Blog: Byway Buzz

Here Stands the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial Known as the Black Angel

Here Stands the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial Known as the Black Angel

High atop a ridge overlooking the Missouri Valley is Council Bluffs’ Fairview Cemetery, where stands the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial, also known as the Black Angel. Legend has it the spot is haunted and visitors sometimes report unusual occurrences. Nevertheless, the site is worth a visit as the beautiful bronze sculpture, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the work of Daniel Chester French, who created Washington D.C.’s Lincoln Memorial and the minuteman in Concord, Massachusetts.

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Ten Things I Didn’t Know About Rolle Bolle

Ten Things I Didn’t Know About Rolle Bolle

Recently, I had the opportunity to hang out with the group of Rolle Bolle enthusiasts who play this game every weekend of the summer rotating between courts in the Iowa Valley, Minnesota, and Illinois. They are such a welcoming group who made me feel at home.

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The Historic Lincoln Highway Bridge Is In Danger!

The Historic Lincoln Highway Bridge Is In Danger!

The Lincoln Highway Bridge in Tama, IA, once again needs your help to survive. Due to severe deterioration, engineers say it should be replaced if it’s going to continue serving as a truck route. The Tama City Council is holding a public hearing Monday, August 21, at 5:30 pm, at the Tama City Auditorium to hear comments on whether to repair or replace the bridge.

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Significant Black History Along the Lincoln Highway

Significant Black History Along the Lincoln Highway

During Black History Month we pay tribute to a sometimes overlooked, yet highly significant, piece of African American history that took place along the Lincoln Highway in Ames, Iowa.

From the start, Iowa State College founded in 1858 (now Iowa State University) allowed students of color to attend, but without on-campus housing unless they roomed together up until the 1940’s. This “unofficial” policy made student housing nearly impossible due the low number of students of color enrolled during this time. Meanwhile two caring individuals, Archie and Nancy Martin, opened their home in Ames as a place for male students of color to reside and grow while pursuing their education.

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Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway Sign Inventory Completed

Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway Sign Inventory Completed

Lincoln Highway National Heritage Byway Coordinator Jonathan Sherwood recently had the privilege of seeing every corner of the Byway from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River — crossing every river in between. The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) asked byway coordinators to inventory every byway sign on their respective byways across Iowa. For me, that meant 1100 miles, including both sides of the road, and the loops through downtowns.

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