Construction began on the Rialto Theatre in downtown Pocahontas, Iowa, in early 1939, with the first movie shown September 3 of that year. The theatre operated continuously for nearly 50 years before closing in 1989. After three years sitting vacant, in May 1992, a meeting to discuss the reopening of the theatre attracted over 100 interested residents. The decision was made to to renovate and reopen the historic theatre as a multi-purpose venue for both movies and live entertainment.
After three years of renovations and repairs, the theatre reopened with great fanfare with a premiere screening of the Walt Disney movie Pocahontas on June 22, 1995. The movie brought staff and stars from Pocahontas to town for the screening and attracted media outlets from across the state. The theatre continues to operate today, with volunteers playing an integral role in the day-to-day operation. Movies are shown nightly, with a Sunday matinee; tickets are just $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for students and children.
Published December 16, 2010 |
Movie Theatres |
Pocahontas County
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A modest wooden sign on the north side of East Peru in Madison County, Iowa, marks the city’s discovery of the famous apple variety in 1892, five years after the community was founded. At the time, Louisiana-based Stark Nurseries held a contest to replace the “Ben Davis” apple, which was declining in nationwide popularity due to its lack of flavor. East Peru-area farmer Jesse Hiatt sent in the winning apple, which he called “Hawkeye.” The nursery bought rights to the apple and began growing it under the “Delicious” moniker.
Now labeled “Red Delicious,” the apple saw many changes over the years, as producers were able to make it firmer and juicer while allowing it to be stored in sealed warehouses for up to 12 months. In the 1980s, the Red Delicious represented nearly three-quarters of apple production in the state of Washington, the United States’ main apple producer. American consumers began to sour on the apple as other varieties gained prominence; by 2003, the Red Delicious apple lost over half its market share.
Published December 15, 2010 |
Historic Sites, Town Signs |
Madison County
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Between 1950 and 1960, the state of Iowa lost over 3,000 school districts as part of a widespread consolidation effort across the state. The Taylor County community of Sharpsburg was no exception, as on July 1, 1959, voters in the area voted to consolidate into the school district in Lenox, a larger community 10 miles to the south and west.
While students in grades 7 – 12 were bused to Lenox, the Sharpsburg building continued to operate as an Elementary School following the consolidation. In the early 1960s, the Lenox Community School District proposed a series of bonds to construct a new high school in the city of Lenox. Various versions of the proposal were voted down by district residents eight times before approval was granted to construct and equip a $350,000 high school building in 1966.
The opening of the new high school marked the end of the Sharpsburg school, as area residents could easily be accommodated in the Lenox facilities. Final classes were held in Sharpsburg in 1968, and the school was sold by auction to a local resident for $2,100 in November 1968. Following the sale, the building was occasionally used for temporary grain storage; it has been vacant since the mid-1990s.
Published December 14, 2010 |
Schools |
Taylor County
Built between 1890 and 1893 at a cost of $74,000, the Jefferson County Courthouse sits a block north of the square in downtown Fairfield, Iowa. The courthouse, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, is constructed of Cleveland gray sandstone and red brick.
Like many courthouses in the state, changes to the building have centered around the clock tour. In 1948, a violent wind storm damaged the 36-foot steeple on the clock tower, and county supervisors voted to remove the steeple to save the expense required for repairs. Lifelong Fairfield resident Lee Gobble successfully renewed an effort to restore the steeple, which has now been a part of the clock tower since 2004.
Published December 13, 2010 |
Courthouses |
Jefferson County
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The current Post Office in the Muscatine County community of West Liberty opened its doors to much fanfare on March 1, 1977. The new location featured more post office boxes, a larger lobby area, and a dedicated parking lot for both employees and customers. The brick post office resembled thousands of post offices opened across the country in the previous two decades. Like the other offices, the facility was built by a private construction company to lease to the U.S. Postal Service.
The Muscatine Journal noted the opening marked the first time the West Liberty Post Office occupied a new building, though it had been housed in at least eight previous locations. Postal service to West Liberty had been in place since 1838, when the first office was opened within the local general store. Immediately prior to the opening of the new location, the office was located in a downtown storefront.
Published December 10, 2010 |
Post Offices |
Muscatine County
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