By : Angelica Torneten. Back to the early 1950’s when cattle shippers were feeding cattle the prime grade and the best market was in Chicago. Cattle were.

Iowa’s ABC Book

by : Angelica Torneten

A is For Albert the Bull

Back to the early 1950’s when cattle shippers were feeding cattle the prime grade and the best market was in Chicago. Cattle were shipped to market via railroad . Shippers invited banker Albert (AI) Kruse of First state bank to ride with them but he declined. Finally ,arrangements were made for a Pullman car. Thus, first Operation T-bone was celebrated in 1951.

B is For Black Squirrel

The black Squirrels are common in Midwest North America and parts of northeast. It is illegal to taunt, maim ,kill , annoy or other wise disturb a black squirrel. Their overall rarity has caused many towns , cities , and universities to take pride.

C is For Council Bluffs

Council Bluffs has been known as Miller’s Hollow , Council Point , Kane and Kanesville . Council Bluffs played a part in the Migration , of the members of the Mormon Church . A French trader had establish a trading post and quilted a cabin on the bluffs , with in limits of present City of Council Bluffs .

D IS FOR DES MOINES

Was founded in 1843 and incorporated as a city in 1851. The original name of Des Moines was Fort Raccoon , and was later changed to fort Des Moines , than shortened to the current Des Moines.

E is For Eastern Goldfinch

The designated the eastern goldfinch , as the official state bird . The official bird of Iowa house of Representatives on May 21. The eastern goldfinch , adopted by 1933 and recorded as spinus tristisa ,is now referred to as the America goldfinch.

F is For Florence

Many women and men who have chosen a career in nursing have followed Nightingale's footsteps, in their idealism, selfless service, and professional standards. Some people think that the identification of nursing as a woman's profession and of nurses as subservient to doctors—who have been mainly men—reinforces gender stereotypes. Nightingale cannot be blamed for this, as when she was active women were only just beginning to enter the medical profession. There is little doubt that her professionalizing of nursing has impacted positively upon the lives of millions of people, and opened up opportunities both to have a career and to exercise compassion and care

G is For Greenville

Dodge

Was a famous railroad builder . In his lifetime he helped build over sixty thousand miles of track , including the Pacific, which linked the east coast with the West. When the Civil War began ,Dodge joined the Union Army. His skill at building bridges and railroad tracks.

H IS FOR HERBERT HOVER

Hoover took office in 1929, amid high hopes for the country and his administration. He had been a distinguished humanitarian, a successful engineer, and a dynamic Secretary of Commerce. He was highly regarded both at home and around the world for his energy, ability, and dedication to human welfare. But his inability to deal satisfactorily with the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed profoundly tarnished his reputation. Through his continued life of public service during 30 years as a former president, Hoover effectively recovered the respect he had lost.

I is For Iowa

•Iowa stands in a class by itself as an agricultural state. Its farms sell over $10 billion worth of crops and livestock annually. Iowa leads the nation in all corn, soybean, and hog marketing, and comes in third in total livestock sales. Iowa’s forests produce hardwood lumber, particularly walnut, and its mineral products include cement, limestone, sand, gravel, gypsum, and coal.

The first Europeans to visit the area were the French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet in 1673. The U.S. obtained control of the area in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase, and during the first half of the 19th century, there was heavy fighting between white settlers and Indians. Lands were taken from the Indians after the Black Hawk War in 1832 and again in 1836 and 1837.

J IS FOR JULIEN DUBUQUE

The first European to settle in Iowa was Julien Dubuque . In his early twenties, Dubuque traveled to prairie du chien, an important trading post to the Mississippi River is what is today Wisconsin.

K is For Keokuk

When Keokuk was very young he killed a rival Sioux warrior. His victory that they celebrated with a feast and promoted the young warrior to the rank of brave . Keokuk used his talent as a speaker for peaceful purposes. When his own warriors wanted to attack the great nation would never forgive them . Keokuk pulled a switch and four innocent warriors instead . In Court he was able to prove innocence of his warriors and they were all set free .

L IS FOR LIEUTENANT ALBERT LEA

He traveled through eastern Iowa looking for a good location for a fort

In 1835, Companies B, H, and I of the United States Dragoons, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen W. Kearney, came through Freeborn County. One of the members of the expedition was Lieutenant Albert Miller Lea, topographer. Lieutenant Lea sketched the outline of the lake that he named “Fox Lake”. Joseph Nicollet later renamed the lake, Lake Albert Lea. In 1855, a small settlement began on the northwest edge of the lake and the town became known as Albert Lea, named after the lake—which was named in honor of Lieutenant Albert Lea.

M IS FOR GLEN MILLER

Was founder of the orchestra . Miller wrote to the Army and Persuaded them to be placed in the Army’s band. While he was traveling to entertain the U.S. Troops in France during World War 2, Millers plane disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel. His body was never found .

