The Elbert Files

Benjamin Franklin “Frank” Allen was an early Iowa banker who built Terrace Hill, the Iowa governor’s mansion, in 1869, before business failures forced him to sell it to Frederick M. Hubbell in 1884.

Frank Allen …

Cooper, our 18-pound, 13-year-old orange cat has a new name.

Most of the 15 cats Amy and I have parented over our 49 years of marriage had multiple names and backstories, including Cooper.

“The Buffalo” …

Iowa’s agricultural economy is a series of contradictions wrapped in an enigma.

The enigma is the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the massive federal agency that controls the farm economy, along with other divergent functions.

The …

It had been a long time since I’d seen my friend, K.C., and I wanted to ask him a question.

I found him in the …

A note from Dave Elbert: Last week, I wrote about men at Woodland Cemetery; this week is about women buried there. You can sign up for a Sept. 7 tour of women’s graves at the …

Author’s note: Today, I focus on men buried in Woodland Cemetery. Next week, I’ll introduce you to the cemetery’s interesting women.

Imagine how upset you might be if the name on your tombstone was carved …

Climate change is transforming two key pieces of Iowa’s economy – agriculture and insurance.

Although many Iowa farmers are not convinced that shifting weather patterns are the result of human activity, they do adjust to …

It’s difficult to imagine today, but 109 years ago Valley Junction was briefly the home of a mile-long, banked, oval racetrack made of wood. 

Yes, wood. The undercarriage was wood. The racing surface, including banked …

Even before railroads began promoting Iowa’s Great Lakes region as a tourist destination in 1882, people from Des Moines traveled 200 miles by horse and wagon to hunt, fish and relax on the sandy beaches …