Iowa ABC

Book

By: Maggie

Ravlin

A is for Amana Colonies

They were a religious group from Germany.

Amana means remain true. When they

needed more farmland, they looked to Iowa

where attractively priced land was available.

One valley on the Iowa river seemed

particularly promising. They wanted to build

the house of there dreams here. They built 7

villages by the river where people were

welcome to stay.

B IS FOR BLACK HAWK

Black Hawk became a brave very young. He was a war chief who lead his Sauk tribe to war. Black Hawk went to prison for fighting for his land. He refused to give in without a fight.

She was a women’s suffrage leader who campaigned for the 19th amendment to the united states constitution. That gave women their right to vote. She served as president of the national American women suffrage association and found league of women voters.

Des Moines is the

capital of Iowa. Des

Moines was

founded in 1843. It

was incorporated

on September 22,

1851. Des Moines

was originally called

Fort Des Moines

later they decided

to shorten it to Des

Moines.

The Eastern Goldfinch is Iowa’s, New Jersey’s, and Washington’s state bird. The male bird is more popular because of its bright yellow during breeding season. These birds stay in Iowa throughout the winter.

The Farm House was built in the 1860’s. It was the first building at Iowa State Agricultural College. It was built before the campus was occupied. The landscape was bleak and desolated at the time. They originally used the Farm House for agricultural experimentation.

The geode is Iowa’s state rock. Geode means “Earth Like”. A geode has crystals in the middle. There are different types of geodes though, like log geodes . These are oblong and long. Scientists are not completely sure how geodes form. So far they think it is because igneous rock gas bubbles inside of any rock forming it in to a geode, but they aren’t quite sure yet.

Hawkeye State is the

nickname given to

Iowa. Two Iowa

promoters from

Burlington, IA are

believed to have

popularized the

nickname. It was

given approval in

1838, eight years

after Iowa became a

state.

Go Hawkeyes!!

They were an American Indian Tribe. Iowa was named after Ioway because they were the first tribe to ever walk on

Iowa. Our Ancestors built burial mounds. Ioway was forced off their land by their government, and relocated to Kansas.

J is for John Wayne

John Wayne was born on May 26,1907 in Winterset, Iowa. He was in The Shootist, Rooster Cogburn, Brannigan, and McQ. He is famous for his distinctive voice, walk, and height.

Ashton Kutcher is a famous actor. He was born on February 7, 1978 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Before he was an actor he modeled. His original name is Christopher Ashton Kutcher, but the modeling agency already had a Christopher, so he used his middle name. After he was done modeling, he tried acting. It took him a while to become an actor, but he practiced a lot and became wonderful at it.

The Louisiana Purchase ran through Iowa. France claimed Louisiana was their territory in 1803. The US paid $11,250,000 plus debts worth $3,750,000. Thomas Jefferson decided to purchase Louisiana because he felt uneasy about France owning a part of the US.

The Mormon Trail is located in Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Utah. It was established in November 10, 1978. The Mormon Trail is 1,300 miles long. The trail was used for more than 20 years before it was turned into a railroad in 1869.

Norman was born on March 25, 1914 in Cresco, Iowa. He is known for his role in Green Revolution, helping develop semi-dwarf, high-yield, disease-resistant wheat varieties, and as a founder of the World Food Prize. He has won the Nobel Peace Prize, Presidential Medal of Freedom, Public Welfare Medal, National Medal of Science, and Congressional Gold Medal. He died on September 12, 2009 at the age of 95.

O is for Oak Tree

Q is for QuarterThe Iowa quarter was the 29th state quarter to come out. It was the 4th quarter to come out in 2004. There is a one-room schoolhouse with a teacher and students planting a tree on it. The coin design shows Iowa’s commitment to education.

Rock Creek State Park is located near Kellogg, Iowa. It became a state park in 1952. The park’s size is 1,697 acres. Visitors to the park can fish on its 602 acre lake.

The State Seal was made official by Iowa’s first state legislature in 1847. In the middle of the seal is a soldier in a wheat field holding an American flag. The stat motto “Our liberties we prize and our rights we maintain” is around the outside edge of the seal.

Iowa became a state on December 28, 1846. It got its name from the Iowa people, an American Indian tribe. Iowa is known as the “Food Capital of the World.”

During the Civil War slaves left the southern states to find freedom in Canada. Many blacks leaving Missouri traveled through Iowa’s Underground Railroad. If you were caught helping a runaway, the penalty was 6 months in jail and $1000 fine.

V is for Van Allen and Company Department Store

The Van Allen and Company Department Store is on the US National Register of Historic Places and is a US National Historic Landmark. It is a four story building in Clinton, Iowa, and was constructed 1912-1914.

W IS FOR WILD ROSEThe Iowa legislature designated the wild rose as the official state flower in 1897. Wild roses bloom from June through late summer throughout Iowa. The rose has been around for 35 million years and grows naturally throughout North America.

X IS FOR XENIA, IA

Xenia, Iowa is located in Hardin County. It is located at 42 latitude and -93 longitude. It is 123 miles from Underwood, Iowa.

Yellow River State Forest is located in Harpers Ferry, Iowa (northeast Iowa). It is home to many species of wildlife that live in its various habitats. The red-shouldered hawk, a threatened and endangered bird, can be seen in the Yellow River State Park.

Z is for Zoo

The Blank Park Zoo is the only accredited zoo in Iowa. It is located in the city of Des Moines. The zoo is on 49 acres of land. There are 104 diff erent animal species and 1,484 animal specimens at the zoo.