Iowa City and the Amana Colonies

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Friday, June 4th

We visit the Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa and find out about Herbert Hoover’s Shaker heritage and his early career as a mining engineer and businessman and his later career as President and as a humanitarian in two world wars. We visit the very modest Hoover family home and the Shaker meeting house preserved on the grounds of the Library.

We then drive to the nearby Amana colonies which were established in 1855 by German immigrants with the utopian ideal of a cooperative religious community. They selected this area for its rich farmland and became well known for their craftsmanship. They lived the communal life until 1932 when disastrous economic conditions forced them to disband. Many of their buildings and craft work still remain.

We drive east through the Iowa countryside back towards the Mississippi River on our way to Guttenburg, Iowa, where the Muellers, German immigrants from the Hamburg area, arrived in 1847.

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Photos

Hoover's birthplace
This tiny three-room house was the birthplace of Herbert Hoover.

The Kitchen and Pantry
This small room served as the kitchen and pantry. A wood stove was moved indoors in the winter.

The bedroom
Another small room served as the bedroom for parents and three children.

Hoover Blacksmith Shop
Hoover's father worked as a blacksmith until he died when Hoover and his brother and sister were quite young. Hoover's mother died soon after, leaving them orphans at a young age.

Shaker Meeting House
The Hoovers and many others in their community were Shakers who met in this Meeting House.

The Amana Colonies
The Woolen Mill started in the Amana Colonies in the 1800's is one of several crafts passed down from the early settlers.

Woolen Mill interior
Woolen blankets, scarfs and other woven goods are still made here using traditional weaving machines. The demonstrations were interesting to watch.

Iowa hills
We drive through miles of Iowa's rolling hills and farmlands.

Clouds
Large flotillas of fluffy white clouds dominate the landscape.