
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BREAKING NEWS: Senate Passes Bill Approving Civil War License Plate
On Monday, April 18, the Iowa Senate unanimously passed a bill allowing the state to produce commemorative Civil War Sesquicentennial license plates.
The bill was introduced as House File 651 March 23, and passed April 7; and introduced in the senate April 11 by Senators Matt McCoy (D-Polk), Dennis Black (D-Jasper) and Tim Kapucian (R-Benton).
Last summer, the Iowa Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War requested the adoption and issuance of the Civil War Sesquicentennial license plate from 2011-2016. The group stipulated that all proceeds derived from the sale of the license plates be directed to the Iowa Battle Flag Restoration Project.
The bill states: "The bill directs that an amount equal to $25 from each Civil War Sesquicentennial plate fee and $5 from each renewal fee be credited from the statutory allocations fund to the Department of Cultural Affairs. The fees are appropriated for purposes of the Iowa Battle Flag Project, which is administered by the State Historical Society."
Watch for these special plates coming soon to your county!
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Tribute to Legendary Broadcaster Jack Shelley April 29
The State Historical Building will host a special event about the life and work of Jack Shelley, one of the most influential news broadcasters in Iowa history.
"A Tribute to Jack Shelley" will be at 7:30 p.m. April 29, 2011, at the State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust Street in Des Moines. The event is free and open to the public, and will feature historic broadcasts of Shelley on WHO radio and television, as well as excerpts from interviews he gave about his career. Several speakers will also discuss his impact on Iowa broadcasting.
"Jack Shelley was respected nationally for his clear and concise reporting, his dedication to the craft of journalism, and a deep caring for his audience," said Jeff Stein, Archives of Iowa Broadcasting administrator and State Historical Society of Iowa board member. "He truly shaped what broadcast news would become in Iowa and the nation."
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Historical Society Board Member Jeff Stein and Jack Shelley during a signing of Stein's book Making Waves: The People and Places of Iowa Broadcasting. |
A fixture on WHO Radio for three decades, Shelley (1912-2010) contributed to the founding of the Iowa Broadcast News Association, which honored him in 1972 by establishing the Jack Shelley Award for lifetime achievement in broadcast journalism. He was co-founder and former president of the international Radio-Television News Directors Association (now the Radio Television Digital News Association), and former president of the Associated Press Radio and Television Association.
He was president of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council in 1981 and a member of an advisory committee appointed by the Iowa Supreme Court on the use of cameras and tape recorders in trials. In 1980, he received the Broadcaster of the Year award from the Iowa Broadcasters Association.
Shelley began on WHO Radio in 1935, and founded the WHO-TV news department when the station went on the air in 1954. He taught broadcast journalism at Iowa State University for 17 years before retiring in 1982.
SHSI, IBNA, Archives of Iowa Broadcasting and WHO Radio in Des Moines are sponsors of the event. A DVD - "Jack Shelley: History's Recorder in His Own Words" - will be available for purchase at the event. The DVD includes multiple broadcasts and interviews from Shelley's career. Proceeds from the sale of the DVD benefit the Archives of Iowa Broadcasting.
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Traveling Civil War Exhibit Available to Iowa Communities
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Civil War re-enactors dressed for the occasion. |
The State Historical Society of Iowa is currently accepting reservations to bring its newest traveling exhibit into communities across the state.
Presented by EMC Insurance Foundation, "The Fiery Trial" provides a visual examination of Iowa's participation in the Civil War, with first-hand accounts from the soldiers who served, the impact it had on Iowa, and the reverberating effects on the state 100 years later during the Civil Rights movement. Visitors will be able to research their Civil War ancestors by name, town, township or congressional district.
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Governor Terry Branstad looks through the new exhibit with students from the Des Moines area. |
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. Union Pacific Foundation and Qwest provided additional support.
Booking Information
"The Fiery Trial" exhibit is available for bookings by contacting State Historical Museum Chief Curator Michael Smith at michael.smith@iowa.gov or (515) 281-3859. Bookings include a $50 reservation fee and a $150 travel expense fee.
