Have you ever had the quiet of a remote wetland or calm lake interrupted by what sounds like a brass band? You might have heard Trumpeter Swans. When European settlers arrived in Iowa, Trumpeters were plentiful. The handsome bird was prized for its beautiful white plumage. Many a lady’s hat was adorned with the huge [...]
Earth Day began on April 22 1970. It was the largest worldwide day of protest and awareness ever organized. It remains so to this day. The diverse groups of people who support this cause range from Republicans to Democrats; rich and poor; urban and rural; business and labor; and various corporations. Young and old alike [...]
The Earth is turning her face to the sun as spring arrives. Sometimes she gets a gentle kiss on the cheek, other days she gets a slap in the face while the iffy weather changes. Easter egg hunts have long been a tradition in Clear Lake. Early on they are mentioned in the newspapers as [...]
In the early 1950’s summer fun for kids could be hard to find. Swimming pools, movie theaters, and county fairs closed. Organized team sports were often non existent. Why? Polio. Polio epidemics raged every few years, peaking in Iowa in 1952 with 3,564 cases. Most affected escaped with flu like symptoms, but many less fortunate [...]
Clear Lake’s Chautauqua drew many prominent speakers over the years when it was at its zenith. One was a fireball of a woman, Carrie Nation. She’s shown in this photo getting off the train in our current Mars Hill neighborhood. This fierce little woman wielded her axe to significantly change history. A tragic, unhappy marriage [...]
Since our very start, Clear Lake City Park has been one happening place. In 1870, James Dickirson gifted this beautiful property to his Clear Lake Village. When Clear Lake City and Clear Lake Village incorporated to become Clear Lake in 1871, this park was front and center of the new town. In the early years [...]
In 1871 Joseph Hewitt’s Clear Lake City, south of the outlet, and James Dickirson’s Clear Lake Village, where our downtown of today stands, were joined and incorporated as Clear Lake Iowa. That same year the railroad and the telegraph arrived in town. These events set the scene for a booming tourist industry that followed and [...]
History is a combination of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Ugly was raising its head in the early to mid 1920’s in North Iowa. The Ku Klux Klan was gaining prominence in the USA. For a time they had a foothold in Clear Lake and Mason City. The Clear Lake Reporter wrote in [...]
Did you walk a mile to school through snowstorms? Uphill both ways? They just don’t make em like they used to. Are you missing the snow? The way it softens the landscape and muffles the sound? There is an excitement in the predictions of “the big one”. People rush to the grocery store , gas [...]
This history segment is brought to you by the Clear Lake Public Library History Room. More stories about our past are waiting here for you to discover them. In recent years Clear Lake has undergone substantial revitalization projects to restore her good name. Multiple groups and countless activists joined together to bring back the Clear. [...]
