Our CR - November 2023

CITY OF CEDAR RAPIDS | NOVEMBER 2023

Then & Now

Celebrating 175 Years

Winter Play! Guide PAGE 25

NOVEMBER 2023

FROM THE

CITY MANAGER

FROM THE CITY MANAGER • 2 SPECIAL SECTION •

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NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW • DIRECTORIES •

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WINTER PLAY! GUIDE •

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ON THE COVER: Photo from the collection of the History Center.

Undated historical photo of the Cedar Rapids skyline shown next to an aerial photo taken from a similar perspective in 2018.

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edar Rapids began its journey well before formal incorporation by the State Legislature on January 15, 1849.

Now, we are prepared to celebrate our 175th anniversary of that pivotal moment in time. In the decades since, Cedar Rapids has evolved into the second-largest city in Iowa — a central hub for commerce, technology, education, industry, and agriculture.

We have weathered storms, navigated economic shifts, and welcomed change. Through it all, Cedar Rapids has proven its ability to withstand the test of time, drawing strength from our rich history and the lasting bonds of community and culture. Our City government has likewise demonstrated its ability to adapt, continually addressing the changing needs of our community.

This special issue of Our CR reflects on our history. More than a recounting of important events and people, it is a journey through time, a testament to the generations who have built and sustained our city.

As we explore our past, let us also recognize that our story continues to evolve. Cedar Rapids is not frozen in time; it is a living, breathing entity that adapts, grows, and innovates.

Our rapid development, vibrant arts scene, commitment to sustainability, and ever-expanding opportunities for education and recreation all reflect our community’s shared dedication to a brighter future.

Cedar Rapids has come a long way over the years. While most days we are looking forward to a new and exciting future, every once in a while, it’s fun to take a look back at our history. Join us in celebrating Cedar Rapids’ 175th anniversary, as we commit to preserving our rich past and look forward to the chapters yet to be written.

Jeffrey Pomeranz Cedar Rapids City Manager

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edar Rapids has many unique stories, shaped by circumstance and character. Many of these narratives highlight our city’s resilience, with its people consistently rising to the occasion in times of growth and recovery.

More than a place on a map, Cedar Rapids has stood the test of 175 years. And while people, technology, and circumstances may change, cities are forever. Cedar Rapids embodies this determination, with the same spirit of resilience that carried through its past is guiding it to a bright future.

As we celebrate this milestone in a special anniversary edition of Our CR, we invite you to explore the enduring legacy of Cedar Rapids and the remarkable stories that have shaped its rich history. With each new chapter, Cedar Rapids demonstrates that its greatest story is yet to come, and we can all be a part of it.

With special thanks to: THE HISTORY CENTER HISTORIAN MARK STOFFER HUNTER

THE GREATER CEDAR RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS

Photo on top right: “FI0003515” contributed by Jerry and Katherine Wilson/Fortepan Iowa, https://fortepan.us/photos/FI0003515, CC-BY-SA 4.0.

Photo on right, second from bottom: “FI0007843” by Herb Skoog/Fortepan Iowa, https://fortepan.us/photos/FI0007843, CC-BY-SA 4.0.

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CEDAR RAPIDS AT 175

City Timeline:

Population and Demographics T

he first U.S. Census that included Cedar Rapids as part of its enumeration was in 1850, shortly after the City’s incorporation.

According to the 1850 Census, Cedar Rapids had a population of 341 people. It’s important to note that this number likely reflects a small, predominantly white population, as detailed demographic information was not collected then in the same way it is today.

Some of the earliest businesses in Cedar Rapids included taverns, mills (along with a dam built on the river), a store, a hotel, and a woolen factory, all built by 1850.

When early settlers came to the area now called Cedar Rapids, members of the Sac and Fox, Winnebago, and other tribes were living in the area along the Cedar River. Around 1839, about 300 Indigenous people made camp in the area now known as McLoud Run. The Native population in the 1830s and 1840s hunted in the area, frequenting the Cedar and Wapsipinicon Rivers and Indian Creek. These populations stayed in the areas for weeks at a time before leaving on hunting trips to other areas.

Before Cedar Rapids became incorporated, settlers traveled to Dubuque and Muscatine to visit the nearest markets, which took 6–14 days per trip. They also traveled long distances to trade goods, using small flatboats and steamboats.

Czechoslovakians began arriving in Cedar Rapids in 1853 to work in local packing plants.

The promise of jobs and prosperity attracted a wave of newcomers, resulting in a bustling and diverse community that transformed Cedar Rapids into a thriving urban center. In the 1850s, more mills and woolen factories were built, along with a bakery, a paper mill, and an office of the American Express Company. There were also doctors, lawyers, and clergymen working in Cedar Rapids by 1859.

Cedar Rapids experienced its most explosive development growth as the 1800s gave way to the 1900s. This is consistent with broader trends seen in many American cities during the era, in a period referred to as the “Second Industrial Revolution.”

