Posted March 06, 2024in Des Moines Forgotten
Iowa film industry lore is a niche topic that captivates my interest. If I hear anyone telling a story about the old days of film production, I stop what I am doing to join the conversation. My early Des Moines Forgotten articles included stories on the Varsity Theatre, filming a
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Posted January 31, 2024in Des Moines Forgotten
It’s the busiest time of the year at the CITYVIEW offices with our annual BEST OF DES MOINES winners being announced. I thought it would be fun to dive into some of the past BEST OF DES MOINES winners, which means taking a walk into the deep dark tomb that
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Posted January 03, 2024in Des Moines Forgotten
When I first moved to Des Moines in 2007, I was rattled with lore and strange facts about the city. I had been gone from the state since June of 2004 and previously haunted only the eastern side. I only made one or two trips to or through Des Moines
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Posted December 06, 2023in Des Moines Forgotten
In the late 1980s, my parents would take me to the Village of East Davenport to walk around and look at window decorations. The Village of East Davenport had its own version of the East Village Promenade that we know of here in Des Moines. The shops would be open
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Posted November 01, 2023in Des Moines Forgotten
November is a weird a month. We move from “spooky season” to “second mortgage season.” It’s that time of year for us to be with our families, overspend at the grocery stores and cook a minimum of two large meals where only a fourth of the food is eaten. It’s
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Posted October 04, 2023in Des Moines Forgotten
Until a few years ago, I could not say that I had ever been in a haunted house. My house was built in 1916, and there is no doubt that a lot of souls have lived in this house the last 100-plus years. The first year I was living there,
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Posted September 06, 2023in Des Moines Forgotten
I have written about coal mining in the metro previously with the Shuler Mines in Waukee. It’s surreal to think that Des Moines is littered with abandoned mines under the streets and our homes. What creatures could be living in those old caverns? Have you ever seen the movie “C.H.U.D.”
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Posted August 02, 2023in Des Moines Forgotten
It’s the time of year when Des Moines becomes a three-ring circus. Yes, part of that is because the Iowa State Fair is near, but we are also in the midst of a presidential election cycle and are heading toward the 2024 caucuses. Last year I wrote about “Strange Tales
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Posted July 05, 2023in Des Moines Forgotten
Gentrification is a mixed bag. In one sense, you have people we assume come with good intentions and invest in parts of our city that have been long ignored. The lack of interest would have come from back in the day when suburban life became the hot trend. People would
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Posted May 31, 2023in Des Moines Forgotten
This story developed because I received a speeding ticket in Nebraska this past March. It was one of those deals when I was going 10 mph over the speed limit, the cop slowed down in front me, so I rode right up on him. Anyway, I had the option of
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