This day in 1933, Clyde Barrow gun battle

Clyde Barrow escaped a posse after a machine gun "battle" near Dexter, Iowa.

"Notorious Bandit in Gun Battle"

Iowans in the Civil War

A new traveling exhibit will be unveiled on Tuesday, 4/12/11 in a program called "History on the Move" "The Fiery Trial: Iowa and the Civil War" - New traveling exhibit

The Des Moines Register has an article with an overview.

"Iowa was like the Rodney Dangerfield of the Civil War," said O.J. Fargo of Creston, a retired teacher for the Green Valley Area Education Agency who does Civil War re-enactments around the state. "Iowans fought in almost every battle and skirmish in every place but Virginia. But nobody ever talks about us when they talk about the Civil War. Iowa at that time was the end of the earth."

"Rodney Dangerfield of the Civil War"

Oh, IT'S ON!!

A brief history of Sioux City agitator and commie "progressive" farm advocate, Wallace Short by W. H. Cumberland.

For years, Short had been one of lowa's colorful and controversial figures. His opposition to prohibition and the Woodbury County Anti-Saloon League cost him a prestigious pulpit at First Congregational Church in Sioux City. Several years later, he astounded western Iowa conservatives by winning the mayoralty at the head of a labor ticket. He attracted national attention by defending the free speech rights of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and by delivering, in April 1919, a daring address before a convention of "wobblies" held in the Missouri River community -- which nearly resulted in his dismissal as mayor in a heated recall election. In 1921, while still mayor, he preached the funeral sermon of an Islamic packinghouse striker who had shot the son of the county sheriff and was killed in turn; and he was one of the few Iowa public officials who, during the zenith of their power, openly attacked the Ku Klux Klan, whom he described as "jackals who hunt in packs under cover of night." [1] Sioux City Journal, September 14, 1923.

Farm Holidays, farmer strikes, blockaded roads by angry farmers... 1931 and 1932 were interesting times for agriculture in Iowa.

In August, 1932 about 1500 farmers prevented milk producers from reaching Roberts Dairy processors in Sioux City. By September, Governor Turner threatened to mobilize the National Guard, which produced the desired results of breaking the blockade. The this account and others I've read, the strike and blockade very nearly turned violent.

This fellow reminds me of another guy from the Sioux City area: Bob Vander Plaats.

Cedar County Cow War

Completely unaware of the period known as the Cow War, I decided to use the internet for more information. Isn't that what it's for?

What started as a protest against state intrusion onto their farms, the so-called Cedar County Cow War resulted in mostly civil unrest and minor violence. No one was killed in the few months of 1931 during which hundreds of Cedar County farmers prevented state veterinarians from inspecting their cattle for bovine TB. The only casualty was a guardsman who accidentally shot himself in the foot or maybe shot himself in the stomach while cleaning his rifle. Once the National Guard was called out, the movement fizzled.

Read more at:
The Cedar County Cow War of 1931

Iowa Cow War

The papers of Grant White at the University of Iowa - a collection of news releases from the late 20's and early 30's chronicling Cedar County incidents. But you're going to have to go to Iowa City to read them.

Why didn't these farmers rise up in violence against the state?

One reason would be the 1400+ National Guard troops, as staring down the barrel of a gun with a fixed bayonet tends to change one's outlook. But another possibility could be the Quaker history of the county and their roots in non-violence. Breaking windows, and pelting the veterinarians with eggs seems to have been it. Taking up arms against fellow Iowans would have required a much larger leap.

"...we are first of all peace loving American citizens, and we do not want, unless forced by further arbitrary confiscation of our property, to enter into controversy with the officers and young men of the state militia, who, we feel, do not understand our grievences."

From Milo Reno, Farmers Union pioneer By Roland A. White which contains a detailed, but slanted, history of the Cow War in Iowa.

It's worth the read. From the link:

Oh yes they put it over
And they have us on the run
They're the doctors, judge and jury
And appraisers all in one.

