Rod Library Digital Collections-Cedar Valley and Iowa Historical Collections Index

Cedar Valley Historical Collections

	Atlas of Black Hawk County 1926 In Iowa's world in the early 20th Century, the township was very important. Unlike today, when most city folks have no idea in which township they live, it was an important governmental unit in 1926. Governor Lucas, in 1838, had argued for the township being the principle governing unit of the Iowa Territory, especially for organizing local schools. The ideal civil township was six miles square, and the township held elections, repaired roads, and gave relief to the poor. In addition to the detailed township maps in this volume are farmers' directories which detail the owner (or renter) of each parcel of land, his wife, children, and how many years he has lived in the county.
	Cedar Falls Centennial Bess Streeter Aldrich writes the introduction and a short essay with many tidbits about growing up in Cedar Falls. She relates that she was "a big girl before I realized that a Democrat did not necessarily have hoofs and horns." There is a train wreck photo. "The Push of Cedar Falls" gets a group photo. The pageant "Centurama" is revealed. It is all here in the Historical Souvenir and Official Program of the 1952 Centennial.
	Cedar Falls Civil War Exhibit Catalog A catalog for an exhibit about the Civil War, shown at the Cedar Falls Historical Society from February to August 2007. The exhibit included items demonstrating the impact of the war on the Cedar Falls area. This catalog is also the M.A. thesis for Cynthia Rae Huffman Sweet.
	Cedar Falls Historical Record This book, published in 1893, is a description and history of the first 50 years of the city of Cedar Falls, Iowa. Included are an 1892 map of the city and photos of city buildings.
	Grundy Center High School Concert Band Iowa has long recognized the importance of music education in its public school curricula. Most former high school band members will recall practicing for marching band in the hot summer sun and the rewards of a job well done when hearing the applause of the audience after a concert band performance. Included in this performance from 1965 of the Grundy Center High School Band, conducted by Mr. Charles Lehr, are pieces that feature the trumpet and woodwind sections of the band.
	History of Black Hawk County -- 1878 The core Black Hawk County History includes biographical directories and war records of the Civil War veterans. Published in 1878, only one original settler of the county had written his memoirs, and this information was gratefully used by the publishers. James Newell first visited the county in the spring of 1845. He was told to be careful, for this country was neutral ground for the Sac, Fox, Winnebago, and Sioux Tribes. This history is supplemented with much related information, such as the Constitution of the U. S., statistics, and general histories of the State of Iowa and the northwestern United States.
	History of Black Hawk County -- 1904 Typical of county histories of this era, this publication is billed as a clear and impartial history of the county and its representative citizens. In fact, these citizens are mostly middle-aged white settlers who, by 1904, are merchants or professionals. The book’s publisher was also the publisher of the Waterloo Courier newspaper. And Isaiah Van Metre, who is given credit as the main compiler for the history, was part-owner of the Cedar Falls Recorder and Cedar Valley Tribune newspapers. This influence can be seen in two of the entries for Cedar Falls: "The Ideal Residence City" and "Business Advantages."
	When Cedar Falls was Young When S. A. Bishop came to Cedar Falls in 1852, the woods from 5th Street to 7th Street were so thick with trees and bushes as to be almost impassible. In 1860, large fairgrounds were created west of Franklin Street, with the entrance at 6th and Franklin. My how things have changed since Cedar Falls was young! Roger Leavitt had this pamphlet printed in Cedar Falls in 1928. It is based on a presentation he gave to the Cedar Falls Reading Circle. If you are a regular visitor to the Rod Library's digital webpage, you will recognize the name of Roger Leavitt. He enjoyed creating a scrapbook of early Cedar Falls history, and visiting with the city's oldest residents.