In 1951, Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret was fired from her job as a photojournalist at the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The reason: she was pregnant. She responded by photographing the birth to her son — an audacious proposition at the time. The photos — mostly shots of the doctors, nurses and newborn Artie from her POV on […]
Cedar Rapids history
Posted inFood & Drink
Peak Iowa: What’s the secret to the perfect dill spread? Ask Elijah Wood.
Years ago, Cedar Rapids was a real deli town. You could pop out of work or school to grab a good sandwich at any number of locally owned shops peppered throughout the quadrants. But the city looks different after decades of restaurant closures — Cork ‘n Fork in 2014, Sub City and Emil’s Delicatessen in […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Peak Iowa: Nesper Sign celebrates 100 years and a jillion jests
Long before the Iowa DOT began bombarding our senses with messaging tortured enough to ensure that drivers’ eyes stay on the road, travelers along I-380 had just one source of entertainment to liven up their route: the Nesper sign. Cedar Rapids mainstay Nesper Sign Advertising sits just past the Highway 30 interchange, offering northbound drivers […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Peak Iowa: 175 years of Cedar Rapids history began with a log-cabin tavern run by an outlaw
Cedar Rapids celebrated its 175th birthday in 2024. Iowa had been a state for barely two years when the new city was incorporated on Jan. 15, 1849. Of course, people had been living in the area for thousands of years before that happened. Archeologists have found evidence of habitation dating back 9,500 years. At least […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Fire destroys the Lighthouse Inn, a Cedar Rapids landmark and one of Iowa’s oldest restaurants
The Lighthouse Inn, a century-old supper club and Cedar Rapids landmark, was destroyed by a fire on Wednesday morning. According to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, shortly after 5 a.m., a 911 caller reported seeing “smoke and flame coming from the roof” of the Lighthouse. Deputies along with Cedar Rapids firefighters were dispatched to the […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
Wayback tours: John Prine at the Paramount, 10 years ago
Sept. 14, 2013. It was hot and muggy during the day, and somehow even muggier at night. Perhaps it was similar to a late summer night on Lake Marie, which was the name of my favorite John Prine song at the time. To this day, I think of Prine as the ideal road trip artist. […]
Posted inEastern Iowa Food & Drink
LV Recommends: Raise a slice to Leonardo’s, Cedar Rapids’ 70-year-old time capsule
Cedar Rapids — the city of five seasons/smells, and home of Iowa’s best pizza scene. To celebrate the foundational piece of CR pizza that is Leonardo’s (2228 16th Ave SW) let’s take a look at its origins. The story begins in the early 1950s when Tony and Leo Naso opened Cedar Rapids’ first pizzeria, Naso’s […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Orchestra Iowa’s centennial season features Iowa composers and world-class performers
Lasting 100 years is clearly something for any arts organization to celebrate. “It gives an illusion of permanence,” says Orchestra Iowa music director Timothy Hankewich. “But nowhere is it written that a community will have a symphony orchestra.” In recent decades, many orchestras have folded in the United States. The continuous existence of Orchestra Iowa […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
An historic Cedar Rapids theater is becoming its coolest new saloon and music venue
Once on the brink of demolition, a building constructed over 100 years ago is about to be reborn as Cedar Rapids’ newest bar and music venue. First opening as the Ideal Theatre over a century ago, the building at 213 16th Ave SE will start a new chapter of its story, written by its new […]
Posted inCommunity/News
How a Cedar Rapids strip mall brought town and country together — and stood the test of time
Anyone living in Cedar Rapids or Marion has more than likely found themselves needing to get to the other, and, most likely, has made the trip by way of First Avenue. On their way, they’ve probably seen an unassuming strip mall just a couple minutes into Cedar Rapids past the Marion border: an L-shaped series […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The once and future Olympic Theater
Once upon a time in Cedar Rapids, there was an Olympic Theatre. Located at 1124 3rd St, the records of the History Center show that it was built as a private home, but became the Olympic in 1912, remaining under that name until 1939. “The building showed silent flicks early on and then often showed […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Built by immigrants in 1893, the Matyk Building is now a font of food and art in Cedar Rapids
The building that sits at 1029 3rd St SE in Cedar Rapids has roots almost as deep as the city itself. It was erected by the Matyk family, immigrants from Czechoslovakia, in 1893, only 44 years after the city was incorporated. The building began its life as a dry goods store, with the family living […]
