The Iowa Studies Centers invites proposals for papers and presentations on the theme “The World in Iowa: Immigrants & Immigration” for the Iowa Studies Forum Friday, April 11.
Proposals may be on various Iowa topics, particularly the conference theme of immigration. High school students and teachers, college students and instructors, museums, genealogical societies, local history organizations and others are asked to submit a one-page proposal which summarizes the presentation by Tuesday, March 4. Submissions may be mailed to: Dr. Lisa Ossian, co-director, Iowa Studies Center, Des Moines Area Community College, 2006 South Ankeny Boulevard, Building #2, Ankeny, IA 50023; llossian@dmacc.edu.
The Iowa Studies Forum will be held on DMACC’s Ankeny campus and the State Historical Building in Des Moines. The event will feature lectures, roundtable discussions, re-enactments, multi-media presentations, workshops and more focusing on Iowa’s history and heritage.
The new Iowa Studies Center provides links together elementary schools, high schools, four year colleges, community colleges, businesses, government departments, nonprofit agencies, museums and the public to better coordinate and promote the continuing exploration of Iowa’s history, science, literature, politics and art.
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In response to strong public interest, the State Historical Library is extending a display of two historic documents written by President Abraham Lincoln.
Originally slated to be on display one night only – Monday, Feb. 11 – in conjunction with the Iowa Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission kickoff, the documents will be on display through Feb. 29 in the State Historical Building’s Reading Room, Second Floor East, 600 E. Locust Street, Des Moines. The Reading Room is open 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
The documents, written in 1859 and 1865, are part of the State Historical Library’s Special Collections section. They are normally kept in a highly secured storage area inside the State Historical Building, where they are protected from sunlight and fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Both documents have been authenticated by scholars as originals and are cited in the “Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln.”
Following are summaries of the two letters:
Abraham Lincoln letter to Hawkins Taylor (Keokuk, Iowa)
September 6, 1859
In this letter to a prominent Iowa Republican, Lincoln comments on the demands of campaigning: “It is bad to be poor. I shall go to the wall for bread and meat, if I neglect my business this year as well as last.” Having run unsuccessfully against Stephen A. Douglas for a U.S. Senate seat in 1858, he faced his political rival again in the 1860 presidential campaign. Hawkins Taylor (Keokuk) was a fellow-Kentuckian and prominent Iowa Republican. He served as a representative to the 1st Iowa Territorial Assembly, 1838.
Abraham Lincoln message to Election Notification Committee
March 1, 1865
When a special committee from the U.S. Congress informed Lincoln of his re-election as President, he delivered this message to accept the second term. Representative James Falconer Wilson of Iowa, a member of the notification committee, asked to keep the original handwritten document. The manuscript was later presented to the State Historical Society of Iowa by Representative Wilson’s family.
Some of President Lincoln’s other ties to Iowa are:
Presidential Appointments – Lincoln appointed Samuel F. Miller of Keokuk, to the United States Supreme Court, and James Harlan of Mount Pleasant as United States Secretary of the Interior
Bridge at Davenport – The first bridge across the Mississippi River, built in 1856, connected Rock Island, Ill. and Davenport, and was a major breakthrough for western travel and commerce. Lincoln had a key part in a lawsuit between riverboat interests and the railroads over the bridge.
Visit to Council Bluffs, Transcontinental Railroad – Lincoln traveled to Council Bluffs in August 1859 and met with Grenville Dodge, who convinced him the transcontinental railroad should be routed through Council Bluffs.
Harlan-Lincoln House, Mt. Pleasant – Lincoln’s son, Robert, married the daughter of Iowa Senator James Harlan, whom Lincoln appointed Secretary of the Interior in 1865. Robert and Mary Harlan Lincoln wed in 1868. The family spent considerable time at Senator Harlan’s house in Mt. Pleasant.
Lincoln’s Iowa Land Holdings – Lincoln’s military service in the Black Hawk War of 1832 led to him assuming ownership of two tracts of land in Iowa, one in Crawford County and one in Tama County.
Lincoln in Dubuque – Lincoln traveled to Dubuque in late April or early May 1859, probably on railroad business.
Speech at Burlington – In the midst of the legendary Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, Lincoln made a side trip to Burlington to make a political speech.
In 2007, Gov. Chet Culver signed House File 826 establishing the IALBC. All 50 states have joined the national Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in planning, coordinating and administering activities and programs during the next two years that commemorate the bicentennial of the birth of President Lincoln, who was born Feb. 12, 1809 in Kentucky.
