River to River

Take a Peek at the Award-Winning "River to River" Trailer

 

For the wonderful Mom's out there--Enjoy the ride!

 
Alice Huyler Ramsey makes history in 1909.

A special thanks to our Moms! The adventurer, the planner, the entertainer, the caretaker, the cook and cleaner, the teacher, the glass-ceiling breaker, the fix-it-and-make-it-all-better designated driver Mom. Here's a story just for you!

In 1909 22-year-old, 5' tall housewife and mother Alice Huyler Ramsey made history by becoming the first woman to drive across the United States from coast-to-coast. She was joined by two sisters-in-law and a friend for the 3,800-mile trip, leaving from New York City on June 9th and arriving in San Francisco on August 7th. Alice was the only one in the auto that could drive. She was the first woman to be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Happy Mother's Day to all the cool Moms out there... and enjoy the ride!

To purchase the award-winning documentary, River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6, visit FourthWallFilms.com!

Stream the film at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/highway6movie.

You can also get the "River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6" DVD at the fabulous Wilton Candy Kitchen in Wilton, Iowa right on Historic Route 6!

Festival Cinco de Mayo Celebrates History and Culture in West Des Moines

Courtesy History Valley Junction Foundation, Festival Cinco de Mayo.

Hit the road on Iowa's Historic Route 6 for Historic Valley Junction in Des Moines on Saturday, May 7th to celebrate the 16th Annual Festival Cinco de Mayo! Enjoy Mexican foods, artwork, live music, dancing, and family activities. 

"Celebrating the Mexican heritage of many railroad workers during the establishment years of Valley Junction, this festival is an opportunity to recognize the Mexican community who helped James Jordan’s vision of bringing the railroad to the Des Moines area become a reality," the Historic Valley Junction Foundation posted. "In honor of our strong heritage, we will also present a proclamation and announcement of our Cinco de Mayo King and Queen."

The Celebration Schedule:

12:00pm – Event begins – Vendors & Kids Zone Open
3:30pm – King and Queen Ceremony – Dennis Garcia & Lola Garcia-Myers, hosted by Kevin Trevillyan
4:00pm – Live music by Mariachis Los Aguilares
6:00pm – Live music by Guitarras ATM
8:00pm – Live music by Escencia Añeja

Festival Cinco de Mayo takes place on 137 5th Street in West Des Moines, Iowa. Visit valleyjunction.com for more information!

To purchase the award-winning documentary, visit FourthWallFilms.com!

Stream the film at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/highway6movie.

You can also get the "River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6" DVD at the fabulous Wilton Candy Kitchen in Wilton, Iowa right on Historic Route 6!

Romantic Attractions along Iowa Route 6? Yes!

"Historic US Route 6 is Iowa's romantic highway." Dimitri Makedonsky

By Getaway Mavens
https://www.getawaymavens.com/

Would you consider 1800’s farm settlements, the “World’s Oldest Soda Fountain”, killer butterscotch pies, Bonnie and Clyde robbed banks, best blue cheese, presidential diners, tiny cornfield towns, and the like, romantic? Then you’ll love driving US Route 6 Iowa with your best buddy for a nostalgia trip like no other.

Route 6 Iowa begins at the Mississippi River and ends at the Missouri River – a 320-mile stretch originally called the “River to River Road.” (Identified by telephone poles painted white, it was also referred to, in parts, as the White Pole Road or Great White Way). 

Amana Colonies, Amana Iowa.

In the Midwest, US Route 6 played a crucial role in the shipping of farm goods to points east and west, and became a popular road for auto-tourists. But many of the small farm towns were literally left in the dust after I-80 was built.

 

So – rediscover these small towns and their suspended-in-time attractions with your favorite traveler. READ ON!

 

To purchase the award-winning documentary, visit FourthWallFilms.com!

Stream the film at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/highway6movie.

You can also get the "River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6" DVD at the fabulous Wilton Candy Kitchen in Wilton, Iowa right on Historic Route 6!

Dexter, Iowa's Drew's Quality Chocolates and Valentine's Day go hand in hand

Jason Adams, owner of Drew's Quality Chocolates in Dexter, Iowa. Photo by Becky Carlyle. Copyright Dallas County News.

