Upcoming Events This Summer and Fall

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 | Book Signing, Iowa History Journal, Speaking | No Comments

Mike has a busy summer lined up, with a variety of speeches and appearances. He and Bev will be at the Iowa State Fair for 11 straight days (August 11-21) in the Iowa History Journal booth at the Varied Industries Building, along with several columnists and writers for IHJ. The booth will have most of the back issues of IHJ for sale, as well as many of Mike’s 22 books – including his latest book, Triumph and Tragedy: The Inspiring Stories of Iowa Football Legends Fred Becker, Jack trice, Nile Kinnick and Johnny Bright, The book makes a perfect gift for anyone as Iowa colleges head into football season this fall.

Working at the booth at some point during the 11 days will be Arvid Huisman, longtime newspaper veteran and author of the book Country Roads; John McNeer, who writes the IHJ column “The Way We Were”, and feature writers Bill Sherman and Jessica Lowe. None of the dates are pinned down yet but we will post them as soon as they are.

Read on for detail of appearances…

Tags: Iowa State Fair, National Cattle Congress, Tama Historical Society, West Bend Historical Society

Frank Gotch Open House in Humboldt

Friday, May 27th, 2011 | Newspaper, Wrestling | No Comments

A story ran in the Humboldt Independent this week detailing the fundraising efforts of the committee formed to raise a statue in Gotch’s home town. Mike was the emcee at the event.

Gotch event raises funds and spirits
Frank Gotch open house puts group halfway to goal

By Kent Thompson

Frank Gotch would have been humbled by last Thursday’s outpouring of support.

Members of the Frank Gotch Project Committee were proud.

About 140 people turned out Thursday, May 19, at Rustix Restaurant and Reception for a Frank Gotch Open House.

The event brought out wrestling stars from the past, as well as University of Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands, for autographs, mingling and photographs.

Gotch Committee member Tonya Harklau reported that $4,000 in memorial brick pavers were sold along with $6,706 in glass mugs, souvenirs and silent auction items, making for a very successful kickoff fundraiser.

Read the rest of the story…

Tags: Frank Gotch, Humboldt, Tom Brands

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