Schools, libraries, museums and others that book the exhibit will receive Web-based Civil War study guides through the State Historical Society of Iowa's Prairie Voices curriculum, and from SHSI's Battle Flag program. Links to those Web pages follow:
Prairie Voices
Iowa Civil War Battle Flag Project
Host venues will also receive the following books:
"Profiles of Valor: Iowa's Medal of Honor Recipients of the Civil War" by State Senator Dennis Black Outside In: African-American History in Iowa, 1838-2000, published by the State Historical Society of Iowa.
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Historic Rehabilitation Workshop May 5 in Davenport
Many owners of historic buildings are not aware that the state of Iowa has a program designed to financially assist them with rehabilitation projects. The historic rehabilitation tax credit program provides home and business owners with a 25% tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs as a refundable income tax credit on projects. Nonprofit organizations may also be eligible.
The State Historic Preservation Office will hold a workshop on this topic Thursday, May 5, 2011, from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the German American Heritage Center, 712 W. 2nd Street in Davenport. The cost for the workshop is $35, including a box lunch. Registration is due by April 26, 2011 to ensure adequate materials and space. For a detailed schedule and registration information, visit www.iowahistory.org/historic-preservation/ or contact one of the local partners.
The workshop will provide in-depth information on Iowa's historic rehabilitation tax credits, with a special focus on how homeowners and small businesses can use the "small projects fund" to assist with the rehabilitation of their historic properties. This fund, for projects of $500,000 or less, was established by the Iowa legislature in 2008 and, for the first time, reserved historic tax credit dollars for small projects by homeowners and small businesses. General information common to both large and small project applications will also be presented.
Participants will learn how the program works, how to determine if a property is eligible to utilize the program, the differences in the program for residential and commercial structures, and how to complete tax credit application forms. The workshop will include a primer on the National Register of Historic Places and a discussion of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
The State Historic Preservation Office will present the workshop in Davenport, in partnership with Gateway Redevelopment Group, the Scott County Historic Preservation Society, Hilltop Campus Village, The City of Davenport Historic Preservation Commission, and SPARK Consulting.
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Congratulations Jerome, SSNHA Honorees
SHSI's own Jerome Thompson received a notable honor April 6 from Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) during its Golden Silo Awards Luncheon.
Jerome received the Alan Hutchings Outstanding Visionary Award honoring an individual, organization, business, agency or local government that has shown sustained support for the Heritage Area for more than five years, created a legacy in heritage development and provided leadership in the heritage development movement.
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Jerome Thompson, center, accepts his award from Candy Streed, SSNHA program and partnership director, and Don Short, SSNHA president. |
Hutchings is the associate regional manager of planning, communications and legislation for the Midwest Office of the National Park Service, and was instrumental in the creation of SSNHA.
"I appreciate his guidance as well as his trust in me to do what needs to be done without micromanaging," said KC Hummel, site director of Western Historic Trails Center. "He's a role model and a friend."
And according to Jerome's son, Grant, "you don't 'Google it,' when it comes to Iowa history, you 'Jerome it.'"
Among his contributions to SSNHA, Jerome led the Partnership Panel through a robust change in its role with Partner Sites and Emerging Sites; created new partner tools to support a more sustainable Heritage Area; and stretched the Heritage Area to look at its larger outcomes and impacts.
Also receiving awards were:
Tammy & Kelly Rundle, Fourth Wall Films, Moline, IL
Outstanding Preservation in Agriculture
Honors an individual, organization, project, business, agency or local government who has made an extraordinary effort in preserving the icons to the story of American agriculture.
Mines of Spain, Dubuque
Outstanding Partner
Honors an organization, institution or individual who has shown support and partnered with SSNHA on numerous occasions to create awareness for the Heritage Area.
Val Abbott, Iowa City
Outstanding Volunteer
Honors an individual or organization who has given tirelessly to SSNHA.
Heartland Acres Agribition Center, Independence
"People's Choice" - Site of the Year
Honors a SSNHA Partner Site voted by the public as "Site of the Year." Finalists included Four Mounds Inn, Dubuque and University of Iowa Museum of Natural History, Iowa City.
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Spring in Iowa Means Being Prepared
 Heritage Preservation encourages libraries, museums, archives and arts and historic preservation organizations across the country to participate in MayDay May 1, 2011. Sponsored by Heritage Preservation and other members of the Heritage National Task Force, MayDay is a national effort to prepare organizations for disaster by taking one simple step to protect the art, artifacts, records and historic sites they hold in trust.
