Riverview Amusement Park opened on Saturday, June 5, 1915, with an admission of five cents. The June 6th, 1915, Register and Leader reported live music by T. Fred Henry and his band, as well as The…

It all began when L.M. Mann bought 100 acres of land and created a destination. He opened the Des Moines Zoological Gardens on July 4, 1889. The park included an elephant, lions, panthers, kangaroos,…

On the northwest corner of Second and Walnut was the site of Joseph Hierb’s Saloon. Hierb and his brother started the first brewery in Des Moines in 1855, which later became known as City Brewery,…

People passing by the large brick building at Southeast Seventh and Scott Avenue in Des Moines may not realize the significance of this structure.  For more than 50 years it was the home of the…

“Fear God, Tell the Truth, and Make Money.”

One of the earliest breweries was established by Frank Spitz near River, Second and Elm, on the Raccoon River. He ran a successful business until when while crossing the ice on the Raccoon River,…

Sevastopol began as a settlement south of Des Moines around 1855.  It was laid out by James Sherman, was recorded on July 21, 1862,  and  incorporated in 1877 or 1878 (varies with source).  Its…

In 1857 Des Moines only encompassed 8.75 sq/mi. In 1890, Des Moines increased its size dramatically to 55.1 square miles by annexing 8 surrounding communities. This was a significant increase in land…

At the turn of the 20th Century, many Des Moines residents sent their laundry out be laundered by others. White Star Laundry was one such company. It was owned by J.O. Anderson and operated out of the…

The Kurtz family has been doing business in Des Moines for over 150 years.