Iowa: Portrait of the LandBased on Larry’s award-winning Earth Year 2000 book for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, “Portrait” is a reminder to Iowans of the rich history of their natural resources, with an appeal for protecting that heritage.
Working with the Enemy: German, Italian and Japanese Prisoners of War in Iowa during the Second World WarAs part of a relatively quiet and under-publicized government program, thousands of enemy soldiers invaded Iowa in 1943. With the hugely successful 1942 Allied campaign against Adolf Hitler’s vaunted Afrika Corps in North Africa, the number of enemy […]
6-on-6 Girl’s Basketball in Iowa: Traditions, Transitions, and LegaciesFor most of the 20th cenury, Iowa was known for its devotion to a unique form of women’s sport known as 6-on-6 girls’ basketball. As other states abandoned 6-on-6 in the 1970s, Iowa remained committed to this half-court game until 1993, when the final 6-player championship was […]
Lewis and Clark in Iowa“Lewis and Clark in Iowa” begins with the story before the expedition: the sale of the Louisiana Purchase to the United States. Tracing the 1803 course from Elizabeth, Pennsylvania to St. Charles, Missouri, Shurr discusses the background of the many “players” of the expedition including York, the engages and Seaman. Moving […]
Adventures Along the Historic Lincoln Highway in IowaNothing says freedom like the great American road trip, especially when you cruise the historic Lincoln Highway in Iowa. Better known today as Highway 30, the Lincoln Highway revolutionized Iowa and America when the historic route was developed more than a century ago. If you’ve ever traveled on […]
Researching Your Civil War AncestorExperienced researcher David Connon shares strategies for tracking down your Civil War ancestor, North or South. Time permitting, audience members could share their research, and he could suggest options. Connon is descended from two Union veterans. He documented 76 Iowa residents who served the Confederacy. He tells their pre-war, war-time, and […]
Grant Wood: Prairie RebelIn this 45-minute, one-man show, Grant Wood chats with the audience as if talking to an old friend across the backyard fence, or maybe at his home at Five Turner Alley in Cedar Rapids. He tells us about his life and how he changed the art world forever with his work. It […]
Gladys Black: The Legacy of Iowa’s Bird LadyThe late Gladys Black of Pleasantville was widely known throughout Iowa as a conservationist, educator and amateur expert on birds. Larry and co-author Jon Stravers have written a book about Gladys. Larry’s slide program acknowledges this colorful woman’s impact on so many Iowans.
Adventures Along the Historic Lincoln Highway in Iowa Nothing says freedom like the great American road trip, especially when you cruise the historic Lincoln Highway in Iowa. Better known today as Highway 30, the Lincoln Highway revolutionized Iowa and America when the historic route was developed more than a century ago. If you’ve ever traveled […]
Iowa’s Lost History from the Titanic What do an orphan train rider, a kidnapper, a missionary, a wealthy businessman, a wedding guest, a betrayed wife, a farmer and an immigrant recruiter have in common? All had ties to Iowa, and all were passengers aboard the ill-fated Titanic on the fateful night of April 15, 1912, […]
JJ Singh KapurJJ Kapur began his interfaith work in Iowa in high school. He started a youth organization called “The Turbanators,” which focused on “turban-ating” the negative stigma surrounding Sikhism through awareness building and community service. In 2017, he became the first turbaned Sikh to win the most prestigious high school speech and debate competition […]
Savor Iowa’s Culinary History Savor Iowa’s amazing food heritage! Iowa’s delectable cuisine is quintessentially Midwestern, grounded in its rich farming heritage and spiced with diverse ethnic influences. From the chili-and-cinnamon-rolls phenomenon to Maid-Rites to the moveable feast known as RAGBRAI, discover the remarkable stories behind Iowa classics and savor a smorgasbord of other unique Iowa […]
