Iowa History Journal

09/02/2026

Take a peak inside the Sept/Oct 2026 issue of Iowa History Journal!

09/02/2026

Don’t miss this year’s Midwest Old Threshers (Sept. 3-7) which starts tomorrow in Mount Pleasant!

The Midwest Old Settlers and Threshers Association was founded in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa in 1950 with a gathering of 15 steam engines and 8 separators. The annual Midwest Old Threshers Reunion always held five days ending Labor Day, is one of the largest celebrations of our agricultural heritage from st...

08/31/2026

IHJ 2026 Quiz, Week 35: While millions of U.S. servicemen were fighting the Axis powers overseas during World War II, millions of women back home in the U.S. were supporting the war effort by working in factories that were converted from their normal production into making instruments of war for the U.S. military. What were these women nicknamed?

Find the answer in the Sept/Oct issue of Iowa History Journal sold at Barnes & Noble, Hy-Vee, Beaverdale Books, Books-A-Million and select Walmart, Fleet Farm, Walgreens and Hy-Vee Drug stores. To subscribe, visit iowahistoryjournal.com and add $2.50 to start with the current issue.

08/26/2026

Dolly Parton, who died yesterday at age 80, first performed in Des Moines in the 1960s at KRNT Theater with Porter Wagoner. The shows were among those organized by legendary, local country music radio disc jockey and concert promoter Smokey Smith, who was the subject of our March/April 2017 issue. Dolly—among other country music legends—is featured in our story.

Visit https://iowahistoryjournal.com/.../volume-9-issue-2.../

08/25/2026

Beloved icon Dolly Parton, who died today at age 80, was no stranger to Iowa having performed in the Hawkeye State several times during her illustrious career that spanned 60 years, during which she sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

The musician, actress, philanthropist and businesswoman first performed in Des Moines at the KRNT Theater in the 1960s with Porter Wagoner. (Dolly's photo at KRNT appears in our March/April 2017 cover story.) She also played the Iowa State Fair Grandstand three times in 1970, 1977 and 1982. Her last performance in Des Moines was at the Civic Center on Nov. 19, 2008. Her final Iowa concert was held in Cedar Rapids on July 19, 2016, at the U.S. Cellular Center (now the Alliant Energy PowerHouse).

During IHJ’s visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville in June, we visited an exhibit dedicated to her, “Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker.” One of the items on display that caught our eye was a Smokey Smith Presents poster promoting her concert with Wagoner at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines on New Year’s Eve 1972.

Parton was known by fans as the “Queen of Country” and was one of the most honored female country music artists. She earned 11 Grammy Awards, three Emmy Awards, two Academy Awards and six Golden Globe Awards.

One of the most prolific songwriters in popular music history, Parton composed more than 3,000 songs, including two of her biggest hits—“Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You”—which she wrote on the same day.

Parton's legacy also lives on in her vast humanitarian efforts including her Imagination Library literacy program, in which she spent 31 years donating more than 300 million books to children and libraries. It became one of the world's largest childhood reading initiatives and Iowa libraries have received books donated by Parton.

08/24/2026

Today marks the first day of classes for most Iowa students K-12 and college. Wishing them—as well as teachers, parents and staff members—a happy school year!

https://iowahistoryjournal.com/store/volume-9-issue-4-little-schoolhouses/

08/24/2026

IHJ 2026 Quiz, Week 34: During his career that lasted for five decades, Iowa broadcaster Grant Price worked for radio stations in Sioux City, Waterloo and Cedar Rapids before moving to a rival station in Eastern Iowa in 1972 that he led to become the dominant television news ratings leader in the market for three decades. What are the call letters of the station?

Find the answer in the July/Aug issue of Iowa History Journal sold at Barnes & Noble, Hy-Vee, Beaverdale Books, Books-A-Million and select Walmart, Fleet Farm, Walgreens and Hy-Vee Drug stores. To subscribe, visit iowahistoryjournal.com and add $2.50 to start with the current issue.