1970 1960

Cedar Rapids Census Data:

Total Population

1950 1940 1930 1920 1910 1900 1890

1850

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1860

1870

1880

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1980

The population grew to a bustling 45,566 by 1920 — in an era marked by a flurry of mills, factories, and businesses sprouting up along the Cedar River. This period of extraordinary growth not only reshaped the city’s skyline, it also laid the foundation for the vibrant and dynamic Cedar Rapids we know today.

Over the course of its rich history, Cedar Rapids has witnessed remarkable population growth and transformation, evolving into a vibrant city with an estimated population of more than 137,000 people by the year 2023. While the Czech community has played a significant role in Cedar Rapids’ history, it is just one part of the city’s diverse immigrant history. The city continues to evolve and welcome newcomers from various backgrounds, contributing to its rich and multicultural identity.

The 1850 Census data included the following information on residents: • Name, age, gender, and race of everyone in the household

2020 2000

2010

• Any occupations of individuals in the household

1990

• The value of real estate owned by the head of the household • The place of birth for everyone • The marital status of anyone in the household • Information about whether anyone in the household was attending school

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y h p a r g Geo

City Timeline:

The Cedar River winds for about three miles through Cedar Rapids, from northwest to southeast, with a descent of about 14 feet. It has been the defining element of the city since its founding.

The Cedar River is formally named the Red Cedar River, translated from the name given by the Meskwaki tribe for the large number of red cedar trees that grew along its banks.

Various Native communities have relied on the river for resources and travel since early times. More than 26 Native communities and their descendants have called the area home including the Iowa, Omaha, Ponca, Ho-Chuck, Winnebago, Otoe, Miami, Peoria, Potawatomi, Pawnee, and Dakota. Archaeological evidence dates their presence back approximately 9,500 years.

Long before colonial settlers arrived in the area, people known as Mound Builders lived in what is now Cedar Rapids. We know this because, in the 1800s, several groups of mounds were found near Cedar Rapids, about 30 feet in diameter and three feet high. The mounds were built for burial purposes, as well as ceremonial purposes. They may have marked events or territories.

Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, Sanborn Maps Collection.

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Closer to modern history, the Cedar River offered early settlers a route to move goods to and from the Mississippi River and served as the lifeblood of early development.

In 1859, a railway was completed to Cedar Rapids, thanks to John Blair, who saw the opportunity to make Cedar Rapids a business center because of waterpower and other advantages. The railroad was instrumental in the emergence of Cedar Rapids as the freight, commerce, and grain-milling center of Eastern Iowa, home today to some of the largest grain-processing companies in the world.

Early settlers lived in log cabins. Osgood Shepherd maintained he was the first settler. He built his cabin near the present location of the “Tree of Five Seasons” monument and made the first property deal involving land rights in what later became Cedar Rapids.

Did you know Cedar Rapids’ street names weren’t

The City of Cedar Rapids was platted and named “Columbus” in 1838 by William Stone. Stone and Shepherd argued over the land, so Stone moved across the river to the west side. It is said that the river kept the peace between them. In 1841, the land on the east bank was surveyed and laid out by N.B. Brown, and others, and was named “Rapids City” for the rapids that supplied waterpower.

many honoring early leaders. Most were redesignated in 1882,

In 1849, the town was renamed “Cedar Rapids” and incorporated with the State of Iowa. The river was, and always will be, a vital part of our collective identity. Its rapids were harnessed as early as 1842 by a dam built north of May’s Island. Industry located along the riverfront on both banks and would take advantage of the waterpower.

The ability to move across the river fueled the rapid growth of Cedar Rapids. Early merchants received goods by boat, but the railroads soon replaced river shipping. Once bridges replaced ferries, trains and (eventually) automobiles were able travel the streets of the growing city and bring life to its many districts.

Between the early 1870s and 1990, Cedar Rapids was a global power in animal processing. At one time, the T.M. Sinclair Meat Packing Plant was the fourth largest of its kind in the world. Today, Cedar Rapids is

always numbered and lettered? Today’s First Avenue was once called Iowa Avenue. Early residents enjoyed fine restaurants, retail shops, and hotels on this route that has long been a major commercial corridor. Other avenues had distinctive names like Eagle, Park, Market, Franklin, Greene, Brown, and Daniels — facilitating today’s ever-growing network of streets.

home to major agricultural processing sites like Quaker Oats, General Mills, ADM, Cargill, and Ingredion. PMX and International Paper are industrial companies in Cedar Rapids with national influence.

Since the time when Arthur Collins founded Collins Radio, Cedar Rapids has also become an integral part of the national aerospace industry, with massive engineering and manufacturing assets serving the commercial and military aviation sector. The Eastern Iowa Airport adds another crucial link to the rest of the globe from our own backyard. Commerce, business, and personal travel are definite checkmarks in Cedar Rapids’ favor for new business development.

