Iowa cannot return to its past as rural areas urbanize
The Gazette argues economic forces drive Iowa's population shift with rural counties fading while larger cities and nonfarm residents grow. ISU experts note farm populations fell each decade since 1940 and small towns shrink without banks and shops, though churches persist. The piece calls for regional court reforms and public private cooperation to deliver services amid consolidation, promising further ideas next Sunday.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Great Plains
Iowa
Dave Swenson
Iowa State University
Ames
Swenson
Willis Goudy
ISU
Goudy
Church
the Gazette
Louis Lavorato
Eden Valley Park Memory of Christmas Lights and Family Tales
A reflective piece detailing Eden Valley in Jackson County where Bear Creek carved a canyon, a swing bridge, and refurbished campgrounds. The narrator recalls holiday lights by Arnold Wulf’s wooden frames, family trips, and enduring memories of the valley amid changing times and national sadness.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Little
Jackson County
Bear Creek
Iowa
Eden Valley
Vicki
den Valley
Fortress Ridge
Arnold Wulf
Eden Valley park drives Iowa conservation talk
A narrative about Eden Valley in Iowa with directions to the park from Anamosa and Baldwin. The piece notes bluffs across from the parking area, changing structures, and a cold night. It highlights prairie ecologist Russ Bennett of River Junction and mentions his conservation work.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Eden Valley
Anamosa
Baldwin
Russ Bennett
River Junction
Lone Tree
le 1Wuw
Outsider's Christmas Awakening and Jain Roots
Sonia Shah recalls growing up Jain in suburban Connecticut and chasing a real Christmas through TV specials and gifts. She describes family restraint, ritual awkwardness, and eventual drift toward authenticity, while noting change in her parents and new holiday traditions with relatives.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sonia Shah
Connecticut
Bombay
Elton John
Also Mentioned on This Page
Mark Bowden
Jerry Elsen
Dave Storey
Scott Swenson
Peg Schmitz
Tiny Valley
America
bin Laden
Pakistan
Cedar Rapids
Dubuque
Quad Cities
Iowa’s
Clinton County Conservation Board
Clintoncountyiowa.com
Lowia City
Eudoramail
All Things American
Billy Joel
New York
The
Hartford Courant
Los Angeles Times
Washington Post
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!