Sioux City History
Your link to the past.
Monahan Post Band
In the fall of 1920, a group of Sioux City war veterans met to form a band. The eight musicians were all members of the newly organized Monahan Post of the American Legion in Sioux City and many had just returned from the battlefields of World War I. During the summer of 1921, the band grew in popularity and received frequent requests to play. Many considered the high point to be the competition in 1927 in Paris, France. When they received the word that they had won First Place, the band burst into a rousing rendition of the "Iowa Corn Song."
Riverside Park
What did the citizens of Sioux City do for entertainment in the late 1890s through the 1920s? The answer is Riverside Park. This part of the city was a major attraction for the region. From the first amusement park (complete with a roller coaster), to country clubs, picnic grounds, baseball fields, racing tracks, and fairgrounds, Riverside had it all.
Sioux City Journal Newsboy Band
In 1912, the Sioux City Journal organized some of its newspaper carriers into a little band. After some instruction in music and marching under director Lee Maynard, the Journal’s Newsboy Band made its debut concert at Crystal Lake.
Sioux City’s Mini Indy
In 1914, the history of automobile racing was forever changed in Sioux City. Sioux City’s Mini Indy was the highlight of auto racing in Sioux City and Iowa.
Aalfs Manufacturing Company
From varnish and paint to glass and garments the Aalfs Manufacturing Company has been an important part of Sioux City since 1892. Though the business has undergone major changes in is past, Aalfs has long been a well-recognized name in the community. More than manufacturing, however, the Aalfs family has contributed both time and money to make Sioux City a better place for residents.
American Pop Corn Company
Jolly Time popcorn began in the basement of the Cloid H. Smith home in the year 1914. The Smiths soon realized that popcorn aged and dried for a year popped better than new corn; and in 1915 a larger building was built to provide ventilation to help the corn dry. The company continued strong growth throughout the 1930s and 1940s.
Palmer Candy Company
The Palmer Candy name has been well known in Sioux City for over one hundred years. From a relatively small beginning in wholesale groceries, the company became the largest confectioner in Sioux City and one of the largest in Iowa. The company’s name is now recognized across the United States. Just as important, however, have been the actions of five generations of the Palmer family since their arrival in Sioux City in the late nineteenth century.
Sioux City Brick and Tile Company
Brick and Tile manufacturing has been a very important part of Sioux City’s history. The earliest settlers in Sioux City and Woodbury County recognized the possibilities of rich clay deposits in the Loess Hills and started making brick and tile for many building projects. By 1890 there were seven brickyards in and around Sioux City producing tens of millions of bricks a year. In the early twentieth century the Sioux City Brick and Tile Company started operating in Sergeant Bluff and has been an integral part of the community since that time.
T. S. Martin Department Store
In 1880 Thomas S. Martin opened the T. S. Martin Company, a dry goods store, at 49 Fourth Street in Sioux City. He was joined by George Westcott, and later by his brother, James P. Martin.