The hamburger was first introduced in Clarinda, when a restaurant owner discovered a new way for making a sandwich, by using ground beef. The Clarinda restaurant's chef, who was from Hamburg, Germany, named the sandwich.
William Morrison of Des Moines, in 1890, built the first successful car in America. His electric car sat 12 people and traveled at 20 miles per hour. It was easy to operate, didn't frighten horses with noise, give off smelly fumes, or set fire to crops and wooden bridges like the steam carriages.
The Maytag washer was invented in 1907, in Newton, by Howard Snyder and marketed by Fred L. Maytag.
Since 1910, Iowa has led the nation in the percentage of people who can read and write. Iowa's literacy rate is 99%.
The oldest building in Iowa is a one-room school house on the Mathias Ham House historic site in Dubuque.
In the U.S., Iowa has the most per-capita participation of girls in high school competing in sports.
Most Iowa counties have a low population density: less than 50 people per square mile.
All of the Cornell College campus in Mount Vernon is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is the only campus in the U.S. to have that designation.
The entire town of St. Donatus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Iowa Capitol Building has 27 fireplaces.
If all the shelves in the law library of the Iowa Capitol Building were laid end to end they would stretch more than 4 miles long.
The Republican Party was first organized in Crawfordsville, Iowa.
Step onto the Observation Deck for more on Iowa.
Birth Place Facts
Last updated: June / 17 / 2000
In 1835, when Stephen Kearney explored Iowa, the prairie grass was so high that the soldiers could tie knots of grass over the backs of their horses.
In 1995, Dubuquers drank beer more frequently and in greater quantities than the rest of state and country. They're less likely to exercise, less likely to use sunscreen, more likely to use smokeless tobacco and were heavier than the rest of the state and country.
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