Iowa History Journal Volume 4, Issue 3 Now Available

Saturday, May 26th, 2012 | Iowa History Journal | No Comments

When the USS Titanic sank in the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912, it was front page news all over the world. Over 1500 people perished on the ship and among the casualties – and survivors – were several Iowans. A century later, the Titanic legacy lives on. At the Brucemore Estate in Cedar Rapids visitors can see an extensive exhibit which tells the story of the Titanic and its many Iowa connections.

Readers will also be treated to feature stories on many other fascinating persons and moments in Iowa history – ranging from the impact of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie on over 100 Iowa libraries to memorable moments by Iowans who played in the major leagues.

Also included in this issue:

• Henry A. Wallace is not only one of the most important figures in all of agricultural history, he was also one heartbeat away from being president of the United States.
• USS Iowa battleship has finally found a permanent home and will open as a museum later this summer.
• EMC has been a huge player in the world of insurance for over 100 years and is an Iowa landmark and institution.
• Music of all kinds has been featured at the legendary Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines for many decades, attracting some of the biggest names in the music industry.
• Columns by our regulars – Arvid Huisman, John McNeer and Mike Chapman

…and much more!

Read more to see what’s inside this issue…

Tags: Andrew Carnegie, EMC Insurance, Henry Wallace, John Wayne, Titanic, USS Iowa, Val Air Ballroom

A Touching Letter

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 | Books | No Comments

Mike received the following letter recently from a reader. It was really touching. Thank you sincerely, Mr. LaVeck, for the kind words.

Mr. Chapman,

I wanted to let you know how much my son and I have enjoyed your books, but in particular our experience reading “Gotch: An American Hero.”

My son just turned 12 and is an avid wrestler. We live in Maryland and he competes all over the mid-Atlantic and we both love the sport.

We have several of your books, but this week we were on spring break and Alexander and I decided to finally get to your novel about Frank Gotch. We sat on the balcony of an oceanfront condominium every day for the past 6 days and completed the entire book together.

It was a rewarding experience to read the book and allow the fictionalized account of Gotch’s life to illuminate what we had already learned through your non-fiction materials.

We often read together, but I know this will likely be a joint reading experience that we both remember for the rest of our lives, not only because of the beautiful location, but because we both enjoyed the story, and the writing so much and we now are both huge admirers of Frank Gotch…and we both have you to thank for that.

Thank you very much…we already have “Caddock” but we are looking forward to all of your future titles.

Sincerely,

Art LaVeck (and Alexander)

Teaching Iowa History, Results in Special Song Teaching Iowa history, results in special song

Friday, March 2nd, 2012 | Columns, Iowa History Journal | No Comments

Publisher’s Perspective – Volume 4, Issue 2 of Iowa History Journal

Not long ago, I received a letter from Mrs. Carol Alvis, who teaches social studies at Van Buren Middle School in Keosauqua. For those not familiar with Keosauqua, it is a city of 1,100 located in very southeastern Iowa, on the Missouri border. It is home to the oldest courthouse in continuous use in the state, dating back to 1840.

Mrs. Alvis began her letter thusly: “I am writing in response to the article you wrote in the May/June issue of the Iowa History Journal magazine entitled ‘Iowa schools are flunking in history’. In that article you stated that a few years ago the Des Moines Register reported that Iowa history was being ignored in Iowa schools.

“I just want to let you know that in the Van Buren Middle School 7th grade classes, Iowa history is alive and well.”

Continue reading…

Iowa History Journal Volume 4, Issue 2 Now Available

Thursday, March 1st, 2012 | Iowa History Journal | No Comments

In 1917, Earl Caddock of Walnut, Iowa, defeated Joe Stecher of Dodge, Nebraska, to win the world heavyweight wrestling championship. The victory catapulted Caddock into the national spotlight and made him one of the most popular athletes in the entire nation. Shortly after, he signed up to fight in World War I and eventually suffered lung damage from a mustard gas attack in France. After the war, Earl came home to Iowa and became a successful businessman, family man, and devout Christian. His story, written by wrestling historian Mike Chapman, is both heroic and inspirational.

Readers will also be treated to feature stories on Fort Dodge’s legendary marching band composer Karl L. King, older Iowans known as “Graybeards” who served in the Civil War, WHO Radio’s Jack Shelley and the Bogenrief glass cutting studio in Spencer.

