Iowa ABC Book By: Cecilia Myers

It’s starting

A is for AgricultureIowa’s secretary of agriculture is Bill Northey. The top five agriculture commodities are: 1.Hogs2.Corn3.Soybean4.Cattle5.Dairy products

B IS FOR BLACK HAWKWhen Black Hawk was very young he became a brave. He was a war chief who led his Sauk tribe into war. Black Hawk went to prison for fighting for his land in Iowa. He refused to give in without a fight.

C is for Cardiff GiantThe Cardiff Giant is made mainly of gypsm, a mineral made from salt water. It was 10 feet 4 and ½ inches tall. The Cardiff Giant traveled from Iowa, to Chicago, IL then to New York where it is now displayed.

D is for Donna ReedDonna Reed was born in Denison, IA on 1/27/1921 she was the youngest of 5 kids. She died in the year 1986. She grew up and became a famous actress. She stared in the movies: Dallas: season 8, Deadly Lessons, Pepe, Star Gazing, and The Whole Truth.

E is for Eastern GoldfinchThe eastern goldfinch was chosen to be the state bird in 1933. Seeds, dandelions, sunflowers, and evening primrose are the eastern goldfinches’ main food sources. After 2 weeks eggs hatch, and then after 2-3 weeks the chicks leave.

F is for Ft. Madison PartnersFt. Madison Partners is a forward-thinking organization made up of the local Chamber of Coherence, Main Street, Economic Development Council, and the Ft. Madison Southwest Iowa Regional Riverboat Commission. One of the attractions the Ft. Madison Partners sponsors is the Old Ft. Madison, the oldest military garrison north of the Mississippi River.

G is for geo

Iowa geos have long been loved and treasured for their beautiful inside crystals. The geos can be found anywhere in the Midwest. The geo was first declared the state rock in 1967.

H is for Herbert HooverHerbert Hoover was the 31st U.S. president.(1929—1933) He was born on August 10th, 1874 in West Branch, Iowa. His first lady was Lou Hoover and his vice president was Charles Curtis. He was also the first president to be a millionaire.

I is for Iowa State Fair

The Iowa State Fair is a annual event inquiring a week filled with fun Iowa actives. Some of the actives include the blue ribbon club, the butter cow, and getting up close and personal with a perchron.

J is for J.V AtanasoffJohn Vincent Atanastoff was born on 10/4/1903 in Hamilton, New York. He is the inventor of the first electronic digital computer. He is, along with being an inventor, a mathematical physicists and a business man. When he invented the computer he was a professor at Iowa State University.

Keokuk was not always a Sauk chief he earned his way up through acts of bravery. When he was very young he killed a rival Sioux warrior, and his tribe was so pleased with his kill that they celebrated with a feast. Black Hawk once accused Keokuk of being a coward but the other members of the tribe thought of him of being a great leader.

K is for Keokuk

Leon Beiderbecke was a great musician who drank himself to a grave with illegal consumption of liquor. His hard drinking habits and his beautiful tones on the cornet made him a legend among musicians.

L is for Leon Beiderbecke

M IS FOR MOTTO

Iowa’s state motto is “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain”. The motto was the work of a three-man Senate committee. It was incorporated on the state seal and on the flag.

We’re half way done

N is for Neal Sedaka

Neal Sedaka helped with the production of Rock N’ Roll. He was born on March 13th, 1939. he first thought of rock n’ roll when he was four while listing to the song “Make-Believe Ballroom”.

O is for Okoboji

Okoboji is a lake in north western Iowa. Lake Okoboji was made by a glacier sliding around and then melting in the hole it made. It is about 1 mi. across and 5mi. in width. At the deepest point it is about 300-400 feet. In the eastern section of the lake there are booies about ½ way across the lake. They are there because Native Americans tried to build a bridge across the ice, but the ice melted before it was finished. The Queen II is a cruise ship that takes about 2 hours. On the ride they tell about the history of Okoboji and go around the entire perimeter of the lake. You can buy food and drinks for the ride.