N is for Newton , Iowa

Newton was founded in 1850 and incorporated as a city in 1857. In the late 19th century, Newton's growth was fueled by the development of coal mines in the region. The first significant mine in the area was the Couch mine of the Jasper County Coal and Railway Company, opened in the 1870s. It was, for a while, the largest mine in the county, producing 70 tons per day. William Snooks opened a mine near Newton in 1886]n the early 20th century, large scale mining in the Newton area had declined, but there were still several mines in the area that were worked intermittently.[

In the 20th century, Newton was a manufacturing community, much of its growth derived from the washing machine industry. Its most distinctive landmark, the Jasper County Courthouse, was built in 1911.Newton entered the national stage in 1938 when martial law was declared during a strike at the Maytag Washing Machine Company. Iowa governor Nelson Kraschel ordered the Iowa National Guard to protect the company with tanks and machine guns ready against the workers. With the backing of four troops (companies) of the 113th Cavalry Regiment,Maytag company beat the strike and forced workers to return to work with a 10% pay cut.

O is for Oak Tree

The Oak Tree was chosen by the 59th Iowa General Assembly as Iowa’s official tree on March 13, 1961. The Iowa General Assembly chose the oak because it is abundant in the state.

The Iowa General Assembly chose the oak because it is abundant in the state and serves as shelter, food and nesting cover for many animals and birds. It is difficult to find a tract of natural woodland in Iowa that does not have in it at least one species of oak. No other group of trees is more important to people and wildlife. Acorns, the nuts of oak trees, are a dietary staple of many animals and birds. Deer, wild turkeys, pheasants, quail, wood ducks, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, bluejays, nuthatches, grackles and several kinds of woodpeckers are a few of the species that depend on acorns for a significant portion of their diet."

P is For Pioneer Life

Women would act as doctors and nurses of their families. They would gather eggs and milk , and separate milk from the cream. If an Women’s husband died she would take the farm work including her own. Women would often plant a couple of acres of potatoes . Men would plant a few acres of wheat . They would train horses and oxen to walk the same pace as the pickers.

Q is For Quaker Oats

The largest cereal plant in the United States , in Cedar Rapids Iowa . Quaker Oats registered as the first trademark for a break feast cereal.

R is For Ragbrai

RAGBRAI is an acronym for Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. It is a non-competitive bicycle ride across Iowa that draws recreational riders from across the United States and overseas.[1] They ride from a community on Iowa's western border to a community on Iowa's eastern border, stopping in towns across the state. RAGBRAI is limited to 8,500 week-long riders and 1,500 day riders

S is For Stagecoaches

stagecoaches got crowded and uncomfortable for travel , besides carrying passengers it also carried mail . Sometimes the Stagecoach could tip over , every rest stop was about 15 miles .

T is For Tom Vilsack

Is Iowa Governor who became the US secretary of Agriculture under President Barack Obama in 2009. In 1998 he was elected Iowa’s first Democratic and was reelected to a second term in 2002..

U is For Underwood

The principal early settlers of the area arrived during the period from 1845 to 1850. In 1847, a flour mill and a saw mill were built on Mosquito Creek, southwest of the present site of Underwood. In 1850, the flour mill was destroyed by a flood. The first school was built in 1863 and soon more homes were built near the school and saw mill. It became known as Downsville. A post office was established there.

V is For Volga

Volga City is located on the Volga River in the heart of the picturesque Volga Valley, one of the most scenic locations in the state of Iowa. Volga was founded by the Western Town Lot Company on December 27, 1879 by Col. Arthur Jacoby. It was originally named “Bandy Town” after the Bandy family who were early settlers there. Later, the railroad assigned it the name “Volga” not after the Volga River, as some believe, but after the Iowa town of the same name.

W is for Wild Rose

The Iowa Legislature designated the Wild Rose as the official state flower in 1897. It was chosen for the honor because it was one of the decorations used on the silver service which the state presented to the battleship USS Iowa that same year. Although no particular species of the flower was designated by the Legislature, the Wild Prairie Rose (Rosa Pratincola) is most often cited as the official flower. Wild roses are found throughout the state and bloom from June through late summer. The flower, in varying shades of pink, is set off by many yellow stamens in the center.

X is For Xenia

Charted as collegiate school for men in 1701largely as a result of the effort of James Piperpiont , it opened at Killingworth in 1702. Xenia High School is a public high school in Xenia, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Xenia Community Schools district. The school's average daily student enrollment for the 2008-2009 school year was 1452. The Ohio Department of Education has given Xenia High School a rating of "Continuous Improvement" for the 2008-2009 school year; the school met 9 out of 12 state indicators.[3] The school's mascot is the Buccaneer and its colors are blue and white. The school's fight song is "Hoorah for Xenia High School"

Y is For YaleIt’s name was changed to Yale college in 1718 in honor of Elihu , who had been persuaded by Cotton Mather and Jeremiah Dummer to contribute to the college . It’s present charter was drawn up and down in 1745.

Z is For Zebulon Pike

The following month to negotiated with the sioux in order to gain permission to build the a stockade As a result of expedition , Pike was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel . General Pike led his forces to victory at York.