Tag: History
-
History of Indian Cave State Park
A few weeks ago my husband and I went camping with some friends just south of Nebraska City at Indian Cave State Park. It was the first time we had been to this campsite, but was clearly a favorite park for many as nearly every campsite was filled. The parks draw is its location along…
Written by
·
-
Impact of Transportation Evolution on Mississippi River Towns
The first week of June I presented with colleagues the impact of the Mississippi River on the adjacent river communities for the virtual Preserve Iowa Summit. My portion of the presentation was on the evolution of transportation and its unique effect on river towns not seen further inland. My colleague and historic architect Michelle Cunliffe…
Written by
·
-
Main Street Revised
Book Review Main street holds a special place in the heart of most Americans. While many of us chose to live in big cities, we harbor a small desire to move to a small town with a quaint little main street. A safe hamlet where everybody knows everybody. Movies and shows have been recreating this…
Written by
·
-
A Brief History of the U.S. Census Over the Years
Every ten years your home is mailed a questionnaire that by law you are required to fill out and return. This form asks a few simple questions about you and the members of your household and is known collectively as the census. This year, the 2020 Census, is the 23rd time we as a nation…
Written by
·
-
Reviving the Great Plains: A New Future for Small Towns
As is the theme with anything related to reading or writing lately, I’m a little behind on my Planning Magazine subscriptions. Its the beginning of December and I’m just getting to the heart of the October issue. Nonetheless, when I came to the article titled “After the Dust Settles: Revisiting the Buffalo Commons 30 Year…
Written by
·
-
Bureau Men Settlement Women: Constructing Public Administration in the Progressive Era
Book Review Today’s field of public administration is shaped largely by the events that transpired during the progressive era, a time when social justice and improving the lives of city dwellers began. This was also the era when rationalizing and regulating societal processes took hold. The field of public administration began as the former and…
Written by
·
-
The Legacy of Nicodemus: A Black Settlement Story
I recently finished reading First Dawn by Judith Miller, a fiction book about two separate families moving from Kentucky to Kansas to new settlements on the prairie. One family was headed by a wealthy white doctor while the other was a former slave/sharecropper. Each group moved to a different town separated by a mere 30…
Written by
·
-
The Company Town
Book Review My last blog post on company towns started me on a path to reading The Company Town by Hardy Green and a more in-depth look at one company town In Chocolate We Trust by Peter Kurie. Both were very interesting glimpses into the history and development of the company town. Kurie’s focused solely…
Written by
·
-
Why the U.S. Census Matters: Impact on Communities
We have been completing a countrywide census every ten years since 1790 as required by the U.S. Constitution. Back then it was very basic with only a few demographic questions processed and counted at the local level of government. The handwritten forms are fascinating to read, scribbled in cursive with extra notes you wont find…
Written by
·
-
From Decline to Growth: Lessons from Company Town Histories
I have been working in small towns across the Midwest for about a year now and have seen firsthand the struggle they face in trying to maintain growth or in some cases, turnaround their decline. Many communities are successful, as noted in the book Our Towns which I recently read and reviewed. Oftentimes, the recommendations…
Written by
·
The Planning Lady 