History Happenings: Fun ways to learn history

Your scribes are grateful to each and every person who reads this column every month. It is our pleasure to share fascinating, funny, famous, infamous and flummoxing facts related to Linn County history.

But this monthly missive is hardly the only way to get a steady supply of history tidbits from The History Center. We are, for example, big fans of The History Center’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

On both platforms, The History Center shares wonderful and intriguing moments and facts from Linn County’s past. In this column, we’re sharing some of our favorite recent posts, including “Then and Now!,” “From the Archives” and “On This Day” content.

Then & Now

Here is a “Then & Now” post from early September that reveals a bit about the history of a building many, many people pass everyday as they traverse First Avenue East in Cedar Rapids.

Isaac Carroll was 9 when he arrived in Eastern Iowa with his family in 1839. In 1883, after a successful career in the grocery business in Cedar Rapids, he purchased land on First Avenue near the crossing of the street railway and the Milwaukee Railroad and started platting it into lots.

He named the place Kenwood Park and applied for incorporation in 1886. In 1890, Kenwood Park residents petitioned for a post office. J.R. Easterly Groceries and Post Office was at what is now 3201 First Ave. East. Cedar Rapids incorporated Kenwood into the city in 1926.

From the archives

If you are old enough, you may well remember when the Bever Park Zoo was populated by many more animals than you can currently visit at Old MacDonald’s Farm. One of the most intriguing things about this “From the Archives” post for us is the mention of a trolley line that took folks to the park:

Bever Park Zoo opened in 1901. Visitors could see lions, bears, monkeys, and other exotic creatures. A trolley line to the park opened on Monday, July 4, 1904. Hundreds of people showed up to ride to the park and spend the holiday there with their families.

Leo the Lion was a well-known resident of Bever Park Zoo. Leo's presence was particularly memorable for visitors because it was unusual for such a small, local zoo to house a lion, an animal typically associated with larger, more prominent zoos.

His exhibit was a central feature of the zoo and drew many visitors who were eager to see a lion up close. Leo's roaring often could be heard throughout the park, adding to his mystique and making him a beloved figure in the community.

On This Day

Carl Van Vechten is among the famous artists and writers who have called Linn County home. He is perhaps most famous for his photos of prominent Harlem Renaissance figures, but he also wrote books, including one published just over 100 years ago.

Here is an “On This Day” post about one of our more famous native sons:

“The Tattooed Countess: A romantic novel with a happy ending” is a 1924 novel by Carl Van Vechten. While we are unsure of the actual date of the publication, we can confirm that it was published in August 1924.

Carl Van Vechten (June 17, 1880-Dec. 21, 1964) was an American writer and artistic photographer. Born in Cedar Rapids, he studied a variety of topics, including music, art and opera at the University of Chicago. \

He gained fame as a writer, and in his later years, he took up photography and took many portraits of notable people.

Historical context

The History Center also provides historical context for contemporary events. For example, when the Lighthouse Supper Club, located on rural Mount Vernon Road, burned down Aug. 14, The History Center offered this background on the beloved location:

We are deeply saddened to learn about the devastating fire this morning at The Lighthouse Supper Club.

Built in 1912, the Lighthouse Inn was originally a small inn to enjoy drinks, dinner and maybe rent one of the cabins that used to sit behind the restaurant.

During Prohibition, it became a common stop for Chicagoland mobsters looking to “beat the heat” until things cooled off back home in the Windy City.

The two small stone lighthouses were destroyed when a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel. The Lighthouse was the oldest restaurant in Cedar Rapids, the second oldest restaurant in Iowa and the oldest supper club in the state.

We encourage you to follow The History Center on social media to learn more about our community’s past.

Jessica Cline is a Leadership & Character Scholar at Wake Forest University. Her dad, Rob Cline, is not a scholar of any kind. They write this monthly column for The History Center. Comments: [email protected]