Iowa’s ABCs CONNER HOLBEN

A is for Adventureland Adventureland is an amusement park in Des Moines, IA. Adventureland’s biggest ride is the Dragon. The Dragon is a 42 inch minimum height requirement, and Iowa’s only upside down double looping roller coaster. The names of the roller coasters are the Outlaw, Dragon, Tornado, and the Underground The thrill rides are called the Splash Over, Sidewinder, Himalaya, Falling Star, Inverter, and the Space Shot. The areas you find the rides are in Dragon Island, Outlaw Gulch, Boulevard, County Fair Games, Rathskeller, Frantic Freeway, Main Street Arcade

B is for Bob Feller When Bob Feller was 17 years old he struck out 17 batters. Feller set a modern major league record of 18 strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers. Feller joined the Cleveland Indians without having played in the minors. He played for the Indians from 1936-1956. Bob Feller struck out 2,581 people total. He also won 266 wins and 162 loses. His earned run average was 3.25. He was born on November 3, 1918 and he died on December 10, 2010 in Cleveland, Ohio.

C is for Colombian Exposition in Chicago Inspired by the extraordinary art gathered together at the World’s Colombian Exposition in Chicago, community leaders from Cedar Rapids formed an art club in 1895. In 1981, the Art Center earned accreditation by the American Association of Museums. The first painting was aquired for the collection in 1906.

D is for Des Moines Art Center The Des Moines Art Center is an art museum with an extensive collection of paintings, sculpture, modern at and mixed media. It was established in 1948 in Des Moines, Iowa. A large main gallery rotates through several exhibitions throughout the year, most of which are featured from one to three months at a time.

E is for The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers grew up from ages 5-7 through early high school in Shenadoah. The duo’s harmony singing had a strong influence on rock and roll groups of the 1960s. Don and Phil Everly are both guitarists and use vocal harmony mostly based on parallel thirds.

F is for Fourth Street Historic District The Fourth Street Historic District is a historic district in Sioux City, Iowa, United States. The area is now a local center of restaurants, bars, and specialty shops. It consists of a concentration of 15 late 19th century commercial buildings between Virginia and Iowa Streets that date from 1889 to approximately 1915.

G is for Gateway of Chaos What began as a small youth non-profit fundraiser is now South West’s Iowa’s #1 Haunted House attraction with 100% of the funds raised benefiting the Malvern Area Betterment Association, a non-profit group bettering the social, educational and developmental aspects of local people and their city and surrounding areas of Malvern, Iowa. Each year thousands of patrons drive from all over the region to witness what over 50 amazing volunteers create each year. It’s the only place where adults, young adults, and kids work together unlike any educational opportunity in the region.

H is for Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover was born and died August 10,1874-October 20,1964 He was the 31st president of the United States (1929 -1933) His religion is Quaker Herbert Hoover has school district named after him called Hoover Elementary.

I is for Iowa Hawkeyes The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Their Mascot is Herky the Hawk Their Football Stadium is called Kinnik Stadium Kinnik Stadium is in Iowa City, IA Their varsity of teams are 24

J is for John Wayne John Wayne was born May 26, 1907 in Winterset, Ia. He died June 11, 1976 in LA ,California. Wayne won his first Academy Award in 1969. He died of cancer in 1979. John Wayne weighed around 13 pounds when he was born. His real name is Marion Robert Morrison. He had a dog named Duke and that was also his nickname.

K is for Ashton Kutcher Kutcher was born in Cedar Rapids,IA. Ashton Kutcher attended Washington High School in Cedar Rapids for his freshman year. Before his family moved to Homestead,IA he attended Clear Creek Amana High School. Kutcher also appeared in school plays. Kutcher enrolled at the University of Iowa in August 1996. He replaced Charlie Scene in Two and a half men.

L is for Max Low “Mighty” Max Low of Neola, IA began battling leukemia shortly after he started kindergarten in 2004. Today he’s a 13 year old seventh grader still battling away at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha. And he’s probably receiving more get well cards on a daily basis than anybody else on the planet. All cards are headed for this address: Mighty Max Low P.O. Box 111 Neola, IA 51559. That’s why Max’s dad Greg found no fewer than 11 keys in his post office box a recent morning. Max’s family’s names are Jessica (Jesse) Greg, and Bambi. Max has endured chemotherapy and other treatments and a late relapse through the years. Bambi on Feb.15 2010 was told to enjoy her final days with her son. But now there are signs of hope. Meanwhile, Max feels pretty good. Which made it all the harder for Bambi even to tell her son that his condition was classified as terminal. Bambi says that she reads about 300 cards a day before wrapping them to take to the hospital. Bambi still drives a school bus 120 miles each weekday to keep working as long as possible, and she and Greg spend about a combined 18 hours a day at the hospital. The road miles to add up.

M is for Meredith Willson Meredith Willson was born May 18,1902 and born in Mason City , Iowa and died on June 15,1984. His occupation was being a composer, conductor, and a playwrighter. He was a flute and a piano player too. Willson was a member of John Phillip Sousa’s band (1921-1923). Willson then moved to San Francisco, CA and became a concert director for a radio station KFRC. Then as a musical director for the NBC radio network in Hollywood. He was also the director of the Music Man.

N is for Nile Kinnik Nile Kinnik was born on July 9,1918. He was born in Adel,IA and died in world war 11 on June 2,1943. His position was a quarterback and won the Heisman Trophy in 1939. He was recruited to Iowa by coach Ossie Solem in 1936. As a youth he played on a Junior Legion baseball team with the future major leaguer Bob Feller.

O is for Okoboji Okoboji is a city in Dickinson County, IA, along the eastern shore of West Okoboji Lake in the Iowa Great Lakes region. The population is 820 At Okoboji you can fish, camp, ski, etc. You can also visit Spirit Lake, Arnolds Park, and go to University of Okoboji.

P is for Plymouth County Plymouth County formed on January 15, 1851. Settlement began in 1856. In October 1859, the first courthouse was built and the first public school opened its doors with 32 pupils. You can visit Exmoor National Park, Exeter Cathedral, Exeter Guidehall, Totnes Elizabeth House Museum and many more.

Q is for Quaker Oats Company The Quaker Oats Company is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by Pepsico since 2001.

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V is for Villisca Axe Murder House Villisca Axe Murder House in Iowa is one of the most haunted places on Earth. In Villisca 8 people were murdered in their beds in 1912. Iowa is now known for trying to figure out the murderer, but no one can ever find out the mystery of Villisca. It’s sort of intresting that before the house was a tour guide some people used to live in there. The victims in Villisca, IA’s names are Josiah Moore, Sarah Moore, Herman Moore, Katherine Moore, Boyd and Paul Moore, Lena Moore, Ina Moore, and May Moore. Iowa will always live in this legend. No one will ever find the murderer.

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