Iowa History Journal Volume 3, Issue 3 Now Available

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011 | Iowa History Journal | No Comments

Bill Tilghman of Fort Dodge, Iowa, is considered one of the greatest lawmen and gunfighters of the Old West. According to top experts, he ranks alongside such legends as Wild Bill Hickok, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and Doc Holiday when it comes to his gunfighting exploits.

And yet, Tilghman is not near as well known as the Hickok group, for a variety of reasons. In the current issue of Iowa History Journal, Alan F. Nelson of Fort Dodge, perhaps the nation’s leading authority on Tilghman, offers a historical portrait of this fascinating Iowan and his legacy.

Readers will also be treated to a special story on the five occasions that the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, appeared in the state of Iowa. Also, the Ladora woman behind the very popular Nancy Drew mystery books is profiled, as well as Davenport golfer Jack Fleck, who set the sports world on its ear in 1955 when he won the U.S. Open.

On the more serious side, we take a look back at the Credit Island Battle of 1814, the only time foreign troops were engaged in combat in Iowa, and we offer a penetrating look at the development of the Iowa caucuses.

Also included in this issue:

• The rise of the Palmer School of Chiropractic into a top Iowa business
• How the city of Harlan came by its name
• Review of three new Iowa sports books
• The Iowa History Quiz
• Columns by our regulars – Arvid Huisman, John McNeer and Mike Chapman

…and much more!

Read more to see what’s inside this issue…

City of Humboldt to honor Frank Gotch with a statue in park

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011 | Wrestling | No Comments

HUMBOLDT, Iowa – The hometown of world wrestling champion Frank Gotch, one of the nation’s best-known athletes in the early part of the 20th Century, is making plans to honor its most famous citizen with a statue to be placed in Bicknell Park. The park occupies the site where Gotch trained for his most important match.

The project is being run by a not-for-profit organization called the Frank Gotch Statue Committee.

“Frank Gotch was arguably the top athlete in America in the 1908 to 1915 era,” said co-chair Steve Reimers, a lifelong resident of the city located in the northwestern part of the state. “Frank brought great recognition to this town and to all of Iowa. Many of us feel it is time to pay a special tribute to Gotch and the great legacy he left behind.”

Bicknell Park was the site of Gotch’s training camp prior to his epic match with George Hackenschmidt, known as The Russian Lion, on September 3, 1911, in Chicago. Gotch set up camp by the small bluff on the Des Moines River and spectators flocked to watch the world champion in training. Sports reporters from around the nation converged on Humboldt the month prior to the match. One reporter estimated that one day there were nearly 2,000 fans down by the park watching Gotch train.

Read more…

Tags: Bicknell Park, Frank Gotch, Humboldt

Mike’s May Schedule

Monday, May 9th, 2011 | Book Signing, Radio, Speaking, Wrestling | No Comments

Mike Chapman has a heavy schedule of appearances in May.

May 9 – 4:30 pm, taping of The Culture Buzz show at KFMG studio, in Des Moines. Will be played May 18th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Listen live here or listen to the archived show here, when it goes online.

May 16 – Speaking at the Noon Rotary in Waterloo, at the Five Sullivan Center. Mike will be talking about his book Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stories of Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack Trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright. Fred Becker is a 1914 graduate of East High who became Iowa’s very first All-American football player in 1916, then died fighting in World War I. The newest Waterloo school will be named Fred H. Becker Elementary School.

May 17 – For the third straight year, Mike will be presenting a workshop for young writers at a Waterloo school. The event is coordinated by Donna Huff, wife of Don Huff, with whom Mike co-wrote the book SIDDENS! The purpose of the workshop is to inspire young students to get excited about history and writing.

