80-year-old lithograph now hangs in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - A 1934 lithograph of the U.S. Constitution recently was mounted on a wall at the Linn County Courthouse, as part of a Fort Dodge man's effort to get copies of the document in all 99 of Iowa's county courthouses.

Linn County is one of the last to sign on to Gary Stephenson's campaign, which was started by his father. Stephenson said his father, who died in 2008. started the effort to honor veterans and remind people about the foundation of the United States.

'Dad did 25 (counties),” said Stephenson, 62. 'I have Woodbury, Polk, Johnson and Scott left.”

Stephenson said since he started the effort, it's 'snowballed.”

'I've delivered constitutions in seven different years now,” he said.

Stephenson first tries to get approval from the board of supervisors in each county, then searches for sponsors to pay for the costs of matting and framing the lithographs at the courthouse.

In Linn County, AMVETS Post No. 6 agreed to donate the $650 necessary to bring the lithograph to the courthouse.

'It was an opportunity to give something permanent to the city and county of Linn,” said Don King III, commander of Post No. 6. 'We were very proud to do it.”

King said the lithograph looks really good hanging at the courthouse, although he wishes it was lit better, as it is 'kind of in a dark corner.”

Stephenson said he still is searching for sponsors in Johnson County. He also needs to get the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to sign off on the effort, he said.

'It doesn't take long to do them once I have financing,” he said.

Unfortunately, Stephenson said he's not sure a lithograph will hang in all 99 counties in Iowa, because Sioux County turned him down.

'They didn't say why they declined,” Stephenson said.

In the meantime, he has begun approaching Minnesota counties about hanging lithographs. And he doesn't intend to stop anytime soon.

'I've got over 100 of these prints,” he said.