Volume 17, Issue No. 6, Nov/Dec 2025
For most Iowans, Christmas Day is when almost everything in our daily lives comes to a halt. It’s a day of worship and revelry, a day for family and generosity, a day unlike any other day. It’s something people have come to expect and anticipate. But it wasn’t always that way. Many of Iowa’s earliest settlers viewed Christmas with apathy but that changed as European immigrants brought their traditions to Iowa during the 1800s, helping to establish our state’s Christmas traditions. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, get cozy next to the fireplace and read Don Doxsie’s heart-warming cover story, “Christmas in Iowa,” to get into the Christmas spirit.
Publisher Michael Swanger offers some food for thought on Thanksgiving Day as he writes his column about Gov. Samuel Kirkwood’s Thanksgiving Day proclamations.
Explore Iowa’s Dragoon Trail, which commemorates Iowa’s frontier past and the dragoons who helped shape our state’s growth with UNI history professor Kevin Mason.
Call out the guard! Retired state curator Jerome Thompson pens the finale of his two-part series about The Cow War of 1931.
Are you wild about Harry? You just might be after learning how moviegoers were wild about actor Harry Langdon who found stardom in Hollywood from “The Culture Buzz” radio host John Busbee.
“Country Roads” columnist Arvid Huisman recalls a memorable hot lunch lesson, which was far better than silver, gold or rubies.
TO READ MORE FASCINATING STORIES ABOUT IOWA HISTORY, subscribe to Iowa History Journal. You can also purchase back issues at the store.
Volume 17, Issue No. 5, Sept/Oct 2025
Johnny Carson, the iconic host of “The Tonight Show” who became known as “The King of Late Night,” was born in the small Iowa town of Corning on Oct. 23, 1925. During his early childhood years, he and his family would also live in Red Oak, Avoca and Clarinda before moving to Nebraska. Though Carson earned his fame and fortune in New York and California as host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” from 1962 to 1992, he never lost his Midwestern charm which endeared him to millions of viewers. Join Iowa History Journal in celebrating the centennial of Carson’s birth with a retrospective of Carson’s illustrious career by author and radio host Jeff Stein.
In his column, publisher Michael Swanger writes about how Johnny Carson never forgot his Midwest roots by donating to entities in Iowa and Nebraska and he shares sites where fans can visit to pay homage to “The King of Late Night.”
Guest columnist Clark BreDahl pens a touching tribute to his alma mater, Orient-Macksburg Community Schools, which closed its doors in May.
Holy Cow! Jerome Thompson, retired curator of the State Historical Society of Iowa, pens the first of his two-part series, “Call out the Guard: The Cow War of 1931.”
Explore the Montauk Historic Site in Clermont with a story about the Larrabee Family home written by the site’s coordinator, Hannah Frederick.
Author and radio host Tim Harwood writes about the pivotal point 50 years ago in the history of University of Northern Iowa football when the team fought its way to the “Mud Bowl.”
“Country Roads” columnist Arvid Huisman celebrates autumn in Iowa.
TO READ MORE FASCINATING STORIES ABOUT IOWA HISTORY, subscribe to Iowa History Journal. You can also purchase back issues at the store.
Volume 17, Issue No. 4, July/Aug 2025
In a race to beat Nazi Germany to produce the world’s first atomic bomb during World War II, the United States collaborated with the United Kingdom and Canada to create the Manhattan Project, a research and development program that utilized more than 30 university and private sites across the U.S. Among them was Iowa State College in Ames where the work done in secret by a small group of scientists—dubbed the Ames Project—played a fundamental role in the development of the atomic bomb by creating a technique to extract pure uranium from compounds found in nature. Our cover story, written by Jerry Harrington, takes readers inside the Ames Project to better understand its creation, groundbreaking work and legacy.
In his column, publisher Michael Swanger pays tribute to Bernie Saggau, the late, former executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association.
An advertorial contributed by KCCI-TV celebrates the 70 years on the air as the CBS affiliate in Des Moines and reminds viewers to tune in to its special presentation on July 31 at 8 p.m., “This Is Iowa: KCCI Salute to 70 Years.”
Judge C.J. Williams pens a profile in courage for his debut IHJ story, telling how Judge Charles Bradley was attacked and nearly lynched by an angry mob of farmers for enforcing the law in 1933.
Dubuque historian John T. Pregler goes the distance to trace Charles A. Comiskey’s largely unknown roots in Dubuque as a professional baseball player before he became a manager and the founding owner of the Chicago White Sox 125 years ago.
“Country Roads” columnist Arvid Huisman writes about the land that he loves best—I-O-WAY.
TO READ MORE FASCINATING STORIES ABOUT IOWA HISTORY, subscribe to Iowa History Journal. You can also purchase back issues at the store.