As you travel around Cedar Rapids today, you may see place names such as Ellis, Usher, Blair, Sac and Fox, and Mound — all of which speak to the legacy of our community and the people who have lived here.

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City Timeline:

t n e m n r e v o G Form of C

edar Rapids was incorporated on January 15, 1849. First granted a town charter by the Territorial Legislature, seven years later it was granted a special charter proclaiming it a city.

The City’s first form of government, like many municipalities at the time, consisted of a mayor and several aldermen elected from city wards. The first charter election was held August 7, 1855.

Ward politics had a reputation for corruption — and for being susceptible to partisanship. After a few more than 50 years of Ward organization, Cedar Rapids transitioned to a Commission form of government, with a mayor and four commissioners. The move to this format was based on its credited success in the recovery of Galveston, Texas, from a hurricane on September 8, 1900. Under the Commission form of government, elected officials hold both legislative and executive powers by serving as commissioners operating city departments and as members of the city council. Cedar Rapids operated under this system from April 6, 1908–December 31, 2005.

As with Ward politics, the Commission form of government had a reputation for creating divisions and a narrow outlook. Cedar Rapids voters attempted to switch to a new form of government over the years — in 1965 and again in 1996 — without success.

Finally, during a special citywide election on June 14, 2005, Cedar Rapids voters adopted a Home Rule Charter, changing to the Council-Manager form of government, which took effect on January 1, 2006.

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Under this system, the Cedar Rapids City Council consists of eight council members plus the mayor. The mayor and three council members are elected at large. The remaining five council members are elected by voters in each of five districts. The council operates on a part-time basis, and appoints a full-time city manager to carry out the policies it establishes and to oversee the day-to-day administrative operations of city government. The city manager is also responsible for preparing the budget and hiring and firing personnel. Each city department is managed by a department director, who answers to the city manager.

According to surveys by the International City/ County Management Association (ICMA), the Council-Manager form of government is the most-common form of city government. Its popularity can be attributed to several key advantages, including the nonpartisan approach it fosters, as well as promoting efficiency and transparency in decision making.

With a dedicated city manager overseeing daily operations, elected officials (including the mayor and city council members) can focus on policymaking and representing the interests of their constituents.

This collaborative and managerial approach has allowed Cedar Rapids to navigate its governance effectively and efficiently, serving as a model for many other communities seeking stable, responsive, and accountable local government.

NOVEMBER 2023

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City Timeline:

e l p o e P t n e n i Prom es and Nam CEDAR RAPIDS’ PIONEERS

Ellis, Daniels, Bever (not Beaver!), and Greene — do you know for whom these parks were named? Robert Ellis; Lowell, Lawson, and Harriette S. Daniels; Sampson C. Bever; and Judge George Greene — but who were they? What role did these pioneers play in the founding and development of Cedar Rapids?

Robert Ellis was one of Cedar Rapids’ oldest settlers.

He was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, on January 20, 1817. Ellis came to Iowa in May of 1838 and staked a claim 1.25 miles above the point where the First Avenue Bridge now stands.

He was a businessman who built flat boats and shipped wheat to St. Louis and New Orleans in 1846.

Robert Ellis Sampson Bever On April 1, 1851, a businessman named

Sampson C. Bever sold his glassworks and left Millersburg, Ohio, in search of a home in the west. He bought large tracts of land around Cedar Rapids then returned to Ohio to get his family and bring them to their new home. Bever set up a mercantile business in Cedar Rapids that he ran for seven years before selling to start a private bank with his son, James L. Bever. The bank was named S. C. Bever & Son, but with the passage of the National Banking Law, was merged into the City National Bank of Cedar Rapids. Bever was also involved in the construction of the Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad, the first successful railroad enterprise in Iowa.

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The Daniels Family The Daniels family was actively connected to the prosperity of Cedar Rapids. Four sons, Addison, Preston, Lowell, and Lawson traveled from Massachusetts to Linn County with their father, Otis. The brothers set up the first store in Marion, a log building, called A. Daniels & Brothers. Then they set up a branch in Cedar Rapids, another log building, on the west side of Market Street. This was the second store built in Cedar Rapids. (The first was Woodbridge & Thompson.)

The brothers were all successful businessmen, owning stock in the railroads, investing in real estate, and organizing banks. For the most part, Addison and Preston concentrated their efforts in Marion, while Lowell and Lawson carried on their business in Cedar Rapids.

They were later joined by Daniels’ brother, Lawson, and the firm became famous under the title, L. Daniels & Company. The store was located on First Avenue, where the Masonic Temple now stands.

L. Daniels & Company was the first brick store west of the Mississippi River and considered the finest store in Linn County at the time.

