Saturday, February 8, 2020

February 8 - National Iowa Day


Happy National Iowa Day! Today we observe the 29th state to join the union back on December 28, 1846. 

This Midwestern U.S. state sits between the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. It’s known for its landscape of rolling plains and cornfields. 

Landmarks in the capital, Des Moines, include the gold-domed, 19th-century State Capitol Building, Pappajohn Sculpture Park and the Des Moines Art Center, noted for its contemporary collections. The city of Cedar Rapids' Museum of Art has paintings by native Iowan Grant Wood. 

Iowa is known for fertile prairie, rolling hills, raising innovative people and some nostalgic movie moments. From the Mississippi River to the harvests in Plymouth, Harrison or Fremont counties, Iowa’s history, beauty and hospitality flourish. 
  
The state was named for Iowa Native Americans who populated the area when European settlement forced Eastern tribes westward. 
Acquired as part of the Louisiana Purchase, Iowa Territory settlement didn’t start to take place until around the 1830s. 
Other Fascinating Faces and Places 

One of the later settlements that remain today is the Amana Colony. A congregation of the Community of True Inspiration, their faith and persecution in Germany led them to immigrate to America for religious freedom.  

Iowa supplied fertile farmland and a home for them to practice their skills and their beliefs. Today, they open their community to the public. Shop for handmade gifts, homemade baked goods, wine and stay for a home-cooked meal. 

In the southwestern part of the state, Madison County boasts beautiful covered bridges which were featured in the movie by a similar name. While touring the bridges, be sure to stop by Winterset and take in the birthplace of John Wayne. 

In the southwestern part of the state, Madison County boasts beautiful covered bridges which were featured in the movie by a similar name. While touring the bridges, be sure to stop by Winterset and take in the birthplace of John Wayne. 

Not far from the Mississippi River, the home from the 1989 American fantasy-drama sports film 'Field of Dreams' is just outside Dyersville. They built it so that you would come. 

For fantastic performances in a historic rock and roll venue, check out the events at the Surf Ballroom. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper played their last concerts at the Surf Ballroom the night they perished in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. 

Nature lovers will find plenty of adventure in Iowa. Effigy Mounds National Park will satisfy those with a mystical and historical curiosity. Rockhounds should seek out Geode State Park. The Corps of Discovery’s Louis and Clark Trail come through Iowa as well. 

For a complete list of Iowa State and National Parks and historic sites, please visit the websites below. 

https://www.nps.gov  

Geode State Park – Danville 
Shimek State Forest – Farmington 
Viking Lake State Park – Stanton 
Iowa Old Capitol Building – Iowa City 
Salisbury House – Des Moines 
Effigy Mounds National Monument – Harpers Ferry 
American Gothic House – Eldon 
Living History Farms – Urbandale 
Sergeant Floyd Monument – Sioux City 
Western Historic Trails Center– Council Bluffs 
Little Brown Church – Nashua 
Historic Squirrel Cage Jail – Council Bluffs 

Be sure to check out a few of the featured sites around the state below as well. 

𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐔𝐌𝐒


Union Pacific Railroad Museum – Council Bluffs 

MacNider Art Museum – Mason City

Museum of Danish America – Elk Horn

Amana Heritage Museum – Amana 
  
HOW TO OBSERVE 

From the Quad Cities to Shimek Forest, Iowa offers city and country to explore. Join National Day Calendar® as they examine the state's dynamic people and pioneering history. Travel byways and discovery Iowa’s stunning scenery! Use #NationalIowaDay to share on social media. 

Hidden Treasures 
Snake Alley – Burlington 
Hobo Museum – Britt 
Matchstick Marvels Museum – Gladbrook 
Vermeer Windmill – Pella

We also observe these famous figures born in Iowa of whom are still recognized today for their past accomplishments, heroics, talents, ingenuity and innovations: Antonine Barada, Buffalo Bill Cody, Carrie Lane Chapman, Ringling Brothers, Lee de Forest, Herbert Hoover, Eugene Burton Ely, Grant Wood, W.H. Crothers, George Gallup, Glenn Miller, Marion Mitchell Morrison (John Wayne), Winifred Asprey, Bob Feller, Johnny Carson, Dan Gable and Peggy Whitson. 

Visit the link below to see those of notable birth who were not mentioned on the list above. 


Here's to The Hawkeye State! 

#NationalIowaDay 
@IowaStateFair 
@nichecinema 
  
  

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