Volume 17, Issue No. 3, May/June 2025
Fifty years ago, our nation’s involvement in the Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon as the North Vietnamese Army captured the capitol of South Vietnam on April 30, 1975. That summer, Gov. Robert Ray began working with U.S. officials to rescue South Vietnamese refugees from communist persecution, followed by a trip during the fall to Indochina in which he visited refugee camps and witnessed the humanitarian crisis. That winter, the first Tai Dam refugees arrived in the Hawkeye State as Iowans—at the urging of Ray—would play a leading role in the humanitarian response by the U.S. It is perhaps Ray’s greatest legacy as chronicled by author Matthew Walsh in our cover story, “A symbol of hope: Robert Ray welcomes Southeast Asian refugees.”
In his column, publisher Michael Swanger marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II by paying tribute to Iowa war correspondent U.S. Army Maj. Frank Miles.
Discover the treasure that is the 1883 Secrest Octagonal Barn in West Branch from Dave Austin, the editor of the Iowa Barn Foundation Magazine.
Author Timothy Walch pens the finale of his two-part series, “Why we fight: Letters from the front lines, 1861-1865,” as we recognize the 160th anniversary of the conclusion of the American Civil War.
Yet another Iowan took the mound in the MLB! Retired newspaperman Don Doxsie writes about Ida Grove native and MLB pitcher George Pipgras, who played on the legendary 1927 New York Yankees team and won three World Series titles.
Arvid Huisman shares a heartfelt column about Memorial Day in his “Country Roads” column as some Memorial Days are not planned.
BONUS ONLINE STORY — 160 years: Iowa’s connections to Lincoln and the Civil War
TO READ MORE FASCINATING STORIES ABOUT IOWA HISTORY, subscribe to Iowa History Journal. You can also purchase back issues at the store.
Volume 17, Issue No. 2, Mar/Apr 2025
As we commemorate the 160th anniversary of the conclusion of the American Civil War, we reveal some of the reasons why Iowans volunteered to fight in it by examining their letters from the front lines, 1861-1865. From the patriotic and the principled, to the provocation and profitability, author Timothy Walch traces the motivation for military service as reflected in the letters exchanged between Iowa soldiers and their families in the first part of his two-part series for our cover story.
In his column, publisher Michael Swanger bids a heartfelt farewell to Jake, IHJ’s beloved office companion and furry family member.
Learn about mathematician Oswald Veblen, whose brilliant work advanced atomic physics and the theory of relativity, and who helped to create the Institute for Advanced Study. Loyal Rue, emeritus professor of philosophy and religion at Luther College chronicles Veblen’s life and career.
Ready to get in the garden? Author and garden historian Beth Cody writes how Iowa’s gardens have evolved since the mid-19th century and shares vintage photos to illustrate her story.
News flash! Get the riveting, true-crime story of the 1895 Adel State Bank robbery and how it made national news from Mike Flinn.
Arvid Huisman recalls the routines and chaos of a family of eight at meal time in his “Country Roads” column.
BONUS ONLINE STORY — 160 years: Iowa’s connections to Lincoln and the Civil War
Volume 17, Issue No. 1, Jan/Feb 2025
Twin sisters Esther Pauline Friedman (“Ann Landers”) and Pauline Esther Friedman (“Dear Abby”) were born and raised in Sioux City before they went on to become preeminent newspaper advice columnists in the U.S. during the second half of the 20th century. Both women for decades advised millions of readers in more than 1,000 newspapers across the U.S. using practical advice, firm but modern moral sensibility, and humor, including sarcasm and one-liners. Retired newspaperman and longtime Iowa History Journal columnist Arvid Huisman chronicles the Friedman sisters’ successful lives from Sioux City, to national celebrity, for our page-turning cover story.
In his column, publisher Michael Swanger remembers Williams native and the late “Voice of the Phoenix Suns” NBA broadcasting legend Al McCoy.
Learn about Davenport native and former Iowa Hawkeye Simon Roberts, who broke barriers to become the first Black wrestler to win state and NCAA titles. Retired sports editor and reporter Don Doxsie chronicles Roberts’ journey.
Named after Native American tribes, explore the history and beauty of Lake of Three Fires State Park in Taylor County as shared by Carson Ode.
Author, historian and radio broadcaster Jeff Stein celebrates the 75th anniversary of WOI-TV, the second television station to take to the air in Iowa.
Arvid Huisman devotes his “Country Roads” column to the confusing names of Iowa towns and their sometimes unique pronunciations.
TO READ MORE FASCINATING STORIES ABOUT IOWA HISTORY, subscribe to Iowa History Journal. You can also purchase back issues at the store.