Lowell’s expertise was in bookkeeping and general accounting. He was the first Cedar Rapids postmaster, from 1849–1854. He married his brother’s widow, Harriette S. Daniels, on July 26, 1883. It was a lifelong dream of both Lowell and Lawson to establish a park in Cedar Rapids. Mrs. Daniels added an additional 5.5 acres to its extent.

Lowell began in the mercantile business with Addison in 1846, mainly at the Cedar Rapids store.

Judge George Greene

Judge George Greene was one of the founders of Cedar

Rapids. Joining with others who owned the site, he surveyed and laid out the original town. Judge Greene first came to Iowa in 1838 to Davenport where he surveyed with David J. Owen who was making a geological survey of Iowa. He was a teacher, a lawyer, a journalist and publisher, and a businessman who was instrumental in the development of the railroads. He was chosen a member of the territorial legislature, and in 1847, was appointed one of the supreme judges of the state and served for eight years. Judge Greene was also a founder and warden of Grace Episcopal Church and a promoter of Coe Collegiate Institute, now Coe College.

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CEDAR RAPIDS AT 175

City Timeline:

By the Numbers

1887 First sewer is installed in Cedar Rapids

1852 The town of Kingston is established on the west side of the river

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Early woodland cultures and Native American groups predate settlers on the Cedar River, with archaeological evidence dating back approximately 9,500 years.

1838 Iowa is made a Territory 1838 First settlers on the banks of the Cedar River, Plat of Columbus made by W. Stone on the east banks of the river 1841 Rapids City surveyed and laid out

by N.B. Brown

1855 First charter election held

1894 Cedar Rapids establishes a Park Commission, creating Riverside Park on the west side

1869 Fire Department, consisting of volunteer companies, established by City Ordinance; first ladder truck arrives

1894 Cedar Rapids Fire Department becomes a paid, unified department, as opposed to a collection of individual volunteer companies 1897 Cedar Rapids Free Public Library opens its doors to the public for the first time

1870 Cedar Rapids and Kingston are consolidated 1875 Cedar Rapids Water Company forms as a private entity, primarily to serve fire-fighting needs

1846 Iowa becomes a state 1849 The town is resurveyed, platted, and incorporated at the State of Iowa as Cedar Rapids

1903 Public ownership of the Water utility 1908 Cedar Rapids establishes the Commission Form of government

1883 City Council increases the strength of the Police Department to 12 officers

1850 First U.S. Census to include Cedar Rapids counts a population of 341 people

1888 Cedar Rapids water system begins to serve drinking water

1910 City purchases May’s Island as site of a new Civic Center

1886 Kenwood Park, situated between Cedar Rapids and Marion, is incorporated as a town

1926 Cedar Rapids and Kenwood Park are consolidated

Hall of Mayors Sketches of nearly every Mayor to ever preside over the official business of the City of Cedar Rapids can be found lining the hall outside of City Council Chambers. Shown here are Cedar Rapids’ earliest Mayors.

Nicholas B. Brown

William W. Smith

George Greene

Isaac Newton Whittam

W.D. Watrous

April 1851 - April 1853

April 1853 - April 1855

April 1855 - April 1856

April 1856 - May 15, 1857

May 1857 - April 1858

Martin L. Barber (not pictured)

April 1849 - April 1851

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H. Church

A.R. West

J.P. Coulter

William B. Leach

E.S. Hill

April 1865 - April 1866

April 1866 - April 1868 April 1869 - 1870

April 1868 - April 1869

April 1870 - April 1871

April 1872 - April 1873

2006 Home Rule Charter takes effect, establishing a Council-Manager form of government for Cedar Rapids

1926–29 Construction of Cedar Rapids Water Works plant 1927–28 Construction of Veterans Memorial Building, and then-City Hall, on May’s Island

1975 Paramount Theatre building gifted to the City of Cedar Rapids and reopens following renovations

1930 Cedar Rapids becomes the first Police Department west of the Mississippi to have a direct, short-wave radio station, giving the Department direct contact with patrol units

1934 First Sewage Treatment Plant completed in an area known as Stumptown (now home of Mount Trashmore)

1979 The Five Seasons Center (today the Alliant Energy PowerHouse) and adjacent Five Seasons Hotel (today the DoubleTree) open downtown 1980 Present-day Water Pollution Control Facility on Bertram Road is completed 1995 Northwest Water Treatment Plant comes online

1947 The Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport (today the Eastern Iowa Airport) is dedicated, with a farmhouse for its terminal

2013 Present-day Central Fire Station opens, replacing the station ruined in the 2008 Flood 2013 Present-day Downtown Library and Ladd Library open 2013 City Services Center opens to the public for business following 2008 Flood damage to former facilities at this site 2015 City Council approves Cedar River Flood Control System Master Plan 2020 Major derecho obliterates two-thirds of the city’s tree canopy

