Time Frame Artifact Type Title Description
early to mid-19th century Photo Majestic Riverboat Reigned on the Mississippi

Steamboats reigned on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers in the early to mid-19th century. But steamboat travel ended as the lumber industry diminished and railroads came to dominate transportation.
Late 1930's to Early 1940's Video Farmers at Work in the Past

Two farmers work together. One drives a tractor pulling a wagon carrying the second man. A farm dog runs through the field.
ca. 1860's Photo Annie Wittenmyer, 1860s

Annie Wittenmyer of Keokuk was in charge of hospital kitchens for the Union army during the Civil War. 1860s.
1890 Photo Horse-drawn Plow and Early Contour Farming

An early use of contour farming where crop rows match the natural lay of the land. This Iowa farmer is plowing with equipment pulled by horses.
1955-1968 Video King's Message

Robert A. Wright, Sr., a long-time president of the NAACP Iowa-Nebraska State Conference, talks about Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy.
1975 Video Iowa Responds to Tai Dam

Former Iowa Governor Robert Ray discusses his decision to bring Tai Dam refugees to Iowa in 1975 after receiving a letter from Art Crisfield, an American who had met the Tai Dam while living in Southeast Asia.
1861 Video Civil War Battle in Iowa

Missouri rebels fought with Iowa Union troops over the Des Moines River in 1861. It was the only Civil War battle on Iowa land.
1956 Photo Sheaffer Pen Company

Employee inspecting pens at the Sheaffer Pen Company in Ft. Madison, Iowa. December 1956.
Video Iowa's Leadership in Resettling Southeast Asian Refugees

The state of Iowa was a leader in resettling Southeast Asian refugees, not only because the government got behind it, but because of the way it was done. The state wanted the refugees to work and live their lives as they became acculturated, not wait till they learned English.
1840's Video Coal Mining Towns

Coal mines could be found in the south central part of Iowa in the 1800s. In the 1850s coal mining became an important industry. Many immigrants worked in the coal mines of Iowa.