What can you do about it
When your choicest cow they kill?
Just pretend to like it
While your taxes pay the bill.

From Knights of the Squirt Guns - J. S. Stamp

Other counties in Iowa held their own protests during this period, but it seems the biggest rabble rousers were from Cedar County and from Sioux City.

Insurrection in Iowa? Iowa farm history lesson

The Des Moines Register gives us a glimpse back to one the bleakest times in Iowa's agricultural history.

I listened to many of these same stories from my father and grandfathers. But I hadn't heard of the posting of machine guns at intersections in an effort to keep the farmers in check.

Monday (out of) Steam

(Recovering from weekend roofing project where I found how out of shape I am.)
Chinese built 2-8-2, JS8419, from the Boone and Scenic Railroad.

In honor of True Blue Sam, I'm taking a play from a theme of his called Weekend Steam.

The Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad in Boone, IA, provides one hour, 45 minute excursions utilizing several engines. They also have dinner, dessert and "picnic" trains and several events throughout the year, including full-sized Thomas the Tank Engine appearances.

When the boys were small we rode on a weekday excursion over the 156' tall Bass Point Creek High Bridge, "which is the highest single-track interurban railroad bridge in the United States." This provided a very scenic view of the Des Moines River valley, although my wife wouldn't look down.

Boone is also the birthplace of Mamie Eisenhower and the final resting place of Kate Shelley who saved a passenger train from crossing a collapsed bridge in 1881, saving 200 lives.

The result of infighting

It was pointed out to me that Sean McClanahan, the new Des Moines Gun Rights Examiner is president of Iowa Carry. Did I know this? Yep. I believe Sean has left a comment or two here.

The questioner is wondering why I, an active member of Iowa Gun Owners, would post a link to someone that is not part of my particular organization, especially with some of the animosity between our two groups.

Let me explain:

Looking back in history, a tiny country of Judea had a burning desire to be free of the shackles of Roman rule. But they had one problem: two competing groups wanted to be in charge. The Zealots under Eleazar Ben Simon and the Sicarii under Simon Bar Giora.

They went so far as to attack each other during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The end result of the infighting led to one group burning the food stores of the other. First Jewish–Roman War.

This led to a weakened defense (probably in vain, anyway) and the fall of Jerusalem and the Diaspora. One event that struck me was the Romans lit the road from Jerusalem to the coast with the lighted heads of their Jewish victims.

I write this only to make a point that we gun owners in Iowa (whether a member of either group or a member of none) are one group fighting for the ultimate goal of freedom for our God-given right to keep and bear arms.

Our divisions only cause weakness that can be exploited by politicians of either stripe or by national organizations that smell blood in the water. NRA and GOA both got into the mix here and this isn't their fight. It is ours.

Only residents of Iowa have experienced the humiliating rejection of their permit application by a self-serving and prejudiced sheriff in more than one of Iowa's 99 counties. Literally a neighbor on one side of the road could get a permit from their gun-friendly sheriff, while the other, living only a few hundred yards away, cannot.

The new permit process still has some issues to overcome and the department of public safety does not seem prepared for what's coming. My predictions will be kept to myself because those just tend to piss people off. What with my pessimistic nature and all.

But this is Iowa's fight and we gun owners have been working for a lot of years and will continue to work to improve our laws (hopefully eliminating a few along the way). Anybody that comes in from the outside, we appreciate the help, but this is ours to win.

We gun owners in Iowa can fight together, or we can suffer the same fate as those Jewish souls 1900+ years ago.

And now, for something completely different (sort of):

Miss Mitchell's emergency landing

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — A restored World War II-era B-25 bomber aircraft that was flying to Minnesota was forced to make a stop at Iowa’s Muscatine Municipal Airport because of a mechanical problem.

Pilot Alan Miller said Monday that he had to stop Sunday evening to shut down one of the aircraft’s two engines. The silver aircraft is named “Miss Mitchell” and it flew more than 135 missions over North Africa and Italy during the war. It took 12 years to restore and returned to the air in 1992.

