Time Frame | Artifact Type | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1924 | Photo | Cars Stuck in Muddy Road, 1924 | Before hard-surfaced roads existed, cars easily became stuck in muddy rural roads. The 1924 edition of the "Official Road Guide to the Lincoln Highway" warned, "It is a folly to try to drive on Iowa dirt roads, during or immediately after a heavy rain. |
1980s | Video | Causes of the 1980s Farm Crisis | The 1980s farm crisis has a variety of causes, domestically and internationally. |
1930s | Photo | Central Iowa coal mine | A coal mine in central Iowa. Coal was used to heat homes and for cooking in areas of the state where firewood was not available. Iowa coal mining declined in the late 1930s. December 1936. |
1932 | Video | Change in the Amana Society | During the 1920s and '30s the Amana people experienced economic hardships. In 1932 the colonies changed from a communal to a noncommunal society. |
1940-2017 | Video | Changes Come to Rural Iowa Communities Beginning in the 1940s | Technological advances and economic forces brought many changes to rural Iowa communities in the 1940s. The migration away from family farms and small towns that started at that time is still going on today. |
1900-1930s | Photo | Chautauqua Events Captivated Iowans | Chautauquas were travelling shows that came to Iowa towns between 1900 and the 1930s. Actors, musicians and speakers entertained in tents that were set up for the performances. |
early 1900's | Photo | Chautauqua in West Branch early 1900's | Chautauqua in West Branch early 1900's |
ca. 1940 | Photo | Chicken Yard | Chicken yards were common on most farms. Women often raised chickens as a source of income. They sold or bartered the eggs for groceries or other items. Grant Township, ca. 1940. |
1930s | Interactive | Child's Doll from Meskwaki Settlement, 1930s | This is a 1930s era doll from the Meskwaki Settlement near Tama, IA. It is representative of a typical doll a child on the Meskwaki Settlement would have owned in the 1920s and 1930s. The face and clothing (including breechcloth and leggings) are made from tanned deer hide. |
1850s | Interactive | Child's Doll, 1850s | This doll was owned by Mary Josephine Mason, daughter of first Supreme Court justice in Iowa, Charles Mason. Mason purchased the doll at a church fundraiser in 1851. The doll has a ceramic face, stuffed fabric arms and thighs, and ceramic arms and lower legs. |