John Brassard Jr
The Kitchen Table Historian
Category: Iowa
The Koenig Murder/Suicide of 1870
Some have said that the most dangerous people that you can ever come across are people that have nothing to lose. They aren’t going to lose any social standing. They’re not going to lose the respect or love of their family. They’re broke, so… Continue Reading “The Koenig Murder/Suicide of 1870”
Episode 48: Ghosts of the Pandemic, Part 2: Home Front
In 1918, Americans on the home front were supporting their troops fighting in Europe while waging a war of their own against a deadly pandemic. Does one of the souls lost to the flu still haunt a Midwestern college? Sources Fannon-Langton, Dianne. The Ghost… Continue Reading “Episode 48: Ghosts of the Pandemic, Part 2: Home Front”
Ghosts of the Pandemic, Part 3: Burial
Mt. Zion is a small cemetery outside of Newton, Iowa. For decades, farmers and their families have buried their loved ones there, allowing them to enjoy their eternal rest surrounded by the farm ground that they had spent their entire lives tending to. It… Continue Reading “Ghosts of the Pandemic, Part 3: Burial”
Ghosts of the Pandemic, Part 2: Home Front
When I was attending Iowa State University, I decided that I needed to take up running. Up until that point, running was never my thing. I didn’t like it. I preferred to walk. All through my life, I had loved to go hiking out… Continue Reading “Ghosts of the Pandemic, Part 2: Home Front”
Struck Down in the Dark – The Charles Englehart Murder
I’m not afraid of the dark. I take my trash out in the middle of the night without a flashlight, treading the familiar ground of my yard with confidence in the inky blackness of the night. At the end of the day, I turn… Continue Reading “Struck Down in the Dark – The Charles Englehart Murder”
Struck Down in the Dark – The Charles Englehart Murder
Charles Englehart was attacked outside of his car one dark night in 1935. A harmless 70-year-old man liked by everyone, who would commit such an awful crime? Sources ‘C.A. Englehart Robbed, Slain.’ Davenport Times and Democrat, 9/23/1935 ‘Seek Motive for Englehart Slaying.’ The… Continue Reading “Struck Down in the Dark – The Charles Englehart Murder”
Episode 42: Deadly Relations
An early December blizzard chilled Iowa to the bone. It still wasn’t as cold as the heart of a father seeking vengeance for his daughter. But did he know the entire story? Sources All Iowa is in Grip of Blizzard. The Evening Gazette,… Continue Reading “Episode 42: Deadly Relations”
Deadly Relations
The rain began to fall steadily across Iowa. The weather was warm for early December, hovering right around the 40-degree mark. All morning long and into the afternoon the rain came, as people did their chores and shopping, or watched it out the windows… Continue Reading “Deadly Relations”
The Bandits in the Blizzard
Paul Schroeder ran through the repair shop, trying to avoid the hail of bullets flying towards him. He raised his revolver, firing blindly. Paul wasn’t really trying to hit anything, but rather keep the police from shooting at him. If he hit one, though,… Continue Reading “The Bandits in the Blizzard”
Episode 39: The Robbers Who Should Have Quit
In 1921, a former newspaper editor and a barber decided to rob a bank in rural Iowa. Expecting little resistance, the two expected an easy score. They should have quit while they were ahead. https://media.blubrry.com/kitchentablehistorian/p/api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/22444681/download.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts |… Continue Reading “Episode 39: The Robbers Who Should Have Quit”