Ramblin' With Coffee Table Books

As signs of spring abound, it's about time to put away the coffee table books and get out and about. But it has been enjoyable to flip through and read a couple of "travel" books that recently crossed my desk. (See today's Ramblin' column in The Gazette.)

First is "Harker's Courthouses" by Michael P. Harker of Cedar Rapids.

Second is "Iowa - Spaces, Places, Faces" by Carson Ode, an Ossian native who lives in Des Moines.

In the first, we get a fantastic close-up look at a variety of Iowa's courthouses in bright black and white images that show plenty of the intricate detail that make each courthouse unique.

In the second, we take "An entertaining ride through all 99 counties" with Carson and his wife, Connie.

In the first, I find it interesting that Michael has chosen to feature the Marshall County courthouse which I saw often, growing up in Marshalltown from 1955 to 1969. He also includes the Clay County courthouse in Spencer where I graduated from high school, the Benton County courthouses in Vinton where I worked before coming to Cedar Rapids, and the Linn County courthouse which, of course, is in Cedar Rapids.

This is a well-done book that that brings you up close to each of these historic courthouses and makes you glad they have been preserved and are still in use. As you hit any of Iowa's county seats, make sure to stop at each courthouse for your own view.

Since I'm a native Iowan who has visited all 99 counties at one time or another, I've loved picking up Carson's book to flip through the pages, stopping where my heart desires on a moment's notice. I can see all those places I'm very familiar with, from Marshalltown, Spencer, Vinton and Cedar Rapids to the counties of Eastern Iowa. And I can visit those I haven't been to for a while, such as the counties in southwest Iowa such as Fremont County and Sidney and its rodeo founded in 1923. I remember sitting on a fence watching the cowboys do their thing.

But, what I like best about Carson's book is the laid back narrative of its 400 pages full of color photos. It's his way of Ramblin' that includes not only some history but quite a few anectdotes collected from the people he and his wife met. It certainly gives you the down home flavor of Iowa, especially when the weather turns nice and people want to take the time to stop and chat.