Des Moines: 1845-1920 (IA) (Images of America) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Q: What was your inspiration for writing the book?

Foremost were my grandparents, especially my grandfather, Merlyn L. McIntyre, who passed away earlier this year. He had such a love of history. He was also a pioneer and community leader in his hometown of Hemet, CA. As I was considering the life he lived, and how so much of what he did helped to form what his community would become, I became mindful of those pioneers that came before us, that we so often take for granted. So I wanted to write a bit about them, the lives they lived, and the struggles and successes they had in building a city out of a wilderness.
Q: How did you research the information for the book?

I had a good head start with many of the volumes and memorabilia I had collected on Iowa history over the years, including many published works that have since entered the public domain. Mainly, though, I worked through various libraries to collect the material I needed for the book. The Des Moines Public Library was a great help, as was the Iowa Department of Transportation's Archives. But I also spent a good amount of time looking through genealogical records and other historical artifacts available online, and worked with a number of antique dealers who specialized in Iowa historical artifacts.
Q: What will readers find interesting about the book?

Des Moines: 1845-1920 is not just a book of historical facts, but also a story about how life was truly like during Des Moines' early period. There are several good works already available about the city's history, but oftentimes so much of the flavor of a period is lost when we gloss over everyday life in our search for those "keystone events" we imagine to be the core of human experience. Instead, I wanted to show what the community of Des Moines itself was like, and how that community faced up to the history that unfolded before them as it was happening.
I also wanted to provide a bit of photographic archeology - to unearth the City of Des Moines that once was. So much of our everyday history is lost to us to make way for modern-day commercial enterprises and housing developments. And, in many cases there really isn't an opportunity to preserve that history: buildings get old, technology becomes obsolete, disasters happen and community values change over time.
The true legacy of our pioneers is not in the buildings they built, but in the character and values they fostered, and the enterprises and associations they left to their community. But if we have an opportunity to collect and preserve what's left, even if they only amount to a few documents and photos, then perhaps we can have a context to help us understand and connect with that legacy.

Q: What writing advice would you give to aspiring authors and historians?
Write about what you love, what you can connect to, and what you most relate to. But don't just sit down and write about life - go out and experience it, first, then write about what you discover; about the world, about your community and about yourself.
If you try to write just for money you will likely not achieve your goal, and if that is all you focus on you will become disappointed, perhaps enough to quit writing altogether. But if you instead write as a passion, you will find satisfaction in whatever you write about. And you just might become good enough to make some money as well.
Q: What lasting impact do you hope your book will leave?
By balancing history, nostalgia and archeology, I hope this book gives the community of Des Moines an opportunity to reflect on those who came before us. Perhaps they will find a connection to those pioneers, and come to respect and admire what they did. And, maybe a few who read this book will consider the legacy they themselves will leave behind, and will choose to pioneer a better Des Moines for future generations.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Des Moines: 1845-1920 (IA) (Images of America)

Founded at the fork of two wilderness rivers, Fort Des Moines (which narrowly escaped being named Fort Raccoon) was a temporary garrison of dragoons to keep the peace between Native Americans and settlers until the area could be organized into a territory. After the soldiers left in 1845, pioneers and squatters moved into the abandoned cabins of the stockade, and the city of Des Moines was born. Its central location between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers made it a natural center of provisioning and commerce for travelers heading west, and the city grew large enough to become Iowa's state capital in 1857. With the city consistently ranked in the top ten best places to live and work, the residents of Des Moines enjoy a quality of life that is the envy of most. This collection of images provides a look back to the historical roots that made the city what it is today.