Iowans are encouraged to contact IALBC at www.IowaLincoln200.org for more information about planning programs and activities at the local level that commemorate the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth.
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Families, scouts, Civil War re-enactors, and other organized groups are making The State Historical Society of Iowa Reading Room their destination spot this February due to the public display of President Abraham Lincoln’s letters. Although Lincoln does some gentle complaining in one of the letters, the Library isn’t complaining about the increased number of visitors.
People looked not just at the Lincoln letters, but also other reading room displays. One display shows land records, letters, Civil War papers related to one of the first black families in Iowa. The other display features travel guides and maps used by early auto owners to traverse the primitive Iowa roads around 1912.
Staff welcomed these new-to-the-library visitors and hoped the treasure trove of materials and information housed within the Library and Archives will warrant repeat visits.
“A frequent comment was that they didn’t even know the library was here,” said Librarian Susan Jellinger. “Many people wandered further into the library, browsing areas of books and looking through magazines. We didn’t get much else done, but what an opportunity to show off our resources!”
The State Historical Library is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Call (515) 281-6200 for information.
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Western Historic Trails Center Tour Guide Saundra Leininger will present “Shady Ladies of the West” Saturday, March 15 at 2 p.m. at the Trails Center, 3434 Richard Downing Avenue, Council Bluffs.
Many women in the Old West turned to prostitution as a means of supporting themselves after losing their husbands to war or exploration. Others were daughters of prostitutes who grew up in the brothels and knew little else.
Though it was hard for “proper” women to admit, brothels served at least one purpose: to distract the attention of men from pursuing their daughters.
The program is free and open to the public. Call (712) 366-4900 for more information.
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The discarded signature of a U.S. Senator inspired the Historical Society’s first curator to amass a premiere collection of autograph documents and photos from notable people in politics, social reform, fine arts and science. More than 150 years later, the public is still able to marvel at the signatures of people like Thomas Edison and Queen Victoria maintained in the State Historical Library’s special collections.
Before assuming his position as first Curator of the Iowa State Historical Department (now the State Historical Society of Iowa), Charles Aldrich was an influential newspaper owner. It was a lifelong hobby of autograph collecting, however, that would lead him to his ultimate role in Iowa history. In 1848, while working as a printer’s apprentice, Aldrich found a discarded paper bearing the signature of U.S. Senator Thomas Hart Benton. Inspired by his first find, Aldrich went on to compile an extensive collection of autographs.
In 1884, having recently served as state representative from Hamilton County, Aldrich approached the Iowa legislature with an offer to present his autograph collection to the State. The gift was accepted, and Aldrich was allotted space in the state capitol building for the storage and expansion of his collection. He supplemented the autographs with an assortment of Iowa books, manuscripts, photographs and newspapers, and in 1892 these holdings would become the core collections of the newly-established State Historical Department. With his proven skill as a collector and advocate of history, Aldrich was the natural choice to head the new agency, and he held this position until his death in 1908 .
SHSI continues to preserve the Aldrich Autograph Collection with its handwritten specimens of such noted figures as Edgar Allan Poe, Louis Pasteur, Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln and Queen Victoria. Pieces range from solitary signatures to complete letters, from signed photographs to samples of authored works, including a page from Charles Darwin’s manuscript for Origin of the Species and a version of O Captain! My Captain! prepared specially for the collection by Walt Whitman.
Selected autographs (or facsimiles) can be requested for viewing in the State Historical Building Reading Room, 600 E. Locust, during its regular hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Advance requests for materials must be placed by noon the preceding Friday for viewing on Saturdays.
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March is Youth Art Month
The State Historical Building in Des Moines and Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs will both be exhibiting artwork by students across Iowa as part of Youth Art Month.
Movies at the Museum Presents “Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme”
March 6, 7 p.m. & March 9, 2 p.m., $5 on www.iowatix.com or at the door
State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines
Explosively documenting the story of a group of underground hip-hop MCs and DJs from the early 1980s to the present day, Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme explores the world of improvisational rap. Bring a donation for the Food Bank of Iowa and receive $1 off ticket price.
History for Lunch
March 12, 12-1 p.m., Free
State Historical Library, 402 Iowa Avenue, Iowa City
“Opening the West to Aviation: The Iowa City Municipal Airport 1918-2007” will be the topic presented by Jan Nash of Tallgrass Historians. Call (319) 335-3916 for more information.
