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States Edition
2014
Iowa
The Hawkeye State
Established 1846
29th State
Iowa is named for the Ioway Native American tribe.
Iowa leads the nation in the production of corn, soybeans, and hogs.
In Iowa there are about five times more hogs than people.
Fred Maytag from Newton introduced the first commercial washing machine in 1907.
One of the world’s smallest churches is located near Festina and seats just eight people.
In the Scandinavian town of Stanton, Iowa, the world’s largest coffeepot holds 40,000 gallons of coffee.
Strawberry Point is home to the world’s largest statue of a strawberry. The statue is 15 feet (4.6 m) high!
Urbandale’s Living History Farms displays several functioning farms from different eras of Iowa history.
Iowa is the only state that has both its eastern and western borders formed by rivers. The Mississippi River forms
the eastern border, and the Missouri River and the Big Sioux River form the western border.
The first official step in nominating a president begins when Iowa neighbors get together in their local caucus to
pick which candidates the political parties will support.
Climate
Iowa is home to dangerous and powerful weather, including tornadoes. Heavy
thunderstorms strike in June, the month with the most rain. These storms cause
damaging floods when the Mississippi and other Iowa rivers overflow. Summers bring
heavy humidity and warm temperatures. The frosts of winter have come as late as early
May and as early as late September, though frosts on those dates are rare. The
average temperature during July is 74°F (23°C). Winters are cold and snowy, with an
average January temperature of 14°F (-10°C) in the north and 22°F (-6°C) in the
south.
Average Seasonal High and Low Temperatures
Spring: 59/38°F
Summer: 83/61°F
Fall: 61/40°F
Winter: 31/13°F
Geography
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Iowa is famous for rolling hills and some of the richest and deepest topsoil in the United
States. Iowa contains a quarter of the world’s top farmland. Millions of years ago, the
region was covered by warm seas. During the ice age, glaciers pushed down from the
north, flattening the landscape and grinding up rock and gravel. As the climate warmed,
lakes formed from the melted ice. These lakes later drained away, and the empty
lakebeds are now the gentle hills covering almost all of Iowa today. Evergreen forests
gave way to grasslands that built up the deep, black topsoil for which the state is
famous. However, the landscape is different in the northeast. There, Iowa’s rivers flow
into the wide Mississippi River. The rivers wear away the riverbanks as they move
closer to the Mississippi, creating bluffs between 300 and 400 feet (90–120 m) high.
Iowa is the 26th largest state in the United States, with an area of 56,276 square miles
(145,754 sq km).
Resources and Economy
Iowa’s soil makes it a perfect place for agriculture. Iowa has more than 90,000 farms.
Except for California, no state exports more agricultural products to other countries than
Iowa. Iowa raises about one-fifth of the nation’s corn and produces one-quarter of its
pork. Oats, hay, soybeans, cattle, and dairy products are also important parts of Iowa’s
agriculture. Farm-related industries, like food processing and farm machinery
production, are its largest enterprises. In the past, Iowa’s economy was strong only if
crop prices were high. Iowa has recently created other industries so that crop prices
won’t have such a large effect on the state. These include computer and electrical
equipment manufacturing, insurance, chemical production, and printing and publishing.
Time Line
10,000 BC
Wandering bands of Native Americans begin hunting big animals on
Iowa prairies and woodlands
AD 1000
AD 1000
Corn makes its first appearance in Native American gardens
1673
French explorers Marquette and Joliet meet Iowa natives along the
Mississippi River
1800
1803
Napoleon sells the Louisiana Territory to the United States
1804
The Lewis and Clark expedition passes along the Missouri River on
Iowa’s western border
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1804–1815
The United States signs its first land treaties with Sauk and Meskwaki
(Fox) tribes
1830
The United States begins buying Native American land, and the first
white settlers arrive
1832
The Black Hawk War ends as the Sauk and Meskwaki tribes give up
their Iowa land
1838
The Iowa Territory is established
1846
As a compromise between Northern and Southern states, Iowa is
made a state free of slavery; Mormons fleeing from Nauvoo, Illinois,
cross Iowa on the way to Utah
1851
The United States signs the final treaty for Native American land in
Iowa
1855
The Iowa legislature prohibits (outlaws) the manufacture and sale of
alcohol
1856
The first railroad reaches Iowa City
1857
A wandering Sioux band kills 34 settlers in the Spirit Lake Massacre
1860
Iowa’s population reaches 675,000
1861
Iowa sides with the Union in the Civil War
1868
Iowa voters (all men at the time) approve a constitutional amendment
to grant black men the right to vote
1880
Iowa has 5,000 miles of railroad track and 1,600,000 people
1884
Iowa passes the Civil Rights Act prohibiting (outlawing) discrimination
by race in public accommodations
1900
1910–20
Automobiles transform the way of life in Iowa
1917–19
Iowa farmers increase production substantially to aid the American
World War I effort
1917
