Tag: Iowa

According to Allcitycodes, Iowa is known by many nicknames, the most popular of which is the Hawkeye State. This nickname was inspired by a character in James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Last of the Mohicans. The character, who is a scout and an officer in the British Army, is referred to as “Hawkeye” and his bravery and skill as a hunter are legendary. This nickname has been used to refer to Iowa since 1838 when it was adopted as the official state nickname. Another popular nickname for Iowa is “The Corn State”. This nickname pays homage to Iowa’s role in producing corn for food, feed, fuel, and ethanol production. Iowa has been one of the leading corn-producing states since 1900 when it produced nearly one-third of all US corn production. The state produces more than two billion bushels of corn each year and exports more than half of that abroad. Corn has been so important to Iowa that it even has its own holiday – National Corn on the Cob Day – celebrated every June 11th. In addition to these two popular nicknames, there are several other nicknames for Iowa that are less well known but still widely used. These include “The Land Between Two Rivers”, referencing both the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers which border the state; “The Breadbasket of America”, highlighting its importance as an agricultural producer; and “The Land That Feeds Us All”, noting its importance in providing food for all Americans. According to citypopulationreview, the history of Iowa dates back to the Paleo-Indians who first populated the region thousands of years ago. Archaeological evidence has shown that these early inhabitants hunted bison, deer, and other animals as well as gathered wild plants for food. By the time European settlers arrived in the area in the late 17th century, Iowa was inhabited by a variety of Native American tribes including the Ioway, Sauk, Fox, and Sioux. In 1673 French explorer Jacques Marquette passed through what is now Iowa on his journey down the Mississippi River. He was followed by Louis Joliet in 1674 who named the area “Iowa” after its native inhabitants. In 1803 Iowa became part of the United States with the signing of Louisiana Purchase treaty which saw France cede all its North American territories to America. In 1838 Iowa officially became a territory and began to rapidly expand its population with settlers from all over America arriving in search of new land and opportunity. This growth led to statehood being granted on December 28th 1846 making Iowa one of America’s youngest states. During this period many towns were established throughout Iowa while new transportation networks such as railroads were built connecting all parts of state together while industry began to boom thanks to resources such as coal and timber which were abundant throughout much of state at this time. Iowa experienced significant cultural changes during this period with many different religious denominations establishing churches throughout state while educational institutions such as University of Iowa were founded during this time period. The Civil War also saw many people from Iowa take part on both sides with President Herbert Hoover being born and raised in West Branch, IA before eventually becoming 31st President United States. The 20th century saw continued economic growth for Iowa with manufacturing becoming increasingly important throughout much of state while technology companies began setting up shop around Des Moines making it one of America’s most vibrant cities economically speaking. Today, agriculture remains an important part of life for many Iowans while modern industries such as biotechnology have become increasingly prominent due to their presence around Des Moines area making it an important player economically speaking on a national level.