By Becky Carlyle, Dallas County News

Valentine’s Day is almost here and area businesses are gearing up. Sweet treats are one of the many options for Valentine’s Day gifts.  

Drew’s Quality Chocolates, which started in New Hampshire, has a history that goes back to the early 1900s.

Lloyd Drew and his wife Helen received a black walnut fudge recipe from a cousin back in New Hampshire. They decided to set up their candy store out of their home in Dexter, Iowa off of former Highway 6. Mrs. Drew put a sign outside their little white house, noting they were now a candy shop.

During the Christmas of 1926, the Drew family decided to make one thing, that black walnut fudge. Many motorists and truckers stopped at the candy store and their candy making efforts proved to be a success. In 1927, a hole was dug off of their house to make a basement candy shop. This is where Drew’s Quality Chocolates remains today.

Jason Adams, the current owner of the candy store, is a seventh-generation owner. Lloyd Drew was a second cousin to Adams.

Drew’s Quality Chocolates said they are the only company in the U.S. that still uses the chocolate making technique called fork-dipping. Smaller companies use a hand-dipping technique and large companies use an enrober chocolate making machine. The reason why Drew’s Quality Chocolates sticks with fork-dipping, is because it allows them to dip many different chocolates in one day.

Visit Drew's Quality Choclates Facebook page for gift ideas for your special Valentine! Drew's For Your Valentine!

To purchase Fourth Wall Films'  Emmy-nominated River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 or other award-winning documentaries on DVD, click HERE!

You can also get the River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 DVD at the Wilton Candy Kitchen in Wilton, Iowa right on Historic Route 6!

 

Take Historic Highway 6 to Iowa City for Holiday Lights on the Lake

The Annual Holiday Lights at the Lake, Iowa City, Iowa is open to the public through New Year's Eve. The popular festivity is a fundraiser for The Bird house Hospice Home.

The Bird House Hospice Home for Johnson County holds its first Holiday Lights at the Lake. Held at Coralville Lake West Campground, W Overlook Rd NE, Iowa City, Iowa (one of the cities on Iowa's Historic Highway 6), the campground is decked out in holiday-themed lighting for the community to drive or walk through. More than 30 large and animated lighting installations, including large archways made of strings of lights, light up the holidays for families and kids of all ages.

 

Holiday Lights at the Lake is Monday through Thursday from 5:30-8:30 p.m., and Friday through Sunday 5-9 p.m. Wednesday evenings are walk-through only. The light display will be available through New Year’s Eve.

 

The annual light show is a fundraiser for the nonprofit Bird House. Tickets cost:

 

$10 per car

$20 per large van or limo

$30 per minibus

$50 per charter/party bus.

$5 per person on Walk-through Wednesdays

 

Only cash is accepted at the gate. You can pay online by visiting the Bird House's website.

 

Visit https://www.facebook.com/HolidayLightsatTheLake for more details!

 

To purchase the award-winning documentary, visit FourthWallFilms.com!

Stream the film at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/highway6movie.

You can also get the "River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6" DVD at the fabulous Wilton Candy Kitchen in Wilton, Iowa right on Historic Route 6!

River to River Retro Road Tour "With a Twist" Sept. 17-18

The annual River to River Retro Road Tour 2021 is on "with a twist" September 17-18.

Rallies, eateries, Living History Farms, Freedom Rock, and the wide open Historic Route 6 road across Iowa.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1270389476750452/ for details.

To purchase the award-winning documentary, visit FourthWallFilms.com!

Stream the film at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/highway6movie.

You can also get the "River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6" DVD at the fabulous Wilton Candy Kitchen in Wilton, Iowa right on Historic Route 6!

Notorious Bonnie and Clyde escaped to Dexter, Iowa on Historic Route 6

Dexfield Park, Dexter, Iowa on Iowa's Historic Route 6. (Courtesy Dexter Museum, Dexter, Iowa.)