Any organization can participate in MayDay. Visit Heritage Preservation's MayDay pages for project ideas, information on this year's prize drawing and publications sale, and customized versions of the MayDay logo for publicizing this national event.
Free Disaster Awareness Workshops
The State Historical Society of Iowa will hold a series of free workshops designed to help museums, libraries and the public prepare disaster recovery plans, safeguard their collections and respond to emergencies.
"FOCUS: Disaster Awareness Workshops" are for archivists, county recorders, genealogists, library staff, museum workers, volunteers and anyone who cares about preserving Iowa's historical assets.
April 25, 10 a.m.-Noon: Corydon
Prairie Trails Museum of Wayne County, 515 E. Jefferson St.
April 29, 10 a.m.-Noon: Sioux City
Sioux City Public Museum, 2901 Jackson Street
April 29, 1-3 p.m.: Mt. Pleasant
Midwest Old Threshers, 405 E. Threshers Road
Register for any of the free workshops by contacting Iowa Museum Association Executive Director Cyndi Sweet at imasweet@cfu.net. A minimum of six people are required for each workshop. More details about the workshops and disaster response and recovery information can be found by clicking on the "Disaster Resources" tab at www.iowamuseums.org.
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UI Students Present Findings on "Iowa History Mysteries"
Over the last several months, history major students from the University of Iowa in Iowa City have been using the resources of the State Historical Society of Iowa to unravel "Iowa History Mysteries." The students will present their findings Tuesday, May 2, 2011 from 2-5 p.m. at the State Historical Society of Iowa - Iowa City, 402 Iowa Avenue. The topics they'll discuss range from Prisoner of War camps in Iowa during World War II to the coalition between farmers and labor unions at the end of the war. Students used library resources such as newspaper microfilm and census records, as well as primary source materials found at SHSI and the Iowa Women's Archives at the University of Iowa. Other topics include a report on fair housing in Iowa City prepared by the League of Women Voters, the efforts of Sister Irene Muņoz, a Latina activist working on behalf of migrant workers in Muscatine, and a doctor from Roland, Iowa, who was involved in a landmark Iowa court case in the 1950s because he had performed illegal abortions. In preparation for these research projects, Professor Linda K. Kerber brought the students in her Colloquium for History Majors to the State Historical Society to examine collections and identify possible themes and topics. As Kerber writes, "Much of the history of Iowa remains to be written. University of Iowa students have made important contributions to our knowledge of Iowa history. ...The purpose is to have the experience of writing history 'from scratch' - identifying a significant question, finding historical resources that can help develop an answer to it, analyzing those resources, and, finally writing an essay that is intellectually persuasive and gracefully written." Kerber is May Brodbeck Professor in the Liberal Arts and Sciences, Professor of History, and Lecturer in the Law at the University of Iowa. Kerber was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 2009. Preeminent among historians of her generation, Kerber has served as president of the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, and the American Studies Association. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Kerber has long been a champion of libraries and archives, and has been a stalwart supporter of the State Historical Society of Iowa for decades. The presentation is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact Mary-Bennett@uiowa.edu or call (319) 335-3911.
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A Pardon That Almost Removed a Governor From Office |
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Governor William L. Harding |
By Meaghan McCarthy Secondary sources are a good way to start learning about a topic. For example, an article by Tom Morain in the Winter 2005 Iowa Heritage Illustrated offers an overview of one such historical event, the case of Ernest Rathbun. More about this particular case, as with other historical events, can be discovered by looking at primary source documents created while the event was unfolding.
A new exhibit in the Des Moines Library & Archives Reading Room examines the unfolding of events surrounding Rathbun. A purported gubernatorial pardon deal for $5,000, pressure placed upon Rathbun to renounce his pardon, impeachment proceedings against Governor William L. Harding (1917-1921) and Supreme Court decision all worked toward a complex unfolding of events. In the end Ernest Rathbun left the state and his whereabouts have never been uncovered.
Sources used in this exhibit are samples of the extensive, rich collections of published materials and archival collections preserved by the State Historical Society of Iowa for use by historians, genealogists, students and other researchers. They include newspapers, photographs and publications from Library and Special Collections and records of the Adjutant General, Attorney General, Governor, Secretary of State, and Supreme Court from the State Archives.
