Cedar Rapids Iowa - The History and Facts About It
Cedar Rapids Iowa is a pleasant town filled with rich culture and history. It is home to 126,326 residents and is the second largest city in the state of Iowa. It is the hometown of famous US figures including the American Gothic painter Grant Wood, historian William Shirer, and the writer Carl Van Vechten.
Celebrities from Cedar Rapids include Ashton Kutcher, Ron Livingston, and Elijah Wood. This is also home for some of the best construction and flooring tile contractors in cedar rapids Iowa.
Favorite locations in Cedar Rapids include the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, The Paramount Theatre, the African-American Historical Museum, and Orchestra Iowa.
The Naming of the Town
The history of Cedar Rapids, Iowa goes back before the 1830s when the location was the territory of the Sac and Fox Native American tribes. Osgood Shepherd was the first settler to put down roots in the town in 1838. Initially, William Stone named the location Columbus, however in 1838, N.B. Brown gave it the name Cedar Rapids.
The town got its name from the rapids found in the Cedar River. The river received its name from the abundance of red cedars that grew alongside the banks. On the 15th of January in 1849, Cedar Rapids became incorporated.
Industries and Growth
Cedar Rapids saw economic wealth in the late 1800s when the Sinclair Meatpacking Company, founded in 1871. One of the very first Quaker Oats mills is still located there today. And the 12-story Roosevelt Hotel built in 1927 is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It was one of the earliest amenities that attracted investors from out of town into the city.
Other companies that have locations in Cedar Rapids today include Toyota Financial Services, Cargill, Nordstrom, and General Mills. Nordstrom continues to be one of the top 10 employers in Cedar Rapids, with an average of 1,200 employees. Quaker Oats is also in the top 10 with 1,018 employees at their Cedar Rapids location.
The Czech Village
One of the most interesting locations in Cedar Rapids would be the Czech Village. Also known as the New Bohemia Main Street District since 2008, the village is located on the southeast side of the city, just south of the downtown business district. The district was one of the first urban neighborhoods in the state of Iowa. The Czech Village maintains its own culture, look, and feel, even while connected to the busiest area of the city.
The Main Street District consists of the two neighborhoods. These two diverse communities span 40 blocks and are a part of the Greater Iowa Cultural Corridor which includes Linn and Johnson counties.
Both the communities have a rich history and provides an example of perseverance to residents and company owners. It holds the legacy of the early Czech settlers and today represents a melting pot of businesses, arts and culture, and entertainment that’s been present in the main street district since the earliest Czech immigrants settled there in the late 1800s.
The National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library was established in 1974 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa by the second and third generation of Czech Americans as a way of preserving their heritage and culture. Their immigration to America started in the 1880’s to Cedar Rapids and they have remained an important part of the cities’ culture since then.
Years were spent moving the museum from place to place as the artifacts outgrew each setting. Finally, in 1995 a new building was dedicated. Those of note worthiness present were, President Bill Clinton, Czech President Vaclav Havel and Slovakian President Michal Kovac.
At that time, on average, the museum and library attracted over 30,000 visitors a year from around the US and 22 foreign countries. Their membership grew as did the exhibits and artifacts. Their work was certainly something to be proud of and it did generate a lot of income.
In 2008 the Cedar River that runs through Cedar Rapids over flowed its banks causing severe damage to the museum as it was located right next to the river. The water filled the museum with eight feet of water and damage was valued at 8 to 9 million dollars.
The employees were able to move two trucks full of material before the flood hit but there was still devastation everywhere. The museum and library were impacted by a million dollar loss in revenue from the yearly visitors alone.
It is most interesting how many of the artifacts were restored in different parts of the country. Books were sent to Chicago to be freeze-dried and restored while the Chicago Conservation Center assisted in providing expert help to save linens and other textiles.
There were 80 years of documented Czech and Slovak music stored on over 5000 records that were damaged and most were restored by the University of Iowa Libraries Preservation Department.
After the flood the facility opened at Lindale Mall for a short period of time and a temporary home was setup in 2010 at the Kosek Building at 87 Sixteenth Ave SW and it remain part of the Museum and Library.
The original structure was so sound that it was moved to a new location and the move was set up so that almost anyone living in Cedar Rapids could watch by webcam or just standing on the street and watching across the river.
This historical site is a part of Cedar Rapids history that you will want to see and learn more about.
Additions to the new museum and library include a total of 50,000 square feet of larger permanent and temporary galleries, and a research library.
Added to all of that, there also is space for educational programs, a new museum store, 51 seat theater, underground parking and a terrace to view the skyline of Cedar Rapids from.
The Museum and Library are expecting more that 54,00 visitors each year that will contribute $1.1 million of revenue for the Cedar Rapids business people. Consider spending a day to visit this wonderful piece of Cedar Rapids history all within driving distance from many hotels and motels in the immediate area.
Cedar Rapids Iowa History Summary
Cedar Rapids is a town filled with history, culture, diversity, and a wealth of opportunities for all those who live there. Like all cities, it has experienced its fair share of difficulties, with two major floods happening in recent years.
But the community shows that when you come together during the challenging times, you can come back ever stronger as a united town.
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