1996 The Tree of Five Seasons monument is built and dedicated

1968 Local advertising agency, Creswell, Munsell, Fultz & Zirbel (CMF&Z) create the iconic “City of Five Seasons” slogan

2012 Present-day City Hall opens in the former U.S. Federal Building

1979 Cedar Rapids Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and City of Cedar Rapids adopt the “Five Seasons” moniker

1931 Construction of U.S. Post Office and Federal Building on east bank (today’s City Hall)

1941 Ellis Pool opens as Cedar Rapids’ first municipal swimming pool

2008 Record-setting flood on Cedar River; City begins disaster recovery and implements flood-management strategies

1973 Construction of Interstate 380 begins

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1997 Present-day Police Headquarters open at 505 First Street SW

A vibrant and resilient Cedar Rapids celebrates its 175th Anniversary, continuing to thrive, embracing its rich history, and looking ahead to a bright future

Airport photo: “FI0001146” by John Heilman/Fortepan Iowa, “https://fortepan.us/photos/FI0001146”,” CC-BY-SA 4.0.

R.C. Rock

D.N. Sprague

E.H. Stedman

Homer Bishop

T.Z. Cook

Charles Weare

Mowry Farnum

April 1858 - April 1859

April 1859 - April 1860

April 1860 - April 1861

April 1861 - April 1862

April 1862 - August 1862 April 1871 - April 1872

August 1862 - April 1863

April 1863 - April 1865

O.N. Hull April 1879 - April 1880

James F. Charles

A.B. Hull

J. H. Smith

W.S. Bradley

M.P. Mills

J.T. Hamilton

April 1873 - April 1874

April 1874 - April 1875

April 1875 - April 1877 April 1880 - April 1882

April 1877 - May 1877

May 1877 - April 1878

April 1878 - April 1879

CEDAR RAPIDS AT 175

n a p S t a e The Gr Family Operators JEFF FRANKS AND HIS DAD, RON FRANKS

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ridging human history is the profound concept of “The Great Span” — a notion that connects the past and future in the present. It’s the understanding that the oldest person alive today carries with them the stories and experiences of those who came long before, while the youngest among us will forge connections with generations yet to be born.

Within this continuum stand the Franks, a Solid Waste and Recycling operator family duo — spanning over half a century of service with the City of Cedar Rapids. Jeff’s connection to his late father, Ron, bridges the time between a bygone era of manual trash collection, where almost anything found its way into the garbage truck, and into the modern age of automation and sustainability initiatives.

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Every week, City staff with the Solid Waste & Recycling division work to collect curbside garbage, recycling, and compost around Cedar Rapids.

Jeff Franks, Solid Waste & Recycling Supervisor with the City of Cedar Rapids, has been employed with the City since 1985. His connection to municipal service traces back even further — to the mid-1960s. Jeff’s father, Ron Franks, started working for the City in 1964, with a tenure lasting more than 30 years.

When Ron started working for the Solid Waste division as an extra laborer, the landscape of waste management looked drastically different than it does today. In those days, the City operated a collection service that picked up anything and everything residents put outside and took the items to the landfill. Staff also collected items by hand, not by automated truck.

This photo shows the City of Cedar Rapids Solid Waste team in 1966 or 1967, with Ron Franks pictured on the far left in the plaid flannel shirt.

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“If it wasn’t bolted down, it went in the truck,” Ron always told his son Jeff. “That included items such as water heaters, dressers, couches — basically anything that was set out, we took.”

Jeff remembers a time someone threw away an entire Volkswagen Beetle car. The resident who threw it away disassembled the car into pieces, and the Solid Waste staff threw all the parts into the garbage truck.

The team went from picking up trash from residents’ back doors toward the start of Ron’s career, to the alleys and curbs of today’s setup. They also had trucks with a capacity of 20 yards when Ron started. Over his time with the City, the trucks expanded to a capacity of 25 yards, and now to 29 yards today. The measurement of yards indicates the volume of garbage a truck can hold.

The photo above shows the City of Cedar Rapids Solid Waste team in 1996, and shows both Ron and Jeff Franks working together. (Jeff and Ron are pictured in the front row. Ron is the second person in from the right in the front row, in a brown vest and blue hat; Jeff is two people down from him, fourth from right, in a blue shirt and blue hat.)

Jeff shared other memories of his dad from his childhood. “When I was about four or five years old, my mom would bring me to his work, to ride in the truck with him and the guys that were collecting trash,” Jeff said. “His nickname was Bear, because he could carry four full 35-gallon steel trash cans in each hand at one time — a total of eight — to the truck.” He also shared that his dad remembered picking up garbage at Brucemore and seeing the animals there at the property.

Fast forward a couple of decades, and Jeff began working for the City in 1985 as an extra laborer, just like his dad Ron. Jeff’s early roles included janitorial and maintenance work; over the years, he became a driver/collector and an abatement officer, and today he is a supervisor — one of three for the division.

