Handcart Trek - June 2009 - Silver City, Iowa
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Council Bluffs, Iowa Stake emulate the Mormon pioneers who journeyed 1300 miles on foot to the Salt Lake Valley. Using only authentic handmade wooden carts, these teen-agers learned how their spiritual and literal ancestors crossed the prairie; crossing streams, battling the elements, suffering losses and conquering fatigue every step of the way.
Lost in Iowa City, Iowa
A 1984 University of Iowa student film project. Music video shot on 8MM film without audio in Iowa City, Iowa including scenes on campus and frat row. Starring Reid Schneider, directed, filmed and edited by Tim Miller. 8MM camera borrowed from Jeff Beckman. Music from Missing Persons, Lost in LA.
History of Manufacturing in Iowa City and Coralville
presented by Tom Schulein
Mormon Trail Map
A modern map of the Mormon Trail is compared to a commemorative map from 1899 called Route of the Mormon Pioneers from Nauvoo to Great Salt Lake. The Mormon Trail Map is 37.5 by 25 folds to 4 x 8.5, and is printed on the highest quality, waterproof, durable synthetic paper.
Side 1 shows 1,300 miles of the Mormon Trail. On Side 1 there are 5,367 inspired words in 38 captions, as well as 20 photos. This map is like a guide book.
Side 2 supplements Side 1 with zoom-ins on the most important portions of the Mormon Trail, 45 photos, and dozens of captions with 6,645 words. The zoom-ins include:
Historic Nauvoo, Illinois
Salt Lake City & Temple Square, Utah
Echo Canyon to Salt Lake City, Utah
Guernsey Ruts & Register Cliff, Nebraska
Garden Grove to Mount Pisgah, Iowa
Come Come Ye Saints Site, Iowa
Nauvoo to Des Moines River Crossing, Illinois & Iowa
Winter Quarters, Nebraska
1846 Approach to Winter Quarters & 1847 Start, Iowa & Nebraska
Mormon Handcart Trail, Iowa
Independence Rock to South Pass, Wyoming
Martin’s Cove, Wyoming
Chimney Rock to Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Side 2 reminds me of all the enjoyable stops Cindy and I made along the Mormon Trail, where I imagined my own valiant ancestors walking to Zion.
Iowa Mormon Trail Assoc
This video contains details of the history of the Mormon Trail through Iowa in 1846. It also contains information on tourist attractions in the area of significant historical Iowa Mormon Trail sites.
TheGhosthuntersND in Iowa
We visited the mormon handcart park and the black angel of Iowa City!
A History of Grocery Shopping in Iowa City
presented by Tom Schulein
Epic Mormon Pioneer Journey - Brigham Young - Part 1/3
is a video describing how to learn more about the Mormon Church.
This video has President James E. Faust, President Thomas S. Monson and President Gordon B. Hinckley talking about the tremendous sacrifice that the Mormon pioneers made in crossing the plains.
The Mormon pioneers were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Latter-day Saints, who migrated across the United States from the midwest to the Salt Lake Valley in what is today the U.S. state of Utah. The journey was taken by about 70,000 people beginning in April 1847, and ending with the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869.
Since its founding in 1830, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were often harshly treated and persecuted by their neighbors, primarily due to their inclination toward social and political unity and their unorthodox religious beliefs. There was violence directed against the Church, its members, and its leader, Joseph Smith. This among other reasons caused the body of the Church to move from one place to another- Ohio, Missouri, and then to Illinois where church members built the city of Nauvoo. Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs issued an extermination order against all Mormons living in the state. In 1844 Joseph Smith was killed by a mob while in custody in the city of Carthage, Illinois. In 1846, religious tension reached their peak, and in 1848 mobs burned the Latter-day Saint temple in Nauvoo.
According to church belief, God directed Brigham Young, Joseph Smith's successor as President of the Church, to call for the Saints (as church members call themselves) to organize and head west, beyond the western frontier of the United States (into what was then Mexico). During the winter of 1846-47, Latter-day Saint leaders in Winter Quarters and Iowa laid plans for the migration of the large number of Saints, their equipment and livestock. This major undertaking was a significant test of leadership capability and the existing administrative network of the recently restructured Church. For his role in the migration, Brigham Young is sometimes referred to as the American Moses.
Brigham Young personally reviewed all available information on the Great Salt Lake Valley and the Great Basin, consulting with mountain men and trappers who traveled through Winter Quarters, and meeting with Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, a Jesuit missionary familiar with the Great Basin. The wary Young insisted the Mormons should settle in a location no one else wanted, and felt the Great Salt Lake Valley met that requirement but would provide the Saints with many advantages as well.
Information from Wikipedia. For more information, visit
Iowa City In Focus: Voter ID Law
Iowa City In Focus brings the people, places, and projects of Iowa City into clear view. This monthly video program aims to highlight topical events and subjects through in-depth storytelling. Here's what you'll find in this month's episode:
Voter ID Laws - Get informed about changes coming to Iowa’s election process. This short video breaks down the different phases of the new voter ID law.
