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.

Government & Politics

Iowa Bridges Among Worst in the Country, Study Finds

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After a national study was taken, it was found that Iowa’s bridges were the among the most structurally deficient in the country. Although many of the bridges will remain safe for up to 50 years, the state and cities are struggling with finding funds to fix the bridges.