Iowa Trivia & Tidbits - Page 14

Looking for Iowa trivia? Try our list Iowa little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

An estimated 27,000 miles of rivers and streams course through the state, with the Mississippi River forming its eastern boundary and the Missouri forming much of its western border.

first appeared: 2/17/2002

Established during the Civil War, the Keokuk National Cemetery in Keokuk (pop. 11,427) is the final resting place of more than 4,000 American soldiers and the only national cemetery in Iowa.

first appeared: 2/10/2002

In 1901, Jessie Field Shambaugh, “The Mother of 4-H,” started after-school activities at the Goldenrod School near Clarinda (pop. 5,690), which led to the formation of one of the nation’s largest youth organizations.

first appeared: 2/3/2002

Dixie Cornell Gebhardt of Knoxville (pop. 7,731) designed the state flag in 1917. The blue, white, and red banner was adopted by the General Assembly in 1921.

first appeared: 1/27/2002

Called the City of Bridges, Ottumwa (pop. 24,998) is home to three bridges spanning the Des Moines River, including the 2,120-foot Jefferson Street Viaduct, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

first appeared: 1/20/2002

The Lost Island Nature Center, which opened in 1993 near Ruthven (pop. 711), has more than 5,000 acres of public lakes, marshes, and upland habitat.

first appeared: 1/13/2002

William Ashley “Billy” Sunday, the professional baseball player turned fiery evangelic preacher, was born in Ames in 1862. To open his dynamic sermons, Sunday often would “slide” onto the stage as if sliding into a base.

first appeared: 1/6/2002

The longest known case of hiccups occurred when Charles Osborne of Anthon (pop. 649) began hiccuping up to 40 times a minute in 1922. The bout continued until February 1990, when it stopped for unknown reasons.

first appeared: 12/30/2001

Gypsum was discovered near Fort Dodge (pop. 25,136) in 1852. Now, seven companies in the area mine and process 1.5 million tons of the chalky, white mineral annually.

first appeared: 12/23/2001

In the 1850s, Iowa lay in the heart of America’s tallgrass prairie, which extended east to Indiana, west to the Dakotas, and south to Texas.

first appeared: 12/16/2001

John Hartzell Spence, founding editor of Yank, the World War II newspaper for American troops, was born in Marion (pop. 26,294). He coined the phrase “pinup girl” when he put pictures of actresses and models into the newspaper.

first appeared: 12/9/2001

Every Christmas season, Algona (pop. 5,741) exhibits a Nativity scene made during World War II by six German soldiers who were prisoners of war in a nearby camp. Made of wire and papier-mâché, the half-scale Nativity is displayed at the Kossuth County Fairgrounds.

first appeared: 12/2/2001

Since the 1920s, Stanton (pop. 714) has had a 40,000-gallon water tower, which was later reshaped like a coffeepot. Another water tower completed in June is shaped like a coffee cup and holds 150,000 gallons of water.

first appeared: 11/25/2001

On Feb. 10, 1942, Glenn Miller of Clarinda (pop. 5,690) became the first musician awarded a “gold” record. It was a record sprayed with gold paint by RCA Victor to commemorate his hit song, Chattanooga Choo-Choo.

first appeared: 11/18/2001

Despite its reputation as being a flat state, Iowa has downhill ski courses near Boone, Cherokee, Crescent, Decorah, Dubuque, Estherville, and Montezuma.

first appeared: 11/11/2001

Settled by English and Welsh coal miners, What Cheer (pop. 678) is named after the old English salutation “Wot cher,” meaning “How are you?” or “I hope you are of good cheer.”

first appeared: 11/4/2001

The first cement highway in Iowa was poured between Clear Lake (pop. 8,161) and Mason City (pop. 29,172) in 1917.

first appeared: 10/28/2001

The name of Primghar (pop. 891) was fashioned by using the first letter of the last name of each of its founders: Pumphrey, Roberts, Inman, McCormack, Green, Hayes, Albright, and Rerick.

first appeared: 10/21/2001

Robert James Waller, author of short stories and the novel, The Bridges of Madison County, was born in Rockford (pop. 907) on Aug. 1, 1939.

first appeared: 10/14/2001

Corning (pop. 1,783) has two soda fountains almost next door to each other on Davis Street. Getter’s Pharmacy serves Pepsi products and McMahon’s Drug serves Coca-Cola.

first appeared: 10/7/2001

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