Also included in this issue:

• Lillian Blanche Fearing blazed a trail for blind women over a century ago
• How the city of Oelwein got its name and the importance of the railroad to that Fayette County community
• A book review of the photographic career of Iowa newspaper professional Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret
• Waterloo names its newest school for Fred Becker, Iowa’s first All-America football player
• 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…

Tags: Bogenrief, Earl Caddock, Fred Becker, Graybeards, Jack Shelley, Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret, Karl L. King, Lillian Blanche Fearing, Oelwein

Mike Discusses Earl Caddock on No Holds Barred

Sunday, February 19th, 2012 | Books, Radio, Wrestling | No Comments

Mike was interviewed last Thursday on the podcast No Holds Barred, with host Eddie Goldman. You can listen to the interview below:

The interview focused on Earl Caddock, his place in wrestling history, Mike’s new book, and what was going on in pro wrestling at the time he competed. The discussion continue into the long heritage of wrestling, the Caddock-Stecher match of 1920, the importance of real wrestlers like Frank Gotch, and how the era of real matches faded quickly after Caddock lost his title. Also examined is the current revival of catch-as-catch-can wrestling and what it would take to bring back a form of real pro wrestling.

Goldman also links, on his site, to a youtube video of the match in which Caddock lost his title to Joe Stecher, on January 30, 1920 at Madison Square Garden in New York:

Tags: Earl Caddock, Eddie Goldman, Joe Stecher, No Holds Barred

Mike Chapman Speaks on His new Book Earl Caddock: Walnut’s Wrestling Wonder

Saturday, February 11th, 2012 | Books, Radio, Wrestling | No Comments

Mike was on Takedown Radio with Scott Casber on January 17, talking about his new book Earl Caddock: Walnut’s Wrestling Wonder. Click the arrow below to listen to the interview:

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Earl Caddock emerged from an Iowa farm to become a great amateur wrestler and then heavyweight champion of the entire world of professional wrestling.

In 1919 and 1920, Caddock was one of the nation’s most popular athletes, standing alongside such legendary figures as Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and Jim Thorpe.

At the peak of his sports career, Caddock enlisted as a doughboy and served gallantly during World War I, then returned to make his home in Walnut, Iowa.

Earl Caddock was world champion for nearly three years then retired from the ring. He was a devoted husband, father, Christian, and highly successful businessman. His story is both heroic and inspirational.

Tags: Earl Caddock, Scott Casber, Takedown Radio

Mike’s Speaking Schedule For Early 2012

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 | Book Signing, Speaking | No Comments

Mike has a busy schedule of appearances in the coming months.

January 24 – Mike will be the featured speaker at the dedication of the new Fred H. Becker Elementary School in Waterloo. The school is named after the World War I hero who graduated from East Waterloo High School in 1915 and in 1916 became the very first All-American football player in the history of the University of Iowa. Mike “discovered” the Becker story and used a photo of him on the cover of Iowa History Journal, then wrote a book that featured Becker. The book, entitled Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stories of Iowa Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack Trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright, will be available for purchase at the event in Waterloo, with Mike signing copies of the book for anyone who wishes to buy one. The event starts at 6 p.m. and is open to the public.

February 3- Mike will make a return visit to the Burlington Library to speak about famous Iowans. The event starts at 10:30 a.m. and is open to the public. Mike spoke there last year and was invited back by the program chairman. Cancelled

February 26 – Mike will be the guest speaker for the father and son banquet at the Windsor Heights Lutheran Church in Des Moines. The event starts at 6 p.m.

March 2 – Mike will be the guest speaker at Adel High School for a “Character Counts” event, talking about Nile Kinnick and Fred Becker. A native of Adel, Nile Kinnick won the Heisman Trophy while playing football at Iowa and perished during a training flight during World War II. Mike will have copies of his book Triumph and Tragedy at the event.

March 15-17 – Mike and Bev will be at the WIN Memorabilia Show for the 22nd straight year, They created the show over two decades ago and it has become a tradition for fans between sessions of the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Nearly 8,000 fans visited the show during its three day run in Philadelphia last year and this year’s event will be in St. Louis. The guests this year include nearly a dozen World and Olympic wrestling champions. The event is free and open to the public.

