In 1907, The Iowa State Bystander announced that Hattie Hutchison was the first African American woman to obtain a pharmacy degree in Iowa. A large photo of Hutchison accompanied the article. But despite this announcement—and her accomplishment—the details of her life remain a mystery. Early Years Hattie Hutchison was born in 1878 in Lancaster, MO. […]
B.F. Cooper Invites President McKinley to Muchakinock
On December 28, 1900, a little over a month after first 100 employees of the Consolidation Coal Company moved from Muchakinock to Buxton, plans were underway for the Twentieth Century Club banquet. Part of those plans were to invite well known people, such as Buxton Superintendent Ben Buxton, Iowa Governor Leslie Shaw, and President McKinley. […]
Romancing the Stone Mansion in Oskaloosa, IA
The words “Bed and Breakfast” instantly bring to mind romantic images of Victorian houses with curlicue trim or stately mansions with manicured lawns. The McNeill Stone Mansion Bed & Breakfast in Oskaloosa, IA, with its statue and wraparound porches, is the latter. But the romance the house imbues extends to the owners themselves. The original […]