Mini Fact:

Iowa produces more than 2 billion bushels of corn each year.

Our 29th state, Iowa, was admitted to the Union in 1846. The midwestern state is bordered by two major rivers, the Mississippi on the east and the Missouri on the west.

When Europeans arrived in what is now Iowa, Native Americans in the region were farmers, growing corn and other plants on the prairies.

Early Iowa

The first explorers in the region were Frenchmen who claimed the land for France. It remained a French territory until 1763, when it was transferred to Spanish ownership. France reclaimed it in 1800, and it was part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

Working in Iowa

Farmers grow hogs, corn, soybeans and cattle. The state is the largest supplier of corn in the United States.

Although agriculture was the main source of income for Iowans until the mid-20th century, manufacturing is the largest part of the economy today. Iowa workers produce heavy machinery, electric equipment and chemicals, along with processed foods.

Iowa in politics

Iowa’s state capital and largest city is Des Moines (deh-MOYN), with about 850,000 people.

During presidential elections, Iowa proudly hosts the nation’s first caucuses, or meetings to choose presidential candidates.

In the Iowa caucuses, people gather in private homes or public places in January or February. People from different parties meet at different spots.

This is different from primaries, where polls are open most of the day.

Education

With a graduation rate higher than 44 other states, 90% of Iowa’s students graduate from high school. Many go on to the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, Drake University or other institutions.

Famous Iowans

• Buffalo Bill was a wellknown soldier and showman who was born in Iowa in 1846. He performed in cowboythemed shows around the United States and in Europe in the late 1800s. He was also a rider for the Pony Express and a soldier in the Civil War.

• Caitlin Clark is a professional basketball player with the Indiana Fever. She was born in Des Moines in 2002. Clark was a two-time national player of the year with the Iowa Hawkeyes and a WNBA All-Star in 2024.

• Grant Wood, an American artist who created the painting “American Gothic,” was born in 1891 in Anamosa, Iowa. For his iconic painting, he used his sister, Nan, and his dentist as models.

Resources

On the Web:

• bit.ly/ MPIowa

• bit.ly/ MPharvest

At the library:

• “The Train Rolls on to the County Fair” by Jodi Adams