The exhibit can be viewed in the Des Moines Library & Archives Reading Room in the State Historical Building through August, 2011. The reading room is open Tuesday-Friday 12:30-4:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
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Museum Offers First Sign Interpreted Tours
The State Historical Museum will offer sign language interpreted tours and activities for the deaf and hard of hearing public Sunday, May 15, 2011. Sign language interpreters from Deaf Action Center in Des Moines will accompany museum docents as they guide visitors through the "Delicate Balance" exhibit beginning at 1 p.m. and the "You Gotta Know the Territory" exhibit at 2:30 p.m. "The Delicate Balance: Human Values and Iowa's Natural Resources" looks at how people have used Iowa's natural resources from prehistoric times to the present, and includes Native American collections, wildlife and fossils. "You Gotta Know the Territory" explores Iowa's years before statehood while focusing on native cultures, immigration, farming, town life and human rights. Crafts and art activities will take place in the Heritage Classrooms from 1-4 p.m. and follow the themes presented by each exhibit. Participants may choose to create "Puppets of the Prairie" or construct wagon models. The tours and activities are free and open to the public. The tours are made possible with funding from the Des Moines Host Lions Foundation. The museum is located at 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. For more information, contact Maureen.Korte@iowa.gov or (515) 281-4132.
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Sign Up Now for Summer Camps at the Historical Building! The Department of Cultural Affairs is now taking registrations for summer camps at the State Historical Building in Des Moines.
Two-day Archaeology Camp sessions will be offered June 13-14 and June 15-16, and a week-long Puppet Camp will be July 25-29, 2011. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged by contacting Maureen Korte at (515) 281-4132.
Archaeology Camp
Presented by the State Historical Museum and the Office of the State Archaeologist, the two-day Archaeology Camps are targeted for children in grades 4-8. Participants will have hands-on, interactive opportunities to learn about archaeologists and artifacts, prehistoric pottery and hunting tools, Native American toys and games, CSI-style crime scene investigations, food and agriculture, animal bones, prehistoric rock art and more. Each two-day session concludes with a presentation to parents. Tuition is $120 per child. Each child should bring a sack lunch. A snack will be provided.
Session I
June 13: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
June 14: 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Session II
June 15: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
June 16: 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Puppet Camp
Presented by the State Historical Museum, this camp is geared for children in grades 3 through high school. Professional puppeteer Monica Leo, her musical accompanist, Ron Hillis, and museum staff will lead puppet-making workshops. Students will create puppets and present them in Portraits of the Prairie puppet show at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the last day of camp. Portraits of the Prairie demonstrates the history of the land from native prairie to early settlers and small farms. The main character, Pierre, is played by Leo and all the prairie creatures are performed by camp participants. Iowa Poet Laureate Mary Swander authored the script. Registration is $275 per child. Admission for the Portraits of the Prairie show is $5 per person at the door.
One Week-Long Session
July 25-29: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Visit www.iowahistory.org or call (515) 281-4132 for more information.
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Kitchen Klatter in the 1950s and 60s
By Mara Egherman, MA, MLIS
State Historical Society Library volunteer
In the last issue of The Iowa Historian, I wrote about the establishment of Kitchen Klatter Magazine in the 1940s and its accompanying radio show. As I continued my inventory into the next two decades of this periodical, it was interesting to see how some things changed and others remained the same.
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Leanna Driftmier |
The Driftmier family continued to play a key role in editing and writing for the newsletter during the 50s and 60s. By the end of that time period, initial editor Leanna Field Driftmier passed the torch to her daughter, Lucile, bit by bit until 1969 when Leanna formally resigned as editor. The family saga told in installments that was begun in the 40s continued for seven years until, after 79 chapters, it ended in September 1950. By 1951 there was an ad for the published collection of the Driftmier family history bound into a book called Story of an American Family.
As one who grew up with Better Homes and Gardens coming to my Minnesota household each month, I cannot help comparing these two periodicals, one on black and white newsprint and the other colored and glossy. Classified ads in Kitchen Klatter grew during this era, and business expanded to include sales of a variety of products, from household cleaners to food flavorings. The newsletter promoted the radio show, and I would speculate that the radio show generated newsletter subscriptions.
