Iowa History Journal Volume 5, Issue 2, Now Available

Friday, March 1st, 2013 | Iowa History Journal

To an entire generation of Americans in the 1950s and ‘60s, she was known simply as “Mamie”. She served as the nation’s First Lady from 1952 to 1959, when her husband Dwight D. Eisenhower was President of the United States of America. Eisenhower, known affectionately as Ike, was the hero of WWII and met his Mamie when they were just youngsters starting out on life’s journey. Mamie was born in Boone, Iowa, and she lived with her family in Cedar Rapids for a spell. Today, her legacy lives on in Boone – particularly at her birthplace home at 709 Carroll Street. It is a story that Iowans should take great pride in knowing.

A wild elephant on the loose in Iowa? Yep, way back in 1923 an elephant escaped from a circus car and went on a rampage through southern Iowa. The story is both humorous yet sad. Read the details in the current issue of Iowa’s elephant walk. In addition, Don Doxsie writes about the Fabulous Five basketball team of the 1950s and its back to back trips to the Final Four.

Also included in this issue:

• Saying goodbye to Abigail Van Buren and a Hawkeye Hero
• Fort Dodge lad survives the horrors of the notorious Civil War prison at Andersonville
• Earl May created one of Iowa’s most enduring businesses
• Mount Ayr combines the past with the future in amazing style
• The oldest Czech Catholic Church is the pride of Spillville
• Columns by our regulars – Arvid Huisman, John McNeer and Mike Chapman
• Iowa History quiz
• Letters to the editor

…and much more!

Contents
3 – Publisher’s Perspective: Saying goodbye to Abby and Hawkeye hero by Mike Chapman
4 – She was ‘Mamie’: First Lady legacy lives on in Boone by Michael Swanger
8 – Fort Dodge lad survived horrors of Civil War prison by Al Nelson
13 – Country Roads: Driving across Iowa in 1957 was far different by Arvid Huisman
15 – Earl May’s many skills helped him go to top of business world by John Skipper
19 – Elephant rampage made BIG news in Iowa in 1923 by Russell Corder
23 – The Way We Were: An Aladdin lamp was something special by John McNeer
24 – Fabulous Five put Iowa in Final Four twice in 1950s by Don Doxsie
27 – What’s In a Name: Mount Ayr rallies to combine past with the future by Mike Chapman
29 – Book reviews: Thompson uses poems to illuminate state history by William Sherman
31 – Oldest Czech Catholic Church is Spillville pride by Larry Ray Hurto
33 – Iowa History Quiz
36 – Letters to the Editor

Tags: Abigail Van Buren, Andersonville, Earl May, Mamie Eisenhower, Mount Ayr, Spillville

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