May 19 — Mike will be one of the special guests at the Frank Gotch Statue Celebration (5-9 p.m.) and the Rustix Restaurant in Humboldt. A committee was formed six months ago with the goal of raising money for an 8-foot bronze statue of Frank to be placed at Bicknell Park in Humboldt. Gotch was world heavyweight wrestling champion from 1908 to 1915 and arguably the most popular athlete in America. Also in attendance will be Tom Brands, 1996 Olympic champion, three-time NCAA champion and head coach at Iowa; Bill Smith, 1952 Olympic champion and two-time NCAA champion at UNI; Jim Raschke, who was a big star in professional wrestling in the 1970s as Baron Von Raschke and was a national champion as an amateur AAU wrestler; Brad Rheingans, who won 8 national championships and made two Olympic teams as an amateur before becoming a professional star; Bob Steenlage, Iowa’s first four-time state champion (from Britt) and an All-American at West Point, also the subject of the popular book Fighting Back; and Bruce Reimers, a native of Humboldt who played 10 years in the National Football League and was in a Super Bowl with the Cincinnati Bengals; there will also be a silent auction.

May 24 — Mike will journey to Dixon, Illinois, the hometown of Ronald Reagan, to present a program about his historical novel, Lowell Park, and to discuss his writing career. Ronald Reagan was a lifeguard at beautiful Lowell Park for seven straight summers, and Abe Lincoln served in the Illinois militia in the same spot 100 years earlier. The book combines those two facts. It has been sold to a Hollywood movie company and is in pre-production. The talk will take place at the Dixon Library from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and is open to the public. He will hold a book signing afterwards, with many of his 22 books available.

More information here: Dixon Public Library

May 27-28 – In Minneapolis, Mike will be one of several guests at the annual Edgar Rice Burroughs gathering called ECOF. Burroughs created Tarzan and many other great fictional characters. The gathering is open to the public and will feature tons of Tarzan and Burroughs related material, science fiction books, artwork, etc. There will be other authors and a famous comic artist, Mike Grell. It will be held at the Bloomington Airport Holiday Inn, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m both days. Mike has hosted three national Tarzan conventions in the past and has written books about Tarzan actors Herman Brix (aka Bruce Bennett) and Glenn Morris. He will have most of his 22 books for sale. The event is open to the public with no charge.

More information here: ECOF 2011 Flyer

Tags: Bob Siddens, Culture Buzz, Lowell Park, Tarzan, Triumph and Tragedy

Reagan Birthday Celebration and Book Signing

Friday, February 4th, 2011 | Book Signing, Books, Radio | 1 Comment

Fort Des Moines is hosting a special celebration this Sunday at 2 p.m. in honor of Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday, and Mike Chapman has been invited to participate and hold a book signing. While working at WHO Radio in Des Moines, young Ron Reagan earned his commission at Fort Des Moines as a Second Lieutenant in 1937. Featured films include “Rear Gunner”, “For God and Country”, and “Jap Zero”. There will be birthday cake and jelly beans! Tickets are $5 per person and are available at the door.

Mike is the author of 22 books, one of them an historical novel about Ronald Reagan as a lifeguard in the summer of 1932. The book, entitled Lowell Park, tells of a young Iowa graduate student, Jenny Brix, who gets a chance to travel back in time and meet Mr. Reagan when he was known as “Dutch.” However, the time machine malfunctions and Jenny goes to the same very same location in 1832 — where a young Abe Lincoln is serving in the Black Hawk War. Jenny eventually winds up in 1932 and falls for Dutch, and then the trouble begins!

Click for more details…

Tags: Fort Des Moines, Lowell Park, Ronald Reagan, WHO Radio

Mike Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Monday, January 10th, 2011 | Awards, Wrestling | No Comments

On January 1, 2011, Missouri Wrestling Revival announced that Mike is the recipient of its 2011 Award for Lifetime Achievement for professional wrestling. Here is a little bit of what the web site had to say about the honor:

“Mike has represented the Midwest and the wrestling world with class and honor by promoting the sport as a public speaker, an author of 21 books (14 about wrestling), the creation of a great wrestling museum, and his work has appeared in dozens of national and regional magazines.”

