There seems to be a new push to make the “Field of Dreams” some kind of big baseball location, which made me wonder if Iowa has an official state sport or if they’re going to make baseball the state sport? —RB, Iowa City Iowa doesn’t have an official state sport. Only 17 states do and […]
Iowa history
Posted inCommunity/News
University of Iowa Labor Center, slated for closure in 2019, celebrates 70 years
The University of Iowa Labor Center will celebrate 70 years of empowering workers in the Hawkeye State this Saturday, May 7. Surviving the threat of closure and a pandemic, the Labor Center continues to play a vital role in tackling the challenges facing workers statewide. “The Labor Center is our state university’s commitment to the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Before I-235, Des Moines’ Center Street district was a bastion of Black commerce and culture
By the time its final section opened to traffic in late 1968, I-235 was already part of the fabric of Des Moines. Cutting across the city and running just north of downtown, it’s the most traveled roadway in Iowa. But like many stretches of highway built through cities, the construction of I-235 did damage that […]
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Photos: Monuments to women’s history in Des Moines
This Women’s History Month, Little Village explored some of the DSM spots dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in the city. Photos by Britt Fowler Evelyn K. Davis Center For Working Families Evelyn Davis (1921-2001) supported working families in Des Moines by providing affordable childcare for 23 years. She was an advocate for families, […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Cortado: Blues y poesía de Waubeek (Parte Uno)
Waubeek: blues y poesía Though he never made much money when he passed around the jar He could really play the blues. -Shemekia Copeland Son las once de la noche de un martes del 2017. Dentro del local hay apenas dos personas, el dueño del bar y un granjero. Este último viste overalls, polera blanca […]
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Remembering the Iowa Cow War, 90 years later
The War on Meat (2021 edition) may just be a Republican talking point, but 90 years ago, National Guard troops armed with literal rifles and bayonets were deployed against cattle farmers in eastern Iowa in what became known as the Iowa Cow War of 1931. This largely forgotten incident involved angry people rejecting science and […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Mirrorbox Theatre staging the story of Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis, beyond his infamous LSD no-hitter
Editor’s note: After the initial publication of this story, the premiere of ‘This is Not a Game of Baseball’ was postponed due to COVID-19. More details at the end of the article. I spoke with Cavan Hallman, Curtis Jackson and Caleb Rainey — the writer, director and lead performer of the forthcoming play This Is […]
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‘Iowa can’t wait’: Historic preservationist Matthew Gilbert on the power of place and the urgency to save Black buildings
Matthew Gilbert’s great grandfather, Dr. Lee Burton Furgerson, is an Iowa legend. He was one of the first Black doctors in Waterloo. He contributed to the Iowa Bystander, the state’s leading Black publication. He joined prominent civil rights attorney Milton Fields and Judge William Parker in co-founding a Black bank in 1947 called Blackhawk Savings […]
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Art “Superman” Pennington, a Negro Leagues legend and longtime Cedar Rapidian, may soon be recognized as a Major League All-Star
There’s a few key facts about Superman that are pretty universally known. He’s more powerful than a locomotive. He’s able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. And Superman is renowned for being faster than a speeding bullet. Cedar Rapids had its own Superman. And Art “Superman” Pennington — who lived there from the […]
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Your Village: Will Iowa lose its first-in-the-nation status?
What are the chances the state of Iowa will be first in the nation ever again after 2020’s incredibly inconvenient, undemocratic, overcrowded and likely virus-filled caucuses that still haven’t even been called by the AP? Signed, Humiliated and Proud via the Your Village feature on LV’s homepage. The chances of Iowa being first in the […]
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Your Village: Why is there an elementary school named after Nixon in Iowa?
Have a question about what’s going on in your community? Ask Little Village. Submit your questions through the Your Village feature on our homepage, or email us at editor@littlevillagemag.com. There’s a Nixon Elementary in Hiawatha?????? Why would they name a school after Nixon?? —GM, Coralville, via the Your Village feature on LV’s homepage. Timing, they […]
Posted inBook Reviews
Book Review: ‘Abandoned Iowa: Vacant Heartland’ by Mitch Nicholson
The origins of Abandoned Iowa can be traced back to the fall of 2010, when author Mitch Nicholson was still an English undergraduate student at a small private college in Marion County. Academic pressures combined with a hot, stuffy dorm room and the claustrophobic setting of a small campus nearly proved to be unbearable and […]