Domestic Violence Response Grant - Learn how the Iowa City Police Department was named one of six law enforcement agencies selected as a demonstration side for an initiative to address domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.
CHOMP Delivery - Discover how local restaurant owners thought outside the box to keep food delivery a thriving part of our food culture.
Bike Shorts: Prepare Your Bike for Spring - With warmer weather just around the corner, watch these tips to make sure your bike is ready to ride when spring comes.
Submit your ideas for future videos by emailing info@citychannel4.com.
Martineau video of the Kimball West Stake Handcart trek
Martineau video of the Kimball West Stake Handcart reenactment in Forest Lakes AZ June 2008 - not the stake version
The True Pioneers of America / a glimpse at the book The Would-Be Pioneers.mpg
This video introduces the book, The Would-Be Pioneers. The book was written in two parts. The first part is a true story written by Ruth, who grew up in the early 1900's. Her story is remarkable. She lived in a very secure home, her grandfather was one of the first representatives in the Oklahoma Legislature, and her father worked for the Tulsa Daily Tribune. Her life began to change when she turned 13. Her father and mother wanted to homestead in Colorado. She went from a life of substance to a life of struggles. They moved many times within this period, approximately 25 times, helping those in need, working the dusty dry land, and working on various ranches in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. They never made it to Colorado. Their growth and definement of character was born on the plains. They were planted in the middle of nothing and made it into something. It was a tough row to hoe, but they were content in all things. Ruth's family's endurance and faith created a foundation from which this young girl would blossom into a rose of character and strength.
The second part of the book is a journey further back in time in the life of this family as well as the life and birth of this great nation, dating back to the severe persecutions in Europe. Through three years of research, the author was astonished at the information found revealing the hardships and extreme sacrifices our ancestors went through for freedom. They hungered for freedom. All they had left was their faith and hope in God for a new beginning. That was all they needed.
The book opens up into the lives of people who were seeking this freedom and this hope in the new world; America. Amongst them were the aristocrats, military leaders, religious leaders, pirates, convicts, orphans, servants, slaves, the common men and women. They were people of different nationalities and beliefs, but yet they bonded together to form who we would become as a country and who we would become as individuals.
The book reveals the events and personal adversities they endured through the beginnings of this great new world in the early 1600's, then the 1700's where they battled against the Frenchmen, Indians, and the British. It is truly amazing to read some of the stories that have been lost, that reveal the mighty character of this nation during those times, especially the fight for our independence. The reader will be able to feel what these mighty pioneers endured within their households and beyond their doors.
It opens up the period in the 1800's where they endured the War of 1812 just shortly after they had settled and tasted freedom that they had fought so hard for. They again had to endure losses through the Civil War and the Wild West.
The book is the story of America. All of our ancestors were persecuted, traveled the same oceans, lived in the same regions, encountered the same struggles, but never gave up on the hope for freedom. Thank God they didn't! We have so much to learn from them. Our ancestors sacrificed so much to fight and maintain our freedom, but most importantly, they developed our strong American Heritage, based upon a solid rock foundation. Our heritage is an honorable and priceless treasure! We must do all we can to preserve it and defend it for our future generations. Lest we never forget!
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2nd Chronicles 7:14)
The book, The Would-Be Pioneers can be purchased through Xulonpress.com; Amazon.com; barnesandnoble.com; books-a-million.com; Ingram; and Spring Arbor.
Epic Mormon Pioneer Journey - Brigham Young - Part 2/3
is a video describing how to learn more about the Mormon Church.
This video has President James E. Faust, President Thomas S. Monson and President Gordon B. Hinckley talking about the tremendous sacrifice that the Mormon pioneers made in crossing the plains.
The Mormon pioneers were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Latter-day Saints, who migrated across the United States from the midwest to the Salt Lake Valley in what is today the U.S. state of Utah. The journey was taken by about 70,000 people beginning in April 1847, and ending with the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869.
Since its founding in 1830, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were often harshly treated and persecuted by their neighbors, primarily due to their inclination toward social and political unity and their unorthodox religious beliefs. There was violence directed against the Church, its members, and its leader, Joseph Smith. This among other reasons caused the body of the Church to move from one place to another- Ohio, Missouri, and then to Illinois where church members built the city of Nauvoo. Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs issued an extermination order against all Mormons living in the state. In 1844 Joseph Smith was killed by a mob while in custody in the city of Carthage, Illinois. In 1846, religious tension reached their peak, and in 1848 mobs burned the Latter-day Saint temple in Nauvoo.
According to church belief, God directed Brigham Young, Joseph Smith's successor as President of the Church, to call for the Saints (as church members call themselves) to organize and head west, beyond the western frontier of the United States (into what was then Mexico). During the winter of 1846-47, Latter-day Saint leaders in Winter Quarters and Iowa laid plans for the migration of the large number of Saints, their equipment and livestock. This major undertaking was a significant test of leadership capability and the existing administrative network of the recently restructured Church. For his role in the migration, Brigham Young is sometimes referred to as the American Moses.