P IS FOR POTTAWAMIE COUNTY DISASTER ANIMAL

RESPONSE TEAMOn October 14th 2010 the Board of Supervisors approved of the Pottawamie county disaster animal response team(PCDART). The disaster animal response team is developing a program to respond to disasters involving animals.

Q is for Quaker Oats

The elevators at the Quaker Oats plant were made in 1873 by three families: Stuart, Higley, and Douglas. It became Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids in July 1941.

R is for Raccoon River Park

Raccoon River Park is located in the southwest part of West Des Moines. It is the “crown jewel” of the West Des Moines park system. The 631.61 acres of parkland provide active and passive recreational experiences, along with several hundred acres of natural areas for wildlife.

S is for is for Spirit Lake Massacure

In the spring of 1857, the renegade Wahpeke Dakota Chief Inkpaduka and his band of warriors descended in homes in Spirit Lake in northwestern Iowa and committed murder to Henry Lott and his son. The reason they were murdered is still debated. One reason is that Henry Lott killed Inkpaduka blood brother, his wife and their five children.

T is for TornadoesIowa is part of Tornado Valley so we get a few every year. The tornadoes can go from horrible to barely touching the ground. Over the years Iowa has been hit by millions of tornadoes. We have already had some in 2011.

U is for University of Iowa Law

The University of Iowa College of Law is the oldest law school west of the Mississippi. In 1839, the Iowa Territorial Supreme Court ruled that a slave brought into Iowa must be freed. Thirty years later, the Iowa Bar admitted the first woman licensed to practice law in the United States. Alexander Clark, Jr., graduated from Iowa Law in 1879 as the school's first African-American student. His father, Alexander Clark, Sr., had helped pave the way by winning an Iowa Supreme Court case ensuring his children's right to attend public school in 1868. Clark, Sr. also attended Iowa Law, a few years after his son

V is for Villisca Axe Murder House

On June 10th, 1912,the town of Villisca, Iowa awoke to find 8 people dead , killed with an axe. Villisca had been a peaceful place where people had left their doors unlocked and went to church together, but that all changed that bloody morning. Joe B, his wife Sarah, and their four children, Herman, Katharine, Boyd, and Paul, and two visiting children Lena and Ina Stillinger, were all found dead. They were murdered between the hours 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m.. A suspect was Reverend Kelly. He was on a train and talked of the killings before the bodies were discovered. In trial he confessed to the murder, but the next day he plead innocent he was then released. Later the papers to the case were missing and Kelly was never seen again.

W is for Wind EnergyIowa is among the leaders in wind energy production, both in the Midwest and nationally. With over 1100 working turbines spread over 47 wind farms, Iowa is taking wind energy by storm. With accessible transmission lines and nearly 40% of the land producing wind speeds necessary to generate power, it’s no wonder that Iowa is taking advantage of this amazing resource. To ignite continued wind energy developments, Iowa has extensive legislation in place to provide incentive for production. All Iowa-based electric utilities are required to offer green power options to their customers. Other incentives include production tax credits, and excise, property and sales tax exemptions.

X is for Ballisca of St. Francis Xavier

Ballisca of St. Francis Xavier is located in Dyersville, Iowa. It is a traditional Latin church. Is has mass every Sunday at noon.

Almost done………

Y is for Y.M.C.A The Y.M.C.A. in Dubuque, Iowa was founded on 9/11/1886. At first the Y.M.C.A. started out as a lodging area for men. The first “rooms” were located above EH Moore Drug Store.There are more than 1,600 Y.M.C.A. day camps.

Z is for ZearingZearing’s zip code is 50278. The population in July 2009 was 588. Zearing is a small town that is hard to locate on a map.

...why does the sun have to set on this

perfect day?!?

THE ENDLET’S WATCH IT AGAIN!!!

BYE-BYE!!!