Jeff has seen some changes since his time here, too. In the 1990s, Cedar Rapids introduced a recycling program to reduce landfill waste and promote sustainability. Before that, the Cedar Rapids Jaycees operated a recycling drop-off location at the Walmart on

Blairs Ferry Road NE. Later, the City took over recycling, but only allowed for residents to drop off materials at sites around the city. A later requirement from the State required any city with a population greater than 50,000 people to provide curbside recycling.

Additionally, organic waste separation became necessary due to a State ban on organic materials at landfills in the 1990s. In 2000, the City introduced YARDY yard waste carts, as the division shifted from “taking everything” to only collecting very specific waste items.

Over the years, collection mechanics have also evolved. When Jeff started, the team collected garbage manually with rear-loading trucks. In the early 2000s, they transitioned to automated arms for collection, eliminating the need for manual item pickup. The Yard Waste program pioneered fully automated collection, where operators don’t need to leave the vehicle as often. Eventually, the fleet was updated to fully automated collection across materials.

CEDAR-RAPIDS.ORG

Jeff and Ron Franks witnessed many changes in the Solid Waste & Recycling division over the past 60 years. Ron “Bear” Franks died in 2021, just short of seeing his son Jeff become a supervisor earlier this year. Jeff is proud of his and his dad’s careers, and credits Ron for starting the family legacy.

“I think from his perspective, I know he was pretty proud when he became supervisor and was well deserved of it,” Jeff said about his father Ron. “I sort of followed in his footsteps so to speak, and I think he would be proud, too.”

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w o N d n a n e TAh History of

Social Service

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n 1924, a majority of Cedar Rapids voters saw the need for public recreation programs and established a referendum creating the Recreation (Playground) Commission. During the years immediately following the Great Depression, the Playground Commission provided critical social services. Claire Nichols Peterson, Superintendent, received free use of a building, a donated furnace, and a reading room stocked by the library to provide an adult recreation center in the winter for jobless individuals. Unemployed men repaired park equipment and supervised skating rinks.

Workers were trained in recreation activities as part of the WPA Recreation Project. They were paid 50 cents an hour relief scale to teach piano lessons, supervise playgrounds, teach children to garden and teach mothers how to remodel old clothing into layettes.

A garden program was one of the most popular programs for children in the Playground Commission’s early years.

Eight community playground gardens were planted, with children allowed to grow a plot of land. The season concluded with a garden show in Memorial Coliseum. By the mid1930s, enrollment in the program expanded to 2,500 and food produced by the gardens fed needy families during the Depression.

The Parks and Recreation Department has returned to its roots with the Community Gardens in Parks Plan adopted in April. One of the main focuses of the plan is to ensure all residents have affordable and accessible options for growing and consuming healthy, culturally relevant food. The project identified seven parks where community gardens will be expanded and offered for lease to residents over the upcoming years.

 Find more information on the Community Gardens in Parks Plan at CityofCR.com/Gardens

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n our earliest days, horses pulled fire wagons and carried people to and from their business in the city.

Gas-powered vehicles became more common than horses by 1910. Looking back today, police, fire, and construction vehicles have helped us define eras — much like fashion and music. Check out some of the comparisons between our modern City Fleet and their historic counterparts.

: w o N d n a n e Fleet ThCity Police

Public Works

Police cruisers from this 1957 photo would have had radios and distinctive paint, but few other amenities specific to law enforcement.

Today’s police vehicles are purpose-built, with stiffer suspension, high-output engines, performance tires, and safety features that protect officers and their passengers.

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Cedar Rapids has relied on dump trucks and similarly-styled, largeframe vehicles to carry heavy loads, transport oversized cargo, plow snow, haul garbage, and provide specialty platforms. This 1923 photo shows an early dump truck.

Today’s public works trucks have higher capacities and can be outfitted with a variety of specialized equipment.

Shown here is a snow plow, complete with GPS and computerized calibrated distribution of liquid and solid icebusting materials.

Fire

w o N d n a n e h TCalling for Help This 1912 fire truck is pictured outside Hose House #6.

It’s simple. Grab a phone, any phone, and dial 9-1-1. An operator representing the nearest emergency services takes your information — and help is on the way. But it wasn’t always this easy.

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This 1938 fire truck is pictured outside Hose Company #2.

Today’s modern marvels are better equipped to fight various types of fires. Truck 1 can reach heights of 100 feet and the basket can carry 1,000 pounds of gear.

n the early days of Cedar Rapids’ development, individual, private and competitive companies offered fire protection services. If there was a fire in your home, you called your company’s station and they responded.

If a competing company was closer — they would not respond. Today, we frequently hear fire stations referred to as companies, but long gone is the competitive nature of this way of doing business. Privatized fire services ended when Cedar Rapids began its municipal Fire Department in 1894.

