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