Brigham Young personally reviewed all available information on the Great Salt Lake Valley and the Great Basin, consulting with mountain men and trappers who traveled through Winter Quarters, and meeting with Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, a Jesuit missionary familiar with the Great Basin. The wary Young insisted the Mormons should settle in a location no one else wanted, and felt the Great Salt Lake Valley met that requirement but would provide the Saints with many advantages as well.
Information from Wikipedia. For more information, visit
History for Lunch - Iowa City and Cedar Rapids Brewery Caves
In the 1850s, a series of tunnels and underground brewery caves were built in Iowa City, such as those located underneath the Brewery Square on the corner of Market and Linn Streets. Recently, the beer caves in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids were evaluated by expert Marlin R. Ingalls, who presents an overview of the history of brewery caves and the use of remote sensing technologies such as Ground Penetrating Radar, Electro-Resonance, and Electro-Resistivity in the search for lost caves.
Marlin R. Ingalls is a professional archaeologist, historian, and architectural historian at the Office of the State Archaeologist-University of Iowa. He serves as a consultant on historic structures in Iowa, including the log cabins at Iowa City's City Park, barns located on pioneer farmsteads, or early roads and highways. Ingalls earned a degree in Anthropology and did graduate work in Archaeology at Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois. Ingalls sometimes authors local history articles for The Little Village.
For more information about the State Historical Society of Iowa, visit
Irving Weber's Iowa City: History of the Coralville Dam
Irving Weber talks about the Coralville Dam.
Epic Mormon Pioneer Journey - Brigham Young - Part 3/3
is a video describing how to learn more about the Mormon Church.
This video has President James E. Faust, President Thomas S. Monson and President Gordon B. Hinckley talking about the tremendous sacrifice that the Mormon pioneers made in crossing the plains.
The Mormon pioneers were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Latter-day Saints, who migrated across the United States from the midwest to the Salt Lake Valley in what is today the U.S. state of Utah. The journey was taken by about 70,000 people beginning in April 1847, and ending with the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869.
Since its founding in 1830, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were often harshly treated and persecuted by their neighbors, primarily due to their inclination toward social and political unity and their unorthodox religious beliefs. There was violence directed against the Church, its members, and its leader, Joseph Smith. This among other reasons caused the body of the Church to move from one place to another- Ohio, Missouri, and then to Illinois where church members built the city of Nauvoo. Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs issued an extermination order against all Mormons living in the state. In 1844 Joseph Smith was killed by a mob while in custody in the city of Carthage, Illinois. In 1846, religious tension reached their peak, and in 1848 mobs burned the Latter-day Saint temple in Nauvoo.
According to church belief, God directed Brigham Young, Joseph Smith's successor as President of the Church, to call for the Saints (as church members call themselves) to organize and head west, beyond the western frontier of the United States (into what was then Mexico). During the winter of 1846-47, Latter-day Saint leaders in Winter Quarters and Iowa laid plans for the migration of the large number of Saints, their equipment and livestock. This major undertaking was a significant test of leadership capability and the existing administrative network of the recently restructured Church. For his role in the migration, Brigham Young is sometimes referred to as the American Moses.
Brigham Young personally reviewed all available information on the Great Salt Lake Valley and the Great Basin, consulting with mountain men and trappers who traveled through Winter Quarters, and meeting with Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, a Jesuit missionary familiar with the Great Basin. The wary Young insisted the Mormons should settle in a location no one else wanted, and felt the Great Salt Lake Valley met that requirement but would provide the Saints with many advantages as well.
Information from Wikipedia. For more information, visit
5 17 Kent Steinke on Mormon Trail
Tuesday, May 17, Kent Steinke of Beaver City, Neb., traveled through central Dallas County as part of his trek across the state along the Mormon Trail. His great-great-grandfather traveled through Adel on his way to Omaha and, ultimately, Salt Lake City more than 150 years ago.
SHSI -- History of Photography in Iowa
Mary Bennett, Special Collections Coordinator at the State Historical Society of Iowa discusses the value of photos as historical evidence.
For more information about the State Historical Society of Iowa, visit their website at
Iowa City: 150 Years (Part 1)
Irving Weber shares with us a history of Iowa City, spanning the first 150 years of the old Iowa capitol.
Original taping - 1989.
MI MINI
Our cross country route trip to pick up THE MINI in Ohio, from Kirtland throu Illinois,Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming stopping in Salt Lake City, Utah (like the Mormon pioneer trail but in a MINI instead with a handcart =)and then Nevada finishing in our sunshine home state: California ! =D
Passenger Rail Transportation in Iowa City
Presented by Tom Schulein
August 19, 2014 at The Center