LOCAL LEGENDS, HISTORIC CONSEQUENCES
People often think of local events as one-way actions.
Actions by individuals, and reactions by groups, define
history. The following talks will highlight events that
occurred locally. But each of these actions wrote a page
in the history books and changed the future for far more
people that just those in the region! Join historian
Russ Gifford as we trace the cascade of actions and
reactions across decades and meet the people who made
these events happen.
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Session 1: Verdicts and Vindication: Taming
a Frontier Town
- the 1880s
Click here to watch
Ambushed in the gathering dusk by a back-shooting coward, Rev. George
Haddock died alone on a muddy street. But his was not a random shooting,
and his death would have consequences in Sioux City, in Iowa, and
beyond.
But let's try to see not only the times and the results, but perhaps
meet the man that became the martyr. There is much to this story that
gets lost in glare of the spotlight of the trial and the backlash
following this corruption of justice. |
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Session 2: Redemption and Recovery, and the
Crash
- the 1890s
Click here to watch
By the 1890s, Sioux City's redeeming efforts following the
Haddock case had made her a gleaming jewel, attracting investment money
and moving forward.
But
the financial crash of 1893 put it all in doubt, and big names fled the
city, leaving her to the creditors to carve up. Two men stood tall,
however - and their names are far less known today in Sioux City - but
the town might not exist if they had not stepped in, and stepped up.
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Session 3: Battle Lines and Backlash - The
fight for Freedom of Speech, 1910s
Click here to watch
Wallace Short surprised everyone with his election to mayor of
Sioux City. In the days when Free Speech was under attack
everywhere, Short refused to back down on this vital American
principle.
The battle lines were drawn, but order held - until the
much-feared (and illegal) labor union, the International Workers
of the World, chose Sioux City as the location for their annual
convention! Sioux City, home to some of the largest meatpackers
in the world! |
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1969 - IBP Strike:
1976 - Zenith Offshores Work:
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Session 4: Revolt in the Heartland -The Farm
Crisis
the 1920s and 1930s
Click here to watch
As the Great Depression worsened, worried pundits predicted
uprisings in the eastern cities by unemployed malcontents.
Imagine their surprise when the uprising occurred on rural roads
led by hard working farmers quoting the patriots of 1776!
Tired of what they saw as the unfair market prices and gouging
milk refineries, the Farmer Uprising of 1932 near Sioux City
sparked similar events in Wisconsin, New York, and other states.
The fuse was lit for a final showdown, and Sioux City was ground
zero in this action! |
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Session 5: Corruption, Contempt, and Bomb
Blasts in the Night -
the 1950s
Click here to watch
Sioux City’s anti-regulation attitude toward liquor started the
story: Tavern owners, busted for after-hours sales, said what’s
the deal? Their protection was paid up!
But this time, the corruption was far more widespread than
liquor- and reached into City Hall. When a bomb exploded in a
Northside neighborhood in the early 1950s, it blew the lid off a
corruption scandal that once again put Sioux City in the
national headlines. But not in a favorable light. |
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Session 6: Strikes, Shutdowns, and the
Exodus -
the 1970s and 1980s
Click here to watch
In the days before repetitive motion was
understood, and before OSHA had become a reality, old packing plant
workers were easy to spot: with their gnarled hands, stooped backs, and
other scars, they stood out in a crowd - for $2 an hour.The Union might
win round 1, but...
The times they were a'changing. Business always did a
good job getting the ear of Congress. Union power would be broken. Off shoring
American businesses could now sell their goods back into the U.S. without tariffs or taxes - meaning
they could build TVs where it only cost a few pesos a day, and sell them
to Americans.
American manufacturing would never be the same.
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Join me for a Century of Sioux City History
that had national ties and long term consequences.
We will meet names and characters with fascinating stories that deserve
to be remembered. History, indeed, happens here!
For more regional history, Check this page:
For questions, send me a note by clicking
here.
Want to see a list of ALL my classes over the years?
Click here for
class list!
“His ratings were the highest for our entire season of 12 workshops, and
far eclipsed those for the previous season. He created a fantastic
class, and people left feeling empowered.” -- Dr. Lynn Barteck, Tri
State Graduate Center
Why Hire Russ
Gifford?| Connect with Russ Gifford
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