State Historical Society of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa, 1907

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This image shows a panoramic view of an intersection in the business district of Iowa City. A few pedestrians are standing on the sidewalks, and several horse-drawn buggies are tied at hitching posts. The street is lined with 2-3 story brick buildings. Electrical poles are present on both sides of the center street and on one side of the street to the left. Each pole carries several electrical wires.
Courtesy of Library of Congress, Bandholtz, F.J., "Iowa City, IA," 1907

Description

In 1900, Iowa City was the 13th largest city in Iowa. While it saw rapid population growth in the 1850s, population growth slowed after 1860 when the state capital was moved to Des Moines. This image shows a panoramic view of an intersection in the business district of Iowa City. A few pedestrians are standing on the sidewalks, and several horse-drawn buggies are tied at hitching posts. The street is lined with two- to three-story brick buildings. Electrical poles are present on both sides of the center street and on one side of the street to the left. Each pole carries several electrical wires.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • According to the image, how accessible was electricity to the people of Iowa City? Cite specific evidence in the image to support your answer.
  • Compare and contrast Iowa City with Fort Dodge and Chicago. If Chicago and Fort Dodge could be considered modern cities, could Iowa City be considered a modern city? Cite specific evidence from the images to support your answer.

Citation Information 

Bandholtz, F.J., "Iowa City, IA," 1907. Courtesy of Library of Congress