World War II Victory Garden Mania Hits Iowa

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“Own your own victory garden and four room house,” a Davenport realtor suggested to buyers in a local newspaper ad in spring 1942. All over the state businesses used the victory garden campaign to sell their products and services. Seed and gardening stores offered free seed packets and information pamphlets to customers to entice customers to plant victory gardens. Clothing stores advertised slacks for women to wear while tending their victory garden. A Charles City nursery advertised for “Victory Garden Salesmen” to help sell products to “make healthy American workers and fighters.”

Iowa History, a weekly column, appears at IowaWatch on Saturdays.

Bank Robbery

Bank Bandits Get Away on Bicycles: It was 1896 After All

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Lake Mills residents were very excited on October 10, 1896, when word spread around town that a desperate and dangerous bank robber had been captured. Everybody believed he was one of two bandits who had robbed a bank in Sherburn, Minnesota, a few days before. Two innocent bystanders had been killed as the robbers sped out of town on Elgin Model A bicycles they had stolen from the hardware store. Iowa History, a weekly column, appears at IowaWatch on Saturdays. Cheryl Mullenbach is the author of non-fiction books for young people.

Iowa History

An Iowa Desperado’s Greatest Sorrow

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“Aside from the overt criminal acts described and a too liberal use of profanity, my life has been approximately pure and correct,” Polk Wells said from his prison cell at Anamosa, Iowa. And he swore he never used liquor or tobacco.