The November 1966 issue included a thoughtful, nonjudgmental article titled "Does it pay to go to work?" helping homemakers calculate the real costs of earning an income after their children were enrolled in school, considering tax brackets, less time for home cooking that saves money, transportation costs and the like. Again, I was struck by the colloquial tone of this periodical, sympathetic to and supportive of its readers. Lists were made of subscribers who were hospitalized or home-bound, so that other readers could send cards. Empathy extended to those deemed "outsiders" in rural America to which most of the writing appeared to be targeted (a demographic study of subscribers would be another interesting research topic and whether that changed over time).
Practical issues around child development continued as a theme about which many letters to columnists were written, and photos of children and grandchildren dotted almost every issue. Educators, nursing and psychology students, and parents would all find enlightenment and perhaps amusement from the readers' letters and responses. My favorite element during this part of my Kitchen Klatter inventory was the following 1963 column, with a note that it was "sent in by Frederick" (Leanna's traveling son and a columnist):
Advice to Teenagers
This little bit of advice was written by L.D. Harris, Chief of Police of Manassas Park, Virginia, and it was distributed at a P.T.A. meeting.
"Always we hear the plaintive cry of the teen-agers: 'What can we do? Where can we go?'
The answer is - GO HOME. Hang the storm windows, paint the woodwork. Rake the leaves. Mow the lawn. Shovel the walk. Wash the car. Learn to cook. Scrub some floors. Repair the sink. Build a boat. Get a job. Visit the sick. Assist the poor. Study your lessons. And then when you are through - and not tired - read a book.
Your parents do not owe you entertainment. Your village does not owe you recreation facilities. The world does not owe you a living. You owe the world something. You owe it your time and energy and your talents so that no one will be at war or in poverty, or sick, or lonely again.
In plain, simple words: Grow up; quit being a cry baby; get out of your dream world - start acting like a man or a lady."
I hope to find more gems like this as I complete the final decades' inventory. Stay tuned.
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Country School Earns Awards; DVD Now Available
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Tammy Rundle addresses the crowd before a showing of Country School in DeWitt. |
In November, the Fourth Wall Films documentary Country School: One Room - One Nation opened at the State Historical Building in Des Moines. Six months and two awards later, large crowds continue to turn out to see Tammy and Kelly Rundle's feature film, and now the popular film is also now available on DVD.
The critically-acclaimed and award-winning film examines the dramatic story of one-room schools in Iowa and the Upper Midwest and their role in education and nation-building.
The film's most recent showing in Merrill, Wis., drew a standing room only crowd of nearly 200. The Davenport showing, the largest single event so far, drew over 400 viewers. Showings in Maquoketa and Richland Center, Wis., each had nearly 250 in attendance. Additional public showings of the film are scheduled through the end of 2011 throughout the Midwest and as far away as New York state.
In early April, Country School won a "Gold Eddy" for Best Documentary at the 2011 Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival. The Festival showcases the work of filmmakers from across the state and around the country.
On April 6, the Rundles accepted the "Outstanding Preservation in Agriculture" Award from Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area. The citation included both Country School and Lost Nation: The Ioway documentaries and read, in part, "The Rundles have been uncovering stories that are nearly forgotten and preserving stories that are soon to be gone. Their work connects us to Iowa's early inhabitants and farmers, and brings light to how one room built one nation."
On April 18, the Rundles learned Country School received the 2011 Country School Association of America's Scholarship & Artistry Award, and will be presented during its annual conference in New Jersey in June. Bill Sherman will be present to accept the award.
PBS broadcasts will follow in 2012. To buy a Country School: One Room - One Nation DVD, to schedule a showing in your area, or for more information visit www.CountrySchoolMovie.com.