Since that time, the Department has undergone radical changes in the way emergency services can be called. As neighborhoods grew, wires were strung on overhead poles, connecting “call boxes” to nearby stations. If you needed the Fire Department, you simply went to the nearest call box

and reported your emergency.

Phones eventually became commonplace in homes.

Call boxes gave way to operators who routed your calls, and today, automated systems allow for the advent of the nationwide system of 9-1-1 services.

Today, you can dial 9-1-1 from any phone and reach emergency services in your area. Most recently, text-for-help has been added to make communication more inclusive and available. The goal has always been to provide the fastest, most effective emergency response possible — and it all starts with a simple call for help.

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Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids is the largest cornprocessing city in the world.

Trivia Cedar Rapids is one of the leading bioprocessing and food ingredient centers in North America.

Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in the state of Iowa.

Three lions lived at Brucemore Mansion, all named Leo. The first is said to have been related to Jackie, the famous MGM lion.

Cedar Rapids is one of the leading manufacturing regions in the United States.

The Cedar River is formally named the Red Cedar River, translated from the name given by the Meskwaki tribe after the large number of red cedar trees that grew along its banks.

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Grant Wood, known for painting American Gothic, lived and worked in Cedar Rapids from 1924–1935.

Marvin Cone, a contemporary and close friend of Grant Wood, is another prominent American artist with ties to Cedar Rapids.

The City is named for the rapids on the Cedar River.

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Cedar Rapids was home of the Wright Brothers from 1878–1881.

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Actors Ashton Kutcher and Elijah Wood were born in Cedar Rapids.

The Mother Mosque of America, situated near the Cedar Rapids Northwest Recreation Center, was completed in 1934. It is significant for being the first building designed and constructed as a house of worship — and the oldest surviving place of worship — for Muslims in America.

Founded in 1993, the African American Museum of Iowa is the only statewide museum devoted to preserving African American history and culture.

The first church to be established in Cedar Rapids was St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, founded in 1843.

The Lighthouse Inn Supper Club is said to have been a favorite dining spot of infamous mobster Al Capone when he passed through town.

Cedar Rapids is home to two winners of the award-winning TV show Survivor.

Cedar Rapids’ oldest cemetery, Oak Hill, was established in 1854.

Czechoslovakians began arriving in Cedar Rapids in 1853 to work in local packing plants.

The tallest building in Cedar Rapids, the Alliant Tower, stands at 285 feet.

It was built in 1972.

RAGBRAI has stopped in Cedar Rapids two times, in 1990 and 2012.

In 1840, law and order were kept by a lone constable for the community’s 380 residents.

Of all Cedar Rapids mayors, Mayor Donald J. Canney held the position longest, with his term lasting nearly 23 years, from Nov. 1969–June 1992.

Austin Palmer, the inventor of the Palmer Method of Penmanship, attended the Cedar Rapids Business College in 1880.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels have had numerous names over the years, originally the Cedar Rapids Canaries.

Paul Engle, a renowned American poet, writer and educator — who played a pivotal role in founding the Iowa Writers’ Workshop — was born in Cedar Rapids. Several of his literary works drew inspiration from his experiences growing up in the city.

CEDAR-RAPIDS.ORG

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CEDAR RAPIDS AT 175

o t o h P e r u t - Fea

Photo from the collection of The History Center.

one of two cities in the world with their government on an island, the other being Paris, France.

This 1927 photo shows construction underway on what would become the Veterans Memorial Building.

Steel beams provide framing support for the structure.

The building opened to the public on August 22, 1928.

A petition to build the Veterans Memorial Building was filed in 1925 and passed by a vote of the citizenry in June of that same year. More than 40 civic bodies participated in the original planning for the structure and support grew for an $800,000 bond issue for insurance to complete the massive project. Plans were drawn, placing the building on May’s Island, so that it would be centrally located to the growing populace.

To make the structure financially feasible, City Hall offices were incorporated into the building, which would also give—for 80 years—Cedar Rapids the distinction of only

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Being a Veterans Memorial Building, certain other memorials contribute to the structure, including: the Memorial Window, a stained glass creation by artist Grant Wood; the Memorial Coliseum, an auditorium where famed performers like Metallica, LeAnn Rimes, and Johnny Cash have all rocked the stage; and a cenotaph on top of the building, an empty coffin to honor the City’s war deceased.

Architect Henry Hornbostel modeled the Cenotaph Memorial after the famous monument that stands in Whitehall, London, England. In July 2000, a gold-plated “eternal flame” was placed upon the cenotaph. This project was paid for by community donations.