It is the fifth such “Lifetime Achievement” type award for Mike, the others being:

• Cauliflower Alley Club (CAC) Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001;
• The Burroughs Bibliophiles Award in appreciation of work for perpetuating the memory of Edgar Rice Burroughs and his works, 2004;*
• National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Order of Merit for lifetime achievement, 2007;
• The President’s Award from the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association, for contributions to high school wrestling in the state of Iowa, 2007.

* Edgar Rice Burroughs was the creator of Tarzan and John Carter, Warlord of Mars.

Bob Siddens Book Signing

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 | Book Signing, Wrestling | No Comments

Bob Siddens, Don Huff and Mike Chapman will be at an author’s table during the National Duals in Cedar Falls this weekend, signing copies of the new book, SIDDENS! Win With Humility, Lose With Dignity… But Don’t Lose!”, co-authored by Don and Mike. Mike will also have several of his other books at the table. Please stop by to meet Bob, Don and Mike!

Tags: Bob Siddens, National Duals

New Book About Legendary High School Coach Bob Siddens

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 | Books, Wrestling | No Comments

Working in collaboration with Don Huff, longtime wrestling coach at West Waterloo High School, Mike Chapman has co-authored a new book entitled SIDDENS! Win With Humility, Lose With Dignity… But Don’t Lose!”

The book is the biography of Bob Siddens, regarded in some circles as the greatest high school wrestling coach in American history!

Bob Siddens led West Waterloo High School to 11 Iowa state wrestling championships and seven second-place finishes in his 27-year coaching career. Along the way, his teams had 14 undefeated seasons and a winning streak of 88 in a row! His coaching style and leadership impacted thousands of young students.

Read for details about the book and ordering…

Tags: Bob Siddens

Mike’s Schedule in December

Monday, December 6th, 2010 | Book Signing, Speaking | No Comments

Since the release of his latest book Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stories of Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack Trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright, Mike Chapman has been a guest on 11 radio talk shows and has made speaking appearances at over a dozen locations. The book is for sale at most Barnes & Noble Stores around the state and at Borders Book Store in Des Moines.

The book is also available at Iowa Book and Supply, Prairie Lights and the Hawk Shop in Iowa City; at Beaverdale Book Store and the Iowa State Historical Museum in Des Moines, and at the Five Sullivan Brothers Museum in Waterloo.

In addition, Drake University has the book for sale and $10 from every book sold by Drake will be donated to the football team’s trip to Africa.

Anyone wanting a signed copy of the book can order it by calling the offices of Iowa History Journal in Newton at 641-792-0920. The hardcover book has 50 photos and sells for $26.95 plus S&H.

Mike Chapman will be making several appearances around the state in the coming weeks. He will be at the following spots for speeches and/or book signings:

Click to see dates and times…

Mike on WHO Radio to Discuss Triumph and Tragedy

Friday, October 15th, 2010 | Books, Radio | No Comments

Mike will be a guest on the very popular “Two Guys Named Jim” sports talk show this Sunday night on WHO Radio, starting around 7:30 pm. He will be talking about his new book, Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stories of Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack Trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright.

He will also be sure to mention the new book Jim Zabel: I Love It, I Love It, I Love it.

“Two Guys Named Jim” is hosted by legendary sportscaster Jim Zabel and former Iowa State football coach Jim Walden. It has been on the air for 8 years and gets a huge audience, due to the broadcast power of WHO Radio. You can listen on the radio at 1040 AM or on WHO’s live radio streaming online here.

Tags: Jim Walden, Jim Zabel, Two Guys Named Jim

Triumph and Tragedy Book Signing

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010 | Book Signing, Books, Speaking | No Comments

Mike Chapman will hold a book signing for his new book Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stories of Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack Trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright, at Beaverdale Books in Des Moines on Monday, October 25.

Beaverdale Books store, a beautiful store located at 2629 Beaver Avenue in Des Moines. The event starts at 6:30 with a brief speech by Mike about the four Iowa icons, and then a question-and-answer period, followed by the book signing.

Click for more info on the event…