Dexfield Park, once Iowa's largest amusement park, thrived in Dexter, Iowa for approximately 18 years. By July 1933, it was an abandoned field off of Route 6, and the perfect place for bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde and the Barrow gang to take shelter and doctor their wounds following a major shoot-out at the Red Crown Hideout in Platte City, Missouri.

By this time the Barrow gang consisted of Bonnie and Clyde, Clyde's brother Buck--who was severely wounded in Platte City, Buck's wife Blanche, and a teenager named W.D. Jones.

Dallas County, Iowa Museum Assistant Rail Stray wrote: "A man named Henry Nye, out hunting wild blackberries on his property, came across the camp. He found a bloody map, a shirt with blood stains and used bandages. It seems that Mr. Nye was not the first to discover the camp of the Barrow gang. A troop of fourteen Girl Scouts led by Della Gowdey, camping at the old pavilion of the park, took an early morning hike and walked right into the Barrow Gang campsite. Maxine Schell "Hadley," a member of this troop, said the campers acted quite surprised. She had no idea who they were. Della and the other girls said good morning; Maxine remembered the campers smiled and returned the welcome.

Henry Nye contacted John Love and the two men returned to the park together. With binoculars, John could see two cars parked in the campground. He decided to contact Dallas County Sheriff Clint Knee and find out if any outlaws had been reported in the area. The Sheriff informed him of reports about the Barrow Gang being around. Not knowing if this was the Barrow Gang or not John Love told him to bring his "heavy artillery" and come to Dexter."

In the early morning of Monday, July 24, 1933 the Barrow gang was ambushed by a posse of approximately 50.  Every member of the Barrow gang was injured during the firefight. Blanche Barrow was captured and jailed and her husband, Buck, died five days after the gun fight at Dexfield Park.

A wounded Bonnie and Clyde managed to escape on foot and steel a car to make their getaway from Dallas County. 

A little less than a year later, only two of the Barrow gang would still be alive, and it wasn't Bonnie and Clyde. 

Bonnie and Clyde. (Courtesy Dexter Museum, Dexter, Iowa.)

Make sure you visit the Dexter Museum in Dexter, Iowa on Historic Route 6 to get the complete Bonnie and Clyde story, see the amazing museum collection, and see the park where the Barrow Gang shootout took place.

Dexter, Iowa's history is featured in Fourth Wall Films' Emmy-nominated "River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6".

Dexter, Iowa's history is featured in Fourth Wall Films' Emmy-nominated "River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6".

To purchase the award-winning documentary, visit FourthWallFilms.com!

Stream the film at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/highway6movie.

You can also get the "River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6" DVD at the fabulous Wilton Candy Kitchen in Wilton, Iowa right on Historic Route 6!

At the Intersection of "Country School" and the "River to River" road

The 1876 Schoolhouse appears in the award-winning documentary Country School: One Room - One Nation and the Emmy-nominated documentary River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6.

Little did we know that while filming the 1876 Schoolhouse in Coralville, Iowa for our documentary Country School: One Room – One Nation that we would reach an “intersection” with a future project about the historic transcontinental Highway 6.

Situated on the original Highway 6 alignment, the beautiful two-story, red-brick country school is a “must see” historical museum operated by the Johnson County Historical Society.  The school was built on a small acreage donated by the Ezekiel Clark family, accommodating classes for grades 1-8 on the first floor and a gymnasium and auditorium on the second floor—no doubt, the floor where many Christmas programs were presented to the rural community.

Fourth Wall Films' Kelly Rundle shoots interior footage of the 1876 Schoolhouse for Country School: One Room - One Nation. The film was nominated for a Mid-America Emmy.

The structure served as a place for learning until 1951.  Through the years, the schoolhouse has been used for various other purposes, including a recreational center for teens and a warehouse, before it was put to use as a museum.  The restored two-room schoolhouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and is open by appointment by calling 319.351.5738.

Visit: www.johnsoncountyhistory.org  for more information about the 1876 Schoolhouse in Coralville, Iowa (just off of Iowa's Historic Route 6). 

For more information about Iowa’s Historic Route 6 and the annual River to River Retro Road Trip visit https://www.facebook.com/usroute6iowa.

River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 is available on DVD HERE!