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Serve Your State by Serving on a Commission
The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service ("Volunteer Iowa") is seeking service-minded individuals to serve as commissioners for terms to begin on July 1, 2011. Volunteer Iowa is the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (ICVS), a state government agency that works to: 1) help organizations fulfill their missions using service as a strategy/solution and; 2) engage Iowans in their communities, empowering them to address Iowa's most pressing challenges. Commissioners are responsible for developing and communicating a statewide vision and ethic of service and promoting that vision throughout Iowa in addition to establishing policy and awarding funding to many of Iowa's service and volunteer programs. How Can I Become a Commissioner?Commissioners are appointed by the Governor to three-year staggered terms and may serve no more than two terms. Our commissioners represent a broad and diverse collection of expertise: education, national service programs, older adults, community-based agencies, local and state government, labor, volunteer programs and business, among others. No more than 25 percent of the members may be state employees. If you are interested in serving on the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, please submit a Gubernatorial Appointment Application as soon as possible. Visit http://openup.iowa.gov/application/, where you may apply online or can download a paper form to submit. Make sure to indicate "Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service" in the Board/Commission Desired section - the 2011 appointment process will begin very soon!
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Photo Note: Portion of a poster printed by Captain Washington Galland's Montrose Guards to announce meeting on June 5, 1861 at the Methodist Episcopal Church (Montrose, Iowa) to raise and support a company of Civil War soldiers from Montrose Township, Iowa.
WashingtonGalland Papers, State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines.
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SHSI Calendar of Events
April 25: Senior History Day, State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines.
April 29: "A Tribute to Jack Shelley," 7:30 p.m., State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. See related story.
April 30: Missouri River Relief Clean Up, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Western Historic Trails Center, 3434 Richard Downing Ave., Council Bluffs.
May 1: Hike or Bike to Help Refugees, 1 p.m., Western Historic Trails Center, 3434 Richard Downing Ave., Council Bluffs. Event features three riding options for cyclists of varying skills. www.hiketohelp.org
May 2: "Iowa History Mysteries," 2-5 p.m., SHSI - Iowa City, 402 Iowa Ave. See related story.
May 2: Junior History Day, State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines.
May 2: Application deadline for the Iowa Community Cultural Grant.
May 5: Historic Rehabilitation Workshop, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m., German American Heritage Center, 712 W. 2nd St., Davenport. See related story.
May 7: "Spring Into Spring with Family Art at Western Historic Trails Center," 10 a.m.-3 p.m., 3434 Richard Downing Ave., Council Bluffs. Create art from recyclable materials (provided). www.councilbluffsiowa.com
May 14: Museum Mayhem, 11-3 p.m., State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. May 15: Sign Language Interpretive Museum Tours, 1-3 p.m., State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. See related story.
May 15: Historical Society of Pottawattamie County lecture, 2 p.m., Western Historic Trails Center, 3434 Richard Downing Ave., Council Bluffs. Presentation by Chad Graeve on the preservation of prairies and the Loess Hills area, and the 20th anniversary of the effort to save the Hitchcock Nature Center. www.thehistoricalsociety.org
May 16: Application deadline for HRDP.
May 21: Iowa Juneteenth Observance, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust Des Moines. Performance of "For Colored Girls," museum exhibit, jazz heritage concert.
May 22-25: The National Main Streets Conference in Des Moines. This annual event is the largest nationwide gathering of commercial district revitalization professionals in the country.
May 28: Historic Sites open for the season, See www.iowahistory.org for specific information on each site.
May 30: Memorial Day; All state offices, historical libraries will be closed.
SAVE THE DATE: Flag Day Celebration June 11, 2011. Many activities for families focused on the flag as a symbol and how its image has been used from the Civil War through current conflicts. Interact with veterans, view a Confederate and Union Civil War flag, Des Moines Mounted Police and Civil War Cavalry Unit Re-Enactors will be onsite with horses and more. Watch for complete information in the next issue of The Iowa Historian. |
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Are you interested in the arts in Iowa? Join the Iowa Arts Council monthly e-newsletter, Iowa Arts News. | |
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 The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs is responsible for developing the state's interest in the areas of the arts, history and other cultural matters with the advice and assistance from its two divisions: the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council. DCA preserves, researches, interprets and promotes an awareness and understanding of local, state and regional history and stimulates and encourages the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts and public interest and participation in them. It implements tourism-related art and history projects as directed by the General Assembly and designs a comprehensive, statewide, long-range plan with the assistance of the Iowa Arts Council to develop the arts in Iowa. More information about DCA is available at www.culturalaffairs.org
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