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NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

175th Anniversary Commemoration Join the City of Cedar Rapids for a 175th Anniversary Commemoration at City Hall, 101 1st Street SE at 2 PM on Thursday, January 11, 2024. Hear from City leaders and join as we dedicate a community time capsule.  Check the City’s website for event updates and schedule changes: CityofCR.com/175

Traveling Cedar Rapids History Exhibit Cedar Rapids history comes to life with a traveling exhibit — visiting various City locations during each facility’s regular business hours.

Several stops include companion exhibits or tours. Be sure to check them all out!

 City Hall | 101 1st Street SE January 11–22 January 24–February 2

 Enjoy a guided tour of the historic Council Chamber murals

at Noon on Friday, January 19. Meet at the City Hall main floor lobby.

 Cedar Rapids Ladd Library | 3750 Williams Boulevard SW February 3–18

 City Services Center | 500 15th Avenue SW February 19–29

 Eastern Iowa Airport | 2121 Arthur Collins Parkway SW March 1–17

 Enjoy a companion exhibit celebrating the Eastern Iowa

Airport’s 75th Anniversary from 2022.

 Cedar Rapids Downtown Library | 450 5th Avenue SE March 18–28

 Cedar Rapids Central Fire Station 713 1st Avenue SE Tuesday, January 23 @ 10 AM–2 PM Tuesday, March 12 @ 10 AM–2 PM Thursday, June 13 @ 1 PM–5 PM  The traveling Cedar Rapids History Exhibit

will be featured at the Fire Department Museum at Central Fire Station during the museum’s public hours. At the Fire Museum, photos, artifacts and historical displays trace the history of the Department — from its earliest days as a competitive business to today’s highly-trained municipal agency.

 Noelridge Greenhouse | 4900 Council Street NE March 31–April 14

 Northwest Recreation Center | 1340 11th Street NW April 15–26

 Community organizations are encouraged to host 175th Anniversary-inspired celebrations!

Find a full event list — and share your events — by selecting the CR at 175 category at: TourismCedarRapids.com/events-calendar

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CITY SERVICES DIRECTORY CITY SERVICE

LOCATION

Animals

7241 Washington View Parkway SW

Assessor

City Services Center, 500 15 Avenue SW

319-286-5888

CRAssessor@Cedar-Rapids.org

Bid Opportunities

City Hall, 101 1st Street SE

319-286-5021

Bid-Purchasing@Cedar-Rapids.org

Building and Housing Codes

City Services Center, 500 15th Avenue SW

319-286-5831

Building@Cedar-Rapids.org

Buses

Ground Transportation Center, 450 1st Street SE

319-286-5573

CRTransit@Cedar-Rapids.org

Fire Safety Inspections

713 1st Avenue SE

319-286-5166

CRFire@Cedar-Rapids.org

Garbage, Recycling and Yard Waste Collection

City Services Center, 500 15 Avenue SW

319-286-5897

Solid-Waste-Recycling@Cedar-Rapids.org

Housing Assistance Programs

City Hall, 101 1st Street SE

319-286-5872

HSG-Admin@Cedar-Rapids.org

Land Development

City Hall, 101 1 Street SE

319-286-5822

DevelopmentServices@Cedar-Rapids.org

Park Rentals

City Services Center, 500 15th Avenue SW

319-286-5566

Recreation@Cedar-Rapids.org

Potholes and Street Maintenance

City Services Center, 500 15 Avenue SW

319-286-5826

Street@Cedar-Rapids.org

Recreation Programs

Northwest Recreation Center, 1340 11th Street NW

319-286-5566

Recreation@Cedar-Rapids.org

Sewer Backup or Problems

City Services Center, 500 15th Avenue SW

319-286-5815

Sewer@Cedar-Rapids.org

Traffic Signals, Signs and Markings

City Services Center, 500 15th Avenue SW

319-286-5176

Traffic@Cedar-Rapids.org

Utility Billing

City Hall, 101 1st Street SE

319-286-5900

WaterMail@Cedar-Rapids.org

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th

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PHONE

EMAIL ADDRESS

319-286-5993

AnimalControlMgmt@Cedar-Rapids.org

For more information about the City of Cedar Rapids and its services, call 319-286-5080 or visit CityofCR.com.

CITY COUNCIL

To leave a message for a City Council member, call 319-286-5051.

Find your district at LinnCountyElections.org.

MAYOR

DISTRICT 1

DISTRICT 2

Tiffany O’Donnell

Martin Hoeger

Scott Overland

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 4

DISTRICT 5

Dale Todd

Scott Olson

Ashley Vanorny

AT LARGE

AT LARGE

AT LARGE

Patrick Loeffler

Tyler Olson

Ann Poe

t.odonnell@cedar-rapids.org

m.hoeger@cedar-rapids.org

dalet@cedar-rapids.org

scott.olson@cedar-rapids.org

p.loeffler@cedar-rapids.org

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t.olson@cedar-rapids.org

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s.overland@cedar-rapids.org

a.vanorny@cedar-rapids.org

ann.poe@cedar-rapids.org

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