“Shady Ladies of the West”
March 15, 2 p.m.
Western Historic Trails Center, 3434 Richard Downing Ave., Council Bluffs
Living History Saturdays
March 15, 12-3 p.m.
State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines
Members of the 15th Iowa Civil War Re-Enactment group will be in uniform to drill and interact with the public.
Irish Fest
March 17, 1-4 p.m.
State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines
Follows the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade through downtown Des Moines. Families invited to learn Irish music, dancing and crafts for all. (515) 281-4132.
“The Mormon Trail Revisited”
March 28, 7 p.m.
Western Historic Trails Center, 3434 Richard Downing Ave., Council Bluffs
Gregory M. Franzwa will discuss his book, The Mormon Trail Revisited, which directs present-day motorists along or near the trail used in1846-47. The presentation includes slides and a book signing. (712) 366-4900.
Disaster Recovery Workshop
March 31, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines
See related article.
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The State Archives is celebrating Black History Month with an exhibit of collections holdings pertaining to the family of Martha “Patsey” Triplett, an early African American in Iowa. The exhibit is on display in the State Historical Society of Iowa Reading Room at the State Historical Building in Des Moines.
The presence of an African American family living in Iowa in 1839 is notable – there were only 333 African Americans in Iowa according to the 1850 census. Triplett was one of only six African American women who owned real property in that year.
The exhibit tells how the Tripletts moved in April 1839 with the family of Indian agent Joseph M. Street from Prairie du Chien to the newly established Sauk and Fox Indian Agency in present-day Wapello County. The Tripletts stayed in the area after the agency closed and the area was opened to settlement in 1843.
In 1848, Triplett purchased two lots in the town of Agency. A decade later, she left Wapello County and moved to Keokuk. During the Civil War, three of the Triplett sons joined the 1st Iowa Colored Infantry – reorganized as the 60th U.S. Colored Infantry; one son died during the war.
A variety of SHSI holdings were used to create the exhibit: the original township survey plat that includes the location of the Sauk and Fox Indian Agency; numerous public records; a newspaper article; grave registrations and other sources containing information about Triplett family members from ca.1800 to 1906.
State Historical Society of Iowa Reading Room hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The exhibit will be on display through March.
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The year 1896 was not just when Iowa celebrated 50 years of statehood. It was also when the nation honored Iowa and Iowans by commissioning its first sea-faring battleship USS Iowa.
“A Service of Silver: Tribute to the USS Iowa” will once again shine at the Historical Building when it goes back on public display in mid-March.
At the time the USS Iowa was commissioned, it was customary to present a silver service to be used aboard the ship on special occasions, and it was a tradition for states to provide a silver service to ships named after them. The firm of J. E. Caldwell and Co. in Philadelphia was contracted to provide a 40-piece silver service with Iowa as its inspiration.
This massive collection of sterling silver includes common nautical and national symbols of dolphins, the Navy Department seal, sea shells and eagles with outstretched wings. To make the service truly representative of Iowa, the Great Seal of the State of Iowa, corn and the wild rose are added as sculptured elements. On selected pieces there appears engraved images of the state capitol, Ft. Madison, the battleship Iowa, a pioneer wagon and “Pioneer” statue from the capitol’s west steps.
On the platters are the sayings: “Iowa, her affections like the rivers of her borders, flow to an inseparable union” and “In all that’s good, Iowa affords the best.”
The silver has served on the USS Iowa BB4 (1897-1923), the USS Iowa BB61 (1947-1949; 1953-1958; and 1984-1990), the cruiser USS Des Moines CA 134 (1948-1953). From 1990-1992, the silver service was placed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
“A Service of Silver: Tribute to USS Iowa” will be located on the third floor of the State Historical Museum at 600 E. Locust, Des Moines.
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The Iowa Museum Association, Midwest Art Conservation Center and State Historical Society of Iowa present “Disaster Response: The Critical First 48 Hours,” Monday, March 31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines.
Museum personnel are encouraged to attend this workshop to hear discussion on these topics:
Fees for the workshop are $75 for IMA members, Historic Preservation Commissioners and Government Emergency Managers/Staff; and $90 for others. The fee includes lunch. Registration deadline is March 21. Download registration form by visiting the IMA Web site or e-mail Cynthia Sweet at imasweet@cfu.net.
