Just south of the town of Atlantic, Iowa, is a roadside attraction called the Plow in the Tree, within sight of the Nishnabotna River. It delivers exactly what the name says – it’s a plow in a tree. The story is that in the 1860’s, a young man was plowing a field when he heard […]
And the Rain Fell, and the Waters Rose…. Read More »
Halloween is a time that so many people wear masks. People get to step out of their normal roles and act a little different for a day or two. They get to step outside the box and play pretend, turning from soccer moms and construction workers into vampires, sexy nurses, and kung-fu nuns. It’s good
A Night on the Town: The Jerry Corcoran Murder of 1902 Read More »
The mid 1800’s was a time of intense migration from Western Europe to the United States. Millions of immigrants made their way across the Atlantic to settle anywhere and everywhere. They came for many reasons, but ultimately, they all amounted to one thing – to make a better life for themselves and their
Midnight Tragedy: The Koenig Family Murder/Suicide of 1870 Read More »
William Stewart’s beloved wife, Mary, was dead. He was only in his early 40’s, still a relatively young man. He had planned on spending the rest of his life with her. But it was not to be. Grieving, William sent his two children, Pearl and William, to live with his brother near Charlotte, Iowa. He
Suicidal: William Stewart Walks the Long, Dark Path in 1920 Read More »
Paul Schroeder was running through the repair shop, trying his best to avoid the hail of bullets flying his direction. He fired back blindly, trying to make the cops stop shooting long enough so he could get to his car. To be fair, it wasn’t his car. He and his brother, Everett, had stolen it.
Bandits in the Blizzard: The Schroeder Brother’s Crime Spree of 1937 Read More »
The grass was ready to turn from brown to green, and some of the trees had started to bud new leaves in anticipation of warmer weather. Birds and other animals were building nests and dens. It was April 1896, and spring was returning to Iowa. All of this was lost on Herman Boek
Sin and Redemption: The Augusta Bartz Murder of 1896 Read More »
Hard as it is to believe now, Scott County, Iowa, bordering the Mississippi River on the state’s eastern edge, was once America’s frontier. Before 1833, when the United States Congress opened what was then known as the Blackhawk Purchase to free settlement, nearly that entire region was as wild and untamed as anything the
John Shook’s Toes: Surgery on the Iowa Frontier Read More »
All marriages have their ups and downs. It’s not always an easy thing living with another human being. More than sharing space and material goods, living with someone else is also the sharing of moods and attitudes toward life in general. Like so many other things in life, these things aren’t always positive. No one
The Day Horace Angle Chased His Wife Through a Window Read More »
Winter driving can always be sketchy in the Midwest. Snow, ice, and plummeting temperatures can create dangerous road conditions. Almost one-hundred years ago this month, a Davenport man named Singleton Gardiner tragically found that out. Insurance Agent Singleton Gardiner was the superintendent of the Davenport division of the Prudential Insurance Company. He had originally
Fire in the Snow: The Sudden End of Singleton Gardiner Read More »
In April of 1992, some all-terrain vehicle riders were travelling near Hickory Hill, a rural pioneer cemetery east of Charlotte, Iowa. As they rode past, they noticed that one of the graves had been dug up. The Clinton County Sheriff’s Department was notified and began a prompt investigation.
Did Satan Worshippers Dig Up Graves in a Pioneer Cemetery? Read More »