Curt Roseman, Historic Route 6 Road Scholar & Writer Leaves a Legacy

 
Curt Roseman in the Emmy-nominated "River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6".

We are deeply saddened to share that Historic Route 6 road scholar and writer Curt Roseman died Sunday, December 13, 2020 at UnityPoint Health-Trinity Rock Island with wife and fellow road scholar Elizabeth by his side.

There will be a gathering of friends and family to celebrate Curt’s life at CityView Celebrations at Trimble Pointe in the future, when we are able to do so safely. Cremation will take place at Trimble Crematory, Moline, under the direction of Trimble Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Moline-Mahaffey Fund at Augustana College or The First Bridge Fund at River Action in Davenport.

A prolific writer, Curt researched, edited and co-wrote nine academic books, eight popular and local history books, numerous articles in academic journals and books, as well as newspaper items. 

One of his many passions was traveling Historic Route 6 across America with Elizabeth.  The couple criss-crossed the country many, many times, documenting, photographing and noting the highway's ever changing story.

Their collaboration with Kevin J. Patrick, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Professor of Geography and Regional Planning, led to the monumental creation of  an interactive website http://www.heritagedocumentaries.org/Route6/index.html dedicated to collecting and compiling information on Historic Highway 6. "Our ongoing investigation of Route 6 emphasizes not only the road itself, but also its roadside landscapes and its regional and historical contexts," the website states.

Elizabeth and Curt Roseman look through their massic Historic Route 6 archive.

In 2013 the Rosemans sat down with River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6  filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films  to talk on camera about their research, experiences, and massive archive of Route 6 maps, postcards, photographs and memorabilia they gathered over the years traveling the 3,662-mile transcontinental highway.

You won't find Route 66 memorabilia in the Roseman home.  It's all about 6. "Half the digits and twice the kicks," Curt smiled during his interview.

The Rosemans attended the sold-out premiere of River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 at the Putnam Museum's National Geographic Giant Screen in Davenport, Iowa on September of 2015. The documentary was a crowd-pleaser and went on to receive a Mid-America Emmy® nomination and won several film festival awards.

We are grateful that our 'road' crossed with the Rosemans and honor the tremendous legacy that Curt Roseman has left in his research, writing and preservation of the stories imprinted on America's landscapes, roads and rivers.

Curtis Roseman's full obituary can be read here.

River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 is available on DVD HERE!

 

 

First Lady Lou Henry Hoover and Rules of the Road

First Lady Lou Henry Hoover on her wedding day in February 1899 in Monterey, California.

Lou Henry Hoover made an appearance in today's PastFactory.com's article on "The Weddings and Gowns of the U.S. Presidents and First Ladies": 

"Lou Henry was a fascinating woman. She enjoyed camping with her dad and was a proficient taxidermist. She loved rocks and minerals. She graduated with a B.A. in Geology at Stanford University, where she met future president Herbert Hoover. She was fluent in Chinese and the only First Lady to speak an Asian language.

She and Herbert wed in February 1899 at her parents’ home in Monterey, California. She decided to become a Quaker like the groom, but they were married by a Roman Catholic priest. The bride did not wear the traditional white dress; instead, she opted for a dark-colored gown."

Read more on "The Weddings and Gowns of the U.S. Presidents and First Ladies" here. 

Little did Lou Henry know that her future with Herbert Hoover would includer her serving as the First Lady of the United States of America from March 4, 1929 until  March 4, 1933.

President Hoover was an advocate for street and highway safety, and one of his main missions was to address the growing toll of casualties due to traffic accidents. He hosted National Conference on Street and Highway Safety Conferences which ultimately supported rules of the road, motor vehicle standards and urban traffic control.

The Herbert Hoover Presidential Libary and Museum is featured in the award-winning documentary River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 is located in West Brench, Iowa--just 6 miles off of Historic Route 6 heading north.

To purchase Fourth Wall Films'  Emmy-nominated River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 or other award-winning documentaries on DVD, click HERE!

 

Stream the film at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/highway6movie.

You can also get the River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 DVD at the Wilton Candy Kitchen in Wilton, Iowa right on Historic Route 6!