Bowling in Des Moines
As a child, my father would drag me to Town and Country Bowling and Cocktail Lounge in Rock Island, Illinois. I remember a giant Chief Black Hawk sign in front [...]
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Posted January 05, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
Posted December 01, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
When Wooly’s was a Woolworth’s store
On Oct. 19, 1950, Woolworth’s had its grand opening at 504-508 E. Locust. For the last 10 years, I thought variety stores were a front for some type of shady [...]
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Posted November 03, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
Remembering pies from Bontels
Former East 14th Street restaurant and bakery brings back great memories for people, especially at Thanksgiving time. As a former employee of Bishops Buffet in Cedar Rapids in both [...]
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Posted October 06, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
The Shuler Mines
Waukee was once a “company town.” I have been spending time lately in Bentonville, Arkansas (seven days a month since July to be exact). Many scholars of useless information will [...]
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Posted September 01, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
Remembering 9-11
It was a birthday I will never forget. I woke up on the morning of my 16th birthday like I did any other day and got myself ready for school. [...]
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Posted August 04, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
Strange tales from the Iowa State Fair
World’s largest man, Bobo the clown, Siamese twins and chameleons To think that it has been two years since the last Iowa State Fair is bonkers to me. I did [...]
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Posted June 30, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
Camp Dodge Swimming Pool
One of the world’s largest swimming pools operated from 1922 through 2001. My summers as a kid in the Quad Cities were not that much different than most other kids’ [...]
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Posted June 02, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
Remembering Harmon’s Barbershop
The origins may be a bit hazy, but the memories are clear. I have been a patron of the Roosevelt Barbershop for nearly 10 years, and I expect to be [...]
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Posted May 05, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
Remembering ‘A Thief in the Night’
Des Moines’ forgotten history includes the making of feature-length Christian films in the 1970s. It actually goes back to the late 1960s with a man named Russ Doughten from Carlisle [...]
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Posted March 31, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
Life before I-235
Many most of us take for granted that we can get most anywhere in the metro area in less than 20 minutes. We are all used to waiting until the [...]
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