Pieces of Iowa’s Past, February 27, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained. THIS WEEK: 1973 Iowa Spring Snow Storm Hits the First Quarter of the Year; the U.S. Energy Crisis Hits the Last Quarter of the Year BACKGROUND: 65TH IOWA GENERAL ASSEMBLY The Sixty-fifth General Assembly was the third General Assembly to meet annually. Prior to the Sixty-third General Assembly, the Iowa Legislature met biennially. The first year of the Sixty-fifth General Assembly convened January 8 and adjourned June 24, 1973—a 168-day session. The second year of the Sixty-fifth General Assembly convened January 14 and adjourned May 4, 1974—a 111-day session. There were 22 Democratic members in the Senate and 44 Democratic members in the House of Representatives. There were 28 Republican members in the Senate and 56 Republican members in the House—a total of 150 legislators. Lieutenant Governor Arthur Neu was presiding in the Senate and Andrew Varley was the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Robert Ray was Iowa’s Governor, having been inaugurated for his first term January 16, 1969, at the age of 40. The 1970 federal census showed Iowa’s population at 2,825,368.

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, March 6, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained. THIS WEEK: The Sudden Death of an Iowa Athlete and a Midwest Natural Disaster Marred the 75th Iowa General Assembly BACKGROUND: 75TH IOWA GENERAL ASSEMBLY The first year of the Seventy-fifth Iowa General Assembly convened January 11, 1993, and adjourned May 2, 1993—a 112-day session. The second year of the Seventy-fifth Iowa General Assembly convened January 10, 1994, and adjourned April 20, 1994—a 101-day session. The Senate had 27 Democratic members and 23 Republican members. The House of Representatives had 49 Democratic members and 51 Republican members. The President of the Senate was Leonard Boswell and the Speaker of the House of Representatives was Harold Van Maanen. Terry Branstad was the governor having been inaugurated for his first term on January 14, 1983, at the age of 36. The Federal census of 1990 showed Iowa’s population at 2,776,755.

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, March 13, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained. THIS WEEK: Judge Reuben Noble Praises the Iowa State Building at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition BACKGROUND: REUBEN NOBLE REUBEN NOBLE was born on the 14th of April, 1821, in Ada County, Mississippi, where his father was a farmer. When he was eighteen years of age, Noble began to study law and was admitted to the bar at twenty-one. In 1843, he came to Iowa, making his home at Garnavillo, in Clayton County. In 1854, Noble was elected to the legislature as a free soil Whig and upon the organization of the House was chosen Speaker, serving in the regular session of 1854 and extraordinary session of 1855. At the first Republican State Convention of 1856, he was placed at the head of the ticket for presidential elector. Four years later, he was a delegate to the National Convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln for president. Up to the time of the attempt of the Republicans to remove President Johnson by impeachment, Noble had been a prominent leader of that party. But approving of the policies of the President, he left the Republicans and from that time became a Democrat. In 1866, Noble was nominated by the Democrats for Representative in Congress but was defeated by William B. Allison. In 1886, he was one of the organizers of the Pioneer Lawmakers’ Association and was its first president, never missing a session during the remainder of his life. Noble was the leader of the bar of northeastern Iowa beginning in 1850. As a compliment to his high standing and eminent qualifications as a jurist, the citizens of the Tenth Judicial District elected him to tthe office of district judge in the fall of 1874. (History of Iowa from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/Volume 4)

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, March 27, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained. THIS WEEK: History of Iowa from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century BACKGROUND: BENJAMIN F. GUE BENJAMIN F. GUE was born in Greene County, New York, on December 25, 1828. His education was acquired in the public schools, with two terms in academies of Canandaigua and West Bloomfield. He taught school in the winter of 1851 and early in March 1852, came to Iowa, and bought a claim on Rock Creek in Scott County. He was an abolitionist and took a deep interest in the antislavery movements of that period.

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, March 20, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained. THIS WEEK: Building the Iowa State Capitol BACKGROUND: PETER DEY (Iowa Biographical Series, edited by Benjamin F. Shambaugh)

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, April 3, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained. THIS WEEK: Kelly’s Army

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, April 10, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained THIS WEEK:Controlling Noise and Dust During the 1956 Replacement of the Old Floor Tile on First Floor of Capitol BACKGROUND:This article was copied from the Capitol Building Newspaper Clippings Scrapbook. The scrapbook contains clippings from 1906 to the 1970s and was compiled by the State Library of Iowa—Law Library.

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, April 17, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained THIS WEEK: Iowa State Capitol Structural Sandstone Origination From The Iowa Capitol Commissioners Reports Report of Capitol Architect A.H. Piquenard, submitted December 16, 1875 BACKGROUND: The Ste. Genevieve sandstone is the buff color stone on the exterior of the Capitol. The Carroll County sandstone was the light color or contrast stone on the Capitol exterior. The Carroll County stone did not wear well and was removed from the building during the exterior renovations in the 1980s and 1990s. Both sandstones are from Missouri.

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, April 24, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained THIS WEEK: Iowa State Capitol and the Library of Congress Feature Artist’s Work BACKGROUND: Elmer Ellsworth Garnsey was primarily a muralist who painted on the East Coast from a studio in New York City. He was born in Holmdel, New Jersey, and took art training at the Art Students League and Cooper Union. Affiliations included the National Society of Mural Painters and the American Federation of the Arts. His work is in the Library of Congress, Boston Public Library, Memorial Hall at Yale University, City Art Museum of St. Louis, U.S. Custom House in New York City, and the State Capitol in Iowa.

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, May 1, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained THIS WEEK: Steamboating on the Rivers in Iowa BACKGROUND: Built at Wheeling, Virginia, in 1819, the steamboat Virginia was a small stern-wheeler of 109-132 tons, and was owned by Redick McKee, James Pemberton, and seven others. She was 118 feet long, 18 feet 10 inches beam, and her depth was 5 feet 2 inches. She had a cabin on deck but no pilot house, being guided by a tiller at the stern.

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, May 8, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained THIS WEEK: Iowa State Capitol Furniture Past and Present Although most of the original furniture for the Capitol was ordered from established manufacturers and retail furniture stores, there were some pieces designed for specific areas of the building. These pieces were built on-site in a small wooden building erected directly west of the Capitol. Some of these remarkable pieces of furniture were subsequently dismantled and destroyed. Some of the pieces remain in the building as a reminder of the amazing craftsmanship associated with the original woodworkers for the Iowa State Capitol.

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, May 15, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained THIS WEEK: First Governor’s Mansion

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, May 22, 2013

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained THIS WEEK: Fort Madison Penitentiary BACKGROUND: From A glimpse of Iowa in 1846; or the Emigrant’s Guide, and State Directory By John B. Newhall Published 1846

Classification and Pay Plans FY2014, June 2013

This document Classifications and Pay Plans is produced by the State of Iowa Executive Branch, Department of Administrative Services. Informational document about the pay plan codes and classification codes, how to use them.

Consumer Advisory: Charitable Giving, December 2013

The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division receives hundreds of calls and consumer complaints every year. Follow these tips to avoid unexpected expense and disappointments. This record is about: Charitable Giving