World War II bomber makes unplanned stop at Muscatine airport

You can arrange a ride on "Miss Mitchell" at Miss Mitchell History Rides

Red Scare in Iowa

In a bit of nostalgia, reader ranamacar sent me a short article from the Des Moines Register, June 11, 1950: "'Communist' Flags to Fly Over Hartley". The email contained the scanned article and these comments

Mom found this clipping from 60 years ago- seems the "Red Scare" even found its way to Iowa. Wonder if we could get away with something like this in today's PC world.

I wonder as well.

Hartley was apparently going to be taken over in a mock commie takeover will town officials being locked up (I like that idea) along with local citizens. In the end, all is good as the town celebrated Flag Day. That's right, the town celebrated one of the lesser holidays. Ending the day with burning of the communist flags by the local Scouts.

Ranamacar is right to question whether we would be charged with hate speech for burning a commie flag in today's society. The US flag is okay to burn, but look out if you burn one with a hammer and sickle in the corner (especially in Iowa City).

I like the fact that the town had a dance at the end of the day. This was in the 50's by the way.

What is and is to come, (again)

Keeping with a pessimistic theme that I've had for about 40 years or so, I've found this over at Coordinated Illumination:

In case you missed it:
21% believe the Government has the consent of the Governed.
32% believe in Alien Abductions.

Only the most delusional still believe in our our government.

Part history lesson with a smattering of quotes, like:

"Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny."- Thomas Jefferson

He gives us a glimpse of the future by using the past, specifically throwing in Thomas Cole's "The Course of Empire" paintings to illustrate where we are headed in good ol' USA.

Consent of the Governed? Don't Fool Yourself.

Caliber Wars II: Bawb's Analysis

Bawb posts a second installment in his rifle caliber analysis giving us a glimpse at what might have been:

If there's any 5.56mm fans I have failed to offend, I apologize.

Second best line I've heard so far this week.

Part history lesson, part technical, Bawb describes the intermediary calibers (between .223/5.56mm and 7.62mm)

Since we've established beyond a doubt by now what caliber(s) I don't like and those that I do, I thought we could examine the possibilities of other calibers which might have been or may be. Such rifle calibers perhaps could have pleased most of us, thus stopping the endless 7.62mm vs 5.56mm debate so we can get on with the .45 vs. 9mm cat fight.

Read more at BETTER THAN THE 5.56MM? PLENTY OF GOOD CHOICES.

Since this lowly blog is labeled there in the Friends, acquaintances, and co-conspirators category, I'm going to have to step it up a notch.

Thanks, guys.

Use enough gun

Bawb at Ben and Bawb's Blog has given his analysis of the various battle rifles currently used by our armed forces.

With plenty of snark interspersed with ballistics and a comparison of the calibers used by our forces and our enemies, Bawb.

Yeah but…yeah but…yeah but 5.56mm rounds are smaller, so soldiers can carry a lot more of them, and the various models of M16-series fire bursts or full-auto, so the men can spray ‘n’ pray a whole lot of un-aimed rounds downrange and just suppress the living hell out of the enemy. Well, not according to a British Royal Marine veteran of Afghanistan: “The Taliban ignore 5.56 mm, are worried by 7.62 mm and fear 12.7 mm rounds.”

Read more at Use Enough Gun

Licensing, in history

David Codrea at The War on Guns and Kurt Hofmann at Armed and Safe gave a few examples awhile back regarding the reconstruction period and licensing of blacks to possess firearms.

