09/07/2022
Black Hawk Lifelong Learners Program featuring Highway 6 film Sold Out
Pre-registration for Black Hawk College's Lifelong Learners presentation of the River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 filled to capacity before its September 5 deadline.
The award-winning documentary by Emmy award-winning filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films guides viewers on a nostalgic classic car journey through yesterday’s soda shops, filling stations, general stores, drive-ins, historic sites and roadside attractions that line Iowa’s Historic Route 6. Iowa’s portion of the transcontinental Route 6 has a past that includes Bonnie and Clyde, Jesse James, Nancy Drew, Jack Kerouac, the Great Race Across Iowa, and others.
River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6 was funded in part by grants from Humanities Iowa, Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area and the National Endowment for the Humanities through the documentary’s fiscal sponsor, The Iowa U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association. The film was nominated for a Regional Emmy and won a Gold Eddy at the Cedar Rapids Film Festival for Best Documentary.
Botanical Center in Rock Island, Illinois
The screening event and luncheon will be held at the Botanical Center in Rock Island, Illinois October 13th. Black Hawk College Lifelong Learner Programs are designed for anyone 55 years plus, but all adult learners are welcome.
River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 is available to stream and purchase on DVD HERE!
Fourth Wall Films is an Emmy® ward-winning independent film and video production company formerly located in Los Angeles, and now based in Moline, Illinois. Fourth Wall Films focuses on telling Midwestern stories through historical documentary films that reach viewers via PBS broadcasts, theaters, film festivals, national DVD release and online streaming.
For more information visit FourthWallFilms.com.
05/24/2022
Fourth Wall Films' "Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6" Clip Featured in National-wide Civic Season Celebration
It's year two for #CivicSeason and once again Fourth Wall Films joins the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, First Americans Museum, the Putnam Museum, and more than 300 organizations nation-wide to celebrate what it means to be an American citizen.
A clip from award-winning "River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6" is featured! Click HERE to view.
"The Civic Season will be held each summer from Juneteenth through July 4th, a time to turbo-charge our democracy with micro-actions from learning to service."
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!
05/06/2022
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!
02/15/2022
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).
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!
02/08/2022
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!
12/16/2021
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!
08/24/2021
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!
04/07/2021
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!
02/19/2021
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!