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How Iowa Towns And Cities Got Their Names

Richard Scott Marsh
/
Flickr
Many of Iowa's towns were established because of the construction of railroads, with some getting their names from conductors

The origins of many of Iowa's town and city names are obvious: Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Mason City, Fort Dodge. But what about places like What Cheer, Gravity, Sabula? And how do you pronounce Nevada? Also, why is Des Moines not in Des Moines county? 

On this edition of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe speaks with two experts on the history and origins of Iowa's towns and cities. Patricia O'Conner is an expert on the english language and grew up in Iowa while Leo Landis is the State Curator at the State Historical Society of Iowa. 

Guests Include:
Patricia O'Conner, Writer & Blogger, grammarphobia.com
Leo Landis, State Curator, State Historical Society of Iowa

Rick Brewer was a producer for IPR's Talk of Iowa and River to River
Charity Nebbe is the host of IPR's Talk of Iowa