Diane Fannon-Langton

Piranhas in Iowa always have been relatively rare, mostly brought in by tropical fish stores.

Buren Sherman’s house was included in a 1969 directory that also included Benton County’s Tilford Academy and the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School.

The Boegels became well known in Cedar Rapids, partly because of their musicianship.

Forty years ago, on July 15, 1985, at about 2:30 p.m., thick clouds of toxic fumes started to spread over south Cedar Rapids from a fire at the old sewage treatment plant. The event became known as “Toxic Tuesday” because the fire produced heavy black smoke filled with hydrogen chloride gas. More than 5,000 people were evacuated.

William Wilker had a tiny shop at the back of his home where he created wooden chains made of oak, walnut, jack pine, and birdseye maple.

The unincorporated town of Podunk Center dates to 1934.

Fred Petrick was curious about magic from an early age.

Musial visited Cedar Rapids in 1965 to see the Cedar Rapids farm club, the Cedar Rapids Cardinals, in action.

It took eight months and a million dollars to transform the industrial site into a prime dining experience.

The city’s first greenhouse was built in the 70-acre Bever Park in 1900.

The carnation was originally chosen as the flower of the day, but in 1919, the high cost of carnations led to a movement to use white and red ribbon rosettes to commemorate the day.

The invitation to Cedar Rapids may have been influenced by the Kennedys’ close friendship with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Maurice S. Sheehy, who was priest at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at the time.

In 1947, Cedar Rapids’ Killian Co. brought “the real Easter bunny” into town via the Chicago and Northwestern railroad.

Congress mentioned Millville as part of a proposed postal route in 1846.

Muhammad Ali’s visit to Cedar Rapids in 1982 came about six months after his final fight, a loss to Trevor Berbick.