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State Historical Society of Iowa State Curator Jerome Thompson will present “Two Sheets of Paper, One BIG Idea” Sunday, March 30 at 2 p.m. at the Christian Petersen Art Museum on the Iowa State University campus in Ames.
Thompson will discuss the “Morrill Act of 1862,” considered by many to be one of the most important legislative documents in American history. He will explain the document and accompanying exhibition and offer insight concerning the significance of an act that changed the nation.
The exhibition, “The Morrill Act of July 2, 1862: The Land-grant Act and the People’s College,” will open March 22 at the Christian Petersen Art Museum, 1017 Morrill Hall, ISU campus. The exhibition will consist of historical artistic objects, quotes, timelines, illustrations, maps and photographs that explore the correlation of events and history that led to the transformation and evolution of ISU. The exhibition is on loan from the National Archives and Records Administration.
Other programs and presentations in conjunction with the exhibition will be held throughout the month of April until the exhibition closes April 27. Visit the Christian Petersen Art Museum Web page for additional information.
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Based on a national audience survey of 5,500 museum-going families, Reach Advisors, a marketing strategy and research firm based in New York state, discovered that historic sites are among the least popular type of museum visited by families (but are more popular than history museums).
If the visit involved a grandparent, a male parent, or an elementary-school aged child, attendance at historic sites by families increased significantly. And while we’ve typically thought that interest in historic sites grew with educational level, their research shows that it peaks with “some college” and then declines with increased education.
In their survey, Reach Advisors asked what other types of museums parents and grandparents like to visit with their families, which gave us some insight on why they visit other museums, when they visit in the life stage of their family, and how museum-going behavior shifts among different racial and socio-economic groups.
Read more about this trend by clicking here.
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The public is invited to submit proposals for papers to present at the 2008 Conference of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy scheduled for Sept. 18-21. The theme of the conference, “Frank Lloyd Wright and the Roots of Sustainability,” will explore Wright’s life-long connection with nature and the relationship of this many innovative ideas to today’s worldwide interest with sustainable architectural principles.
While it is more than likely that Frank Lloyd Wright never uttered the word “sustainable” in grounding his work in nature, and in the intensity and thoroughness that he brought to bear upon his commissions, Wright frequently arrived at solutions of a sustainable nature that seem remarkably relevant today.
Proposals are requested for:
General session presentations will be limited to 20 minutes plus 10 minutes for questions. Speakers should plan to show no more than 20 images (as singles or pairs); or
Individuals wishing to lead focus sessions are encouraged to focus on case studies of work by Wright, with particular emphasis on conservation strategies. Focus sessions will be one hour in length and include audience participation; they may include several examples related to a central topic.
Proposals should be in the form of abstracts (no more than one or two pages) that outline the theme and development of the presentation. They must be accompanied by a one-page curriculum vitae and all contact information, including full name, affiliation, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers. Please specify audiovisual needs. Consent to videotape and/or publish the presentation (for accepted proposals) should also be granted.
Proposals must be received by Monday, March 24. Notification will be sent by Friday, April 11. For more information, visit www.savewright.org.
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The Library of Congress and the Foundation Center recently announced a new Web-based fundraising guide to help the preservation community save the nation's millions of at-risk artifacts. The guide, “Foundation Grants for Preservation in Libraries, Archives and Museums,” is available for free download on the Library of Congress Web site. It features information on 1,725 grants awarded by 474 foundations from 2003–2007 for projects related to preservation and conservation. The guide also includes links to additional useful information, such as free tutorials on proposal writing.
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Small tax-exempt non-profit organizations must now file a short electronic form called Form 990-N with the IRS. Form 990-N, also called the E-postcard, is a short electronic form that most small, tax exempt organizations with 501(c)(3) status have to file with the IRS, starting in 2008 for activities since January 1, 2007.
If your organization has gross receipts of less than $25,000 and is not required to file another IRS form such as Form 990 or From 990-EZ, you must file the Form 990-N.
Form 990-N must be filed every year by the 15th day of the 5th month after your nonprofit’s fiscal year ends. For example if your calendar ends on December 31, you must file by May 15 the following year. If your calendar year ends on June 30 you must file by November 15.
The IRS requires that the E-postcard be filed electronically. There is no paper form. You must file via the Internet, but no software or download is required.
If your nonprofit organization fails to file the E-postcard for three consecutive years, the IRS will revoke your tax-exempt status.
Consult your tax preparer for more information on how to properly fulfill this requirement. For more information please visit the IRS Web site http://www.irs.gov/charities/.