Merle Hay of Glidden, Iowa, becomes one of the first three American
soldiers killed in World War I
1918
The John Deere Company begins manufacturing tractors in Waterloo
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1928
Iowan Herbert Hoover is elected U.S. president
1930
Grant Wood’s painting American Gothic is shown at the Art Institute of
Chicago
1940
Henry A. Wallace is elected vice president of the United States
1941
The United States enters World War II, and the Iowa economy
recovers from the Great Depression as Iowa food production goes into
high gear to support American troops and allies
1970s
Manufacturing becomes more important to the Iowa economy
1970
Iowa-born Norman Borlaug wins the Nobel Prize for increasing food
supply in developing countries by introducing better farming practices
and plant varieties
1993
Floods and frost destroy the crops, and Iowa is declared a disaster
area
1999
Governor Terry Branstad completes his fourth term, having held the
office for 16 years, the longest of any governor in the history of the
state
2000
2007
Blizzards blow through Iowa, dumping snow across the state and
closing miles of highway
2008
Iowa-born astronaut Peggy Whitson leads a mission to the
International Space Station
2009
Iowa legalizes same-sex marriage
2010
Terry Branstad is reelected governor for a fifth term
PRESENT
Ancient Iowans
The earliest Native Americans lived in Iowa 11,000 years ago. These nomadic people
were constantly moving around as they followed animals they could hunt. Native
Americans later began living in permanent settlements and raising crops. Most of the
tribes settled near the Mississippi River or the Missouri River or in the Des Moines
River Valley. They fished and hunted deer and buffalo in surrounding areas. The Sauk,
Meskwaki (Fox), Illinois, Dakota, Missouri, Omaha, and Osage tribes were all living in
Iowa when the Europeans arrived.
The French Land Sale
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The French are responsible for Iowa’s early exploration. Explorers Jacques Marquette
and Louis Joliet reached Iowa in the late 17th century as they traveled in canoes down
the Mississippi River. French place-names like Des Moines, which means “the monks,”
are still used today. France owned the land, transferring the title to Spain in the 1760s
but reclaiming it again in 1800. In 1803, French leader Napoleon Bonaparte sold the
Louisiana Territory to the United States under President Thomas Jefferson. The
Louisiana Purchase, reaching from the Mississippi River all the way to the Rocky
Mountains, included Iowa.
Native Americans on the Move
By the 1830s, there were still no permanent white settlements in Iowa. Then the U.S.
government began using treaties to force out local Native American tribes. The tribes
resisted losing their land. In 1832, Chief Black Hawk led the Sauk and Meskwaki (Fox)
tribes in battles against U.S. troops in neighboring states. These battles were known as
the Black Hawk War. When the tribes lost the war in 1832, the government forced these
tribes to give up their land in Iowa. During the next 20 years, many other tribes had to
move out of Iowa. The United States signed the last treaty for Iowa’s land with the
Sioux in 1851, but the conflicts were not over. During the difficult winter of 1857,
starving members of the Sioux tribe attacked Iowa settlers. More than 30 settlers died
in what was called the Spirit Lake Massacre.
From Many Nations
As the Native Americans left, white settlers rushed in. During the first half of the 19th
century, most settlers came from eastern states like Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
and the New England states. In the second half of the century, immigrants from Europe
began to arrive. Most were German, but many also came from Britain and Ireland.
Scandinavians, Croatians, and Italians came later. By 1900, most of the available land
had been taken. After the Civil War, some African Americans moved to Iowa’s cities.
Toward the end of the 20th century, Latinos began moving in, bringing a rich cultural
heritage from Central and South America and the Caribbean. Today, Iowans hold
cultural festivals to celebrate their immigrant past.
Corn Country
Iowa’s history has been closely tied to its corn. During World War I, prices for corn were
high because it was needed to feed troops. After the war, prices fell quickly. Many Iowa
farmers struggled during the Great Depression of the 1930s. When U.S. soldiers went
overseas in World War II, Iowa again provided much of the corn and pork to feed them.
This helped farmers recover from the hard times. Iowa’s industry then began to change.
During the following decades, more people began working in Iowa factories instead of
on farms. The high costs of farming in the 1980s forced many people to give up their
farms. Both floods and frosts destroyed Iowa crops in 1993. Despite these challenges,
Iowa remains one of the nation’s most important grain producers.
Population
Since Iowa is known for farming and agriculture, you might think that most of the state’s population lives in rural
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(countryside) areas. It used to be that way, but as machines were developed to do much of the work on farms, many
farmers moved to cities to find better jobs. Now about 60 percent of people live in cities. Still, Iowa is less urban than
most of its neighbor states, and Iowa’s cities are relatively small. Des Moines, the state capital, is the largest city.
