Articles Tagged: State Historical Society of Iowa

A Johnson County district judge Friday ordered the state to stop removing historic material from the 168-year-old State Historical Society’s Iowa City research facility that it unexpectedly decided to close without warning or public discussion.

Historians, archivists, donors, and community members suing to prevent closure of the State Historical Society’s Iowa City research facility — and order the state to return materials already removed — now are seeking a “special master” to protect the “uniquely sensitive and irreplaceable” collections.

Despite a lawsuit fighting the State Historical Society of Iowa's unexpected and "haphazard" closure of its Iowa City research facility and archives — and a court hearing scheduled in the dispute next week — the state on Monday began moving some of the historical documents with help from prison inmates.

Seventeen historians, archivists, professors, authors, and donors with decades of public service are suing the State Historical Society of Iowa for haphazardly and without public input closing its Iowa City research facility and archives.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is joining a growing group of Iowans opposing the state’s decision to close the State Historical Society of Iowa building in Iowa City.

The announcement to close the building by June 2026, community members say, was poorly handled while the state argues necessary budgetary action

One firefighter was injured responding to a fire on the roof of the State Historical Society building in Iowa City Thursday night. The fire was brought under control before it could do any damage to the interior of the building, which is home to thousands of historical records.

The building on Iowa Avenue, which opened in 1956, is home to books, newspapers, vital records, photographs and more artifacts, which are available to the general public for research.

These four scientists studied Iowa’s flora, preserved prairie, and drafted legislation to establish Iowa’s state park system.

Both Iowa and U.S. lawmakers have considered establishing permanent daylight saving time, while sleep experts have pushed for permanent standard time. What will it take to stop changing our clocks?

Also, Iowa Republican legislative leaders set spending targets for the next state budget

Also, State Historical Building fully reopens Oct. 14

Back by popular demand, the State Historical Society of Iowa’s book club returns this year with a new lineup of entertaining and thought-provoking books and authors.

“Can’t just continue to throw money at it,” a lawmaker says, but another its a classic case of legislators “kicking the can down the road ...spending money on it as we're kicking it.”

Artifacts tracing state history coming to Wilton from Aug. 20 to 22