Courthouses were a big boost for the economies of frontier towns, and they were willing to do nearly anything to get them. When a long-running courthouse feud started again in Clinton County, Iowa, in the mid-1800’s, a group of local citizens decided to not take these insults lying down.
Courthouses are, without a doubt, iconic structures within our civilized societies. However, many people would probably be shocked to discover the lengths – both legal and illegal – that pioneers would go to in order to get one To many people, courthouses represent justice. They promise us law and order, that we will be judged …
The Missing Bell – The Clinton County, Iowa Courthouse War Read More »
Guy Gilbert was probably a little surprised when his son Gene showed up on the doorstep of his Yale, South Dakota home. While far from unwelcome, Gene hadn’t said anything about coming for a visit. Still, while surprising, it was far from unusual for Gene to just show up like this out of the …
Guy Gilbert returned to his South Dakota home to find that his visiting son had committed suicide. When the police went to notify his family of his untimely death, they had no idea of the horrors that awaited them inside their quiet house in Iowa. Sources Friend says Gilbert threatened to kill family. The …
Episode 64: The Quiet House: The Gilbert Family Slayings Read More »
Malone, Iowa, is perhaps the best hidden town in Clinton County, Iowa. In 1921, it also played host to one of the darkest deeds ever committed there. https://media.blubrry.com/kitchentablehistorian/p/api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/23298389/download.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
No expects to see a life-sized hippo along an Iowa roadside. A deer, raccoon, or even a coyote? Sure. But never a hippo. Everyone who drives down Highway 30 between DeWitt and Clinton in Clinton County can’t help but see it. A leftover relic of a since-defunct landscaping business, the hippo has become a definitive …
The world was breathing a little easier at the end of 1945. For the past several years, the Second World War had raged across the globe. Towns and cities had been razed throughout the Pacific and across Europe. Millions had lost their lives during the course of the conflict. Now, the war was finally over. …
August 30, 1945, was a day like any other in DeWitt, Iowa. That is, until the explosions started. What happened that fateful afternoon, and what is its connection to the modern day? https://media.blubrry.com/kitchentablehistorian/p/content.blubrry.com/kitchentablehistorian/Yegge_Final.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Guy Gilbert was probably a little surprised when his son Gene showed up on the doorstep of his Yale, South Dakota home. While far from unwelcome, Gene hadn’t said anything about coming for a visit. But here he was just the same. Guy welcomed Gene inside. Guy Jr., Gene’s brother, was also there, and …
I doubt that Frederick Rothstein thought much about bridges when he was living at Allen’s Grove, Iowa. They were probably one of the furthest things from his mind. A miller by trade, Rothstein had a lucrative business. He had a combination saw and grist mill, powered by steam. Rothstein had an abundance of fuel and …