April 12 – Mike will be the guest speaker at the Toledo Library, talking about famous Iowans and signing copies of his books. The event starts at 7 p.m. and is open to the public.

May 18 – The Winnie Hawks is a large group of Winnebago owners who hold annual meetings around the country. This year’s meeting will be in Oskaloosa, starting at 6 p.m., and Mike will be the guest speaker, talking about famous Iowans.

Any group interested in having Mike be a speaker can contact him at 641-791-3072, or check the contact page.

Tags: Adel High School, Burlington Public Library, Character Counts, Fred Becker, Nile Kinnick, Toledo Public Library, WIN Memorabilia Show, Windsor Heights Lutheran Church, Winnie Hawks

Iowa History Journal Volume 4, Issue 1 Now Available

Monday, January 16th, 2012 | Iowa History Journal | No Comments

Carol Morris put her hometown of Ottumwa, Iowa, on the international stage in the summer of 1956 when the twenty-year-old student at Drake was crowned Miss Universe. Earlier she has won the right to compete in the world’s most famous beauty contest by winning the Miss Iowa and Miss USA competitions. After a brief career in show business, Carol married and settled in to a Texas lifestyle and more or less disappeared from the scene. Michael Swanger caught up with her recently and in an exclusive interview she recalls those magic days of long ago.

Readers will also be treated to feature stories on Humboldt’s Harry Reasoner who gained considerable fame for his roles as a television news anchor; the amazing story of an Iowa bred horse named Alix, the most famous race horse in America in the 1880s, and the story of a United States Senator who helped save President Andrew Johnson from being removed from office.

Also included in this issue:

• In basketball and in life, Iowa basketball star and coach, Sharm Scheuerman was a real hero
• How the city of Clear Lake got its name and the many famous people who have played a part in its history
• Viking Pump of Cedar Falls has just celebrated 100 years of incredible success and now has its own museum
• A book review of the devastating flood that ravaged much of eastern Iowa in 2008
• 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…

Tags: Alix, Carol Morris, Clear Lake, Harry Reasoner, Miss Iowa, Miss Universe, Ottumwa IA, Sharm Scheuerman, Viking Pump

Earl Caddock is Subject of Mike’s Latest Book

Saturday, January 14th, 2012 | Books, Wrestling | No Comments

A new book tells the story of the life and athletic career of Earl Caddock, one of the greatest wrestlers in American history who lived most of his life in Iowa and is buried in his adopted hometown of Walnut. Frank Gotch also plays a large role in the book.

CADDOCK: Walnut’s Wrestling Wonder, was written by Mike Chapman, noted wrestling author and historian, and published by Culture House Books of Newton, in cooperation with the city of Walnut.

Earl Caddock came off an Iowa farm to become a great amateur wrestler and then won the world heavyweight championship of professional wrestling, back when the sports was a true athletic contest. He was an AAU national champion, in 1914 and 1915, but the cancellation of the 1916 Olympics ended his amateur career.

With Frank Gotch of Humboldt, Iowa, acknowledged as the top athlete in America at the time, Caddock decided to follow Gotch into professional wrestling. On April 9, 1917, he took a perfect record of 79-0 (53-0 as an amateur and 26-0 as a pro) into the ring in Omaha to take on the world champion, Joe Stecher. After more than two hours of grueling wrestling, Earl Caddock emerged as the heavyweight champion of the world.

Continue reading the press release…

Tags: Earl Caddock, Frank Gotch, Walnut IA

Street Named For Frank Gotch

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 | Wrestling | No Comments

A new sign for a street in Humboldt, Iowa, has been erected in honor of the great world heavyweight wrestling champion at the turn of the last century. Gotch was born and raised on a farm just south of Humboldt and claimed the town in north central Iowa as his home his entire life. The renaming of the street came at the request of the Frank Gotch Statue Committee, which is raising funds to build a statue to Gotch in Bicknell Park. Gotch Avenue runs in front of the park area. Gotch died in his Humboldt home on December 16, 1917, and is buried in Union Cemetery northwest of town. He is the most famous citizen ever produced by the town and the committee worked with the city council to get the street named in his honor.

Tags: Frank Gotch, Humboldt