1865 Mississippi
Blacks require police approval to own guns, unless in military. Mississippi Statute of 1865 prohibited blacks, not in the military "and not licensed so to do by the board of police of his or her county" from keeping or carrying "fire-arms of any kind, or any ammunition, dirk or bowie knife." [reprinted in 1 Documentary History of Reconstruction: Political, Military, Social, Religious, Educational and Industrial, 1865 to the Present Time, p. 291, (Walter L. Fleming, ed., 1960.)] (GLJ, p. 344) [emphasis mine]

And another example:

1865 Louisiana
Blacks require police and employer approval to own guns, unless serving in military. Louisiana Statute of 1865 prohibited blacks, not in the military service, from "carrying fire-arms, or any kind of weapons...without the special permission of his employers, approved and indorsed by the nearest and most convenient chief of patrol." (Fleming, p. 280)(GLJ, p. 344)[emphasis mine]

Source: Racist Gun control You can find more examples there.

I reflect on the current bills that were before the state legislature this year where one bill would remove the whole permit process and another would still require a citizen to receive permission to carry from the state.

And I wonder: Where did the state get the whole permit idea from?

History, repeat thyself

There has to be a theme going on here...

At JPFO they describe Argentina's economic downfall which sounds like a path similar to US. Don't Cry For Me, America

Via David Codrea, who wrote, "Those who do not learn from the past..."

Yep, there's more and more of these kinds of articles each day.

Coordinated Illumination and history

Know your history, or be doomed to repeat it. Pay particular attention to the part about being taxed into poverty and becoming slaves to your god-king. I recommend choosing the Liberty and Freedom, even though it comes with a cost. We must be willing to actually fight for that freedom. Get off the sofa and fight.

In a post describing his non-political phylisophy, Sofa rolls off a paragragh similar to yesterday's post here.

I'm wondering if there's a theme going on among bloggers.

Read more at Observations. Reason. Philosophy. and check out his motivation poster.

History repeating itself

La Gabelle was the most hated tax in France - indeed, it was so hated that it was one of the reasons that King Louis was not just shuffled aside into a Constitutional Monarchy role, but had some Quality Time with Madame Guillotine. You could call the tax a mistake.

So what was it about la Gabelle that made it so despised? After all, it was just a tax (in this case, a tax on salt). You don't like the tax, don't buy so much salt. Ah, there's the rub.

You had to buy the salt. By law, everyone ten years old or older had to buy salt, at a price set by the Crown. More infuriating, different parts of the realm paid different tax - favored regions got a break. Naturally, this led to a thriving smuggling trade, with increasingly draconian penalties as time went on. In the end, the cash was too important to the financially-strapped Ancien Regime to allow for reform, and the whole system collapsed.

Borepatch posts a history lesson regarding forcing a people to buy something by government decree. La Gabelle

Sound familiar?

Coordinated Illumination - Wayne, Henry and others

Over at Coordinated Illumination is a post of the attitude of John Wayne

John Wayne became the embodiment of what it means to be an American.
The ethos he portrayed was the essence of America in the 20th Century.

John Wayne described it this way

“I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand upon. I don’t do these things to other men and I expect the same respect out of them.”

The history of the Culpepper flag

The Culpeper Don't Tread On Me Flag reportedly was first used as the banner for a group of about one hundred minutemen in Culpeper County, VA who formed part of Colonel Patrick Henry's First Virginia Regiment of 1775. In October-November 1775, three hundred such minutemen, led by Colonel Stevens, assembled at Culpeper Court House and marched for Williamsburg. Their unusual dress alarmed the people as they marched through the country. The words "Liberty or Death" were in large white letters on the breast of their hunting shirts. They had bucks' tails in their hats and in their belts, tomahawks and scalping knives.

And a few quotes from Patrick Henry

On the balance of power

"Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense?"

For more go to John Wayne, Patrick Henry and All of Us

Iowa defiance - 103 years ago

Where has the time gone? In 1905, the New York Times published an article about a defiant school board at Shell Rock, Iowa and the state taking up arms to control the town. Iowa Board of Health Defied by Shell Rock Schools.

Doesn't this sound like a bunch of government-haters that were "un-American"?

Too bad the same defiance couldn't be manifested today. The schools might lose their school-lunch funding.