Government
Capital: Des Moines
State Abbreviation: IA
Governor: Terry E. Branstad (Republican)
U.S. Senators: 2
Chuck Grassley (Republican)
Tom Harkin (Democrat)
U.S. Representatives: 4
Republicans: 2
Democrats: 2
State Senators: 50
State Representatives: 100
Counties: 99
The Iowa state legislature is made up of 50 senators and 100 representatives.
Iowa’s caucus (where political parties decide which candidates they will support) is
held at the beginning of the year, marking one of the first important steps for
candidates running for president of the United States.
Famous People
Abigail “Dear Abby” Van Buren — Newspaper columnist
Johnny Carson — Comedian and talk-show host
“Buffalo Bill” (William) Cody — Frontiersman and Wild West entertainer
Bob Feller — Hall of Fame baseball pitcher
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Johnny Carson
Iowa
Susan Glaspell — Author
Black Hawk — Native American chief
Herbert Hoover — 31st U.S. president
Ann Landers — Newspaper columnist
Glenn Miller — Big-band leader
John Wayne — Movie star of many Western films
Meredith Willson — Writer of the popular musical The Music Man
Elijah Wood — Actor
Ann Landers
John Wayne
Elijah Wood
Native America
Prior to the 17th century, more than a dozen different tribes lived in what is now Iowa.
Among the tribes were the Fox, Sauk, Ioway, and Sioux peoples. The Fox called
themselves the Meskwaki, meaning “red earth people.” French trappers gave them the
name Fox when they entered the area. The tribes set up villages along the banks of the
Mississippi River, where they grew squash, corn, and beans. In the winter, they hunted
and fished. They believed all animals and every living thing have a spirit and that all
forms of life deserve respect.
The tribes traded with the French explorers. When the United States bought the land
from Napoleon in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase, their lifestyle changed
dramatically. The United States signed a series of treaties with the tribes in which the
tribes gave up their land and moved to reservations in Kansas. The Meskwaki and
Sauk tribes resisted removal, fighting the Black Hawk War. But by the mid-1800s,
almost all natives had been removed from the area.
The Sauk and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi is the only tribe left in Iowa today. The tribe
is made up of descendants of Iowa’s original inhabitants who left the state for
reservations in Kansas and a few hundred other members of the tribe who managed to
stay in Iowa in hiding. The tribe’s surviving members purchased a portion of land from
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the state government, gained federal recognition, and expanded their land holdings.
Today they number a little over a thousand members, many of whom live in a
settlement on an area of land covering about 7,000 acres (28 sq km) in central Iowa.
There is also a large population of natives in Sioux City. The Sauk and Fox tribe holds
an annual powwow celebrating their culture and history through traditional dance and
musical performances. Many tribal members work at a profitable tribe-owned casino.
American Gothic
Grant Wood, a painter, worked at the University of Iowa. His paintings include The
Midnight Ride of Paul Revere and the famous American Gothic. Many of Iowa’s artists
such as Wood have painted the beautiful Iowa landscape or have shown what life was
like on a typical Iowa farm. During the Great Depression, Wood formed a haven for
artists known as the Stone City Art Colony near his home along the Wapsipinicon River.
At a time when money and food were hard to come by, Wood offered free food and
lodging for any artist who wanted to come. Many artists came to the colony to live in the
ice house wagons Wood set up for shelter, and the works of art they produced reflected
the Great Depression era across the United States.
Big Ride
Bicycling has long been one of Iowans’ favorite sports. The best-known bicycling event
in the state is the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Race Across Iowa, more commonly
known as RAGBRAI. Since 1973, thousands of cyclists from all over the world come to
Iowa in the last week of July for the week-long race from one side of the state to the
other. RAGBRAI is a noncompetitive race, and cyclists often form teams to enjoy the
ride together. The race averages around 450 miles (724 km), and the more than 10,000
riders traditionally dip their rear wheels in the waters of the Missouri or Big Sioux Rivers
(depending on the route) at the start of the race and then dip their front wheels in the
Mississippi River at the end. RAGBRAI has become one of the most popular
recreational sports events in the nation.
State Symbols
State Bird
Eastern goldfinch—This bird lives in Iowa grain fields and often stays through the
winter.
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State Tree
Oak—The oak is found in Iowa’s eastern woodlands and serves as a shelter for many
of Iowa’s animals and birds.
State Flower
Wild rose—Iowa’s prairie rose, which blooms in late summer, can be found in many
shades of pink.
State Rock
Geode—The state is rich in this rare rock that sparkles with crystals when broken open.
Other Symbols
Song: “Song of Iowa”
State Motto
Our Liberties We Prize, and Our Rights We Will Maintain—This motto was adopted to reflect Iowans' independent
spirit.
Pro Sports Teams
• Iowa Barnstormers (AFL)
For More Information
See www.iowa.gov or contact the Iowa Department of Economic Development, Division of Tourism, 200 East Grand
Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309; phone (888) 472-6035; web site www.traveliowa.com.
© 2014 ProQuest LLC and Brigham Young University. It is against the law to
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