Posted February 02, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
As a child, I would go to Wacky Waters Adventure Park between Davenport and Walcott. When I was 9 years old, a wave pool was installed. If you wanted to know what it felt like to be tumbled by large, ocean-style waves in an overcrowded pool, then you were in
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Posted January 05, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
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 of it. This was sometime between 1989 and 1991, when smoking was still allowed in public places. Guests would walk
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Posted December 01, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
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 black market deal. Amazon, Walmart and Target have seemingly taken over every type of retail flavor we can think of.
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Posted November 03, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
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 the Lindale and Westdale Mall locations, I still have nightmares from memories of the Thanksgiving and Christmas day craziness. Bishops
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Posted October 06, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
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 tell you about Bentonville being the mecca of the retail universe. I’ll save you the time of Googling and tell
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Posted September 01, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
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. But 20 years ago in my hometown of Aurora, Illinois, Sept. 11 was anything but a typical day. My first
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Posted August 04, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
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 attend the food truck deal they had last August, which was fun but obviously not the same. I am also
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Posted June 30, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
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’ during the early 1990s. There was a dirt park a half-mile away from my home where I would ride my
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Posted June 02, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
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 for years to come. Next to Pope’s off Ingersoll, this may be one of the oldest barbering spots in the
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Posted May 05, 2021in Des Moines Forgotten
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 who saw an opportunity to produce evangelical Christian/faith-based films and distribute them through church organizations to be used as learning
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