Des Moines is the capital and, with around 215,000 inhabitants,
the largest city in the US state of Iowa. The city's name comes
from the Des Moines River, which flows through the city,
although the meaning of the name is debatable. One possibility
is that "des Moines" is derived from the Trappist monks (Moines
de la Trappe), i.e. "from the monks". Another possible meaning
comes from the "Moingona" Indians who built their burial mounds
here.
Fort Des Moines was founded in 1843 at the
confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers. It was intended
to help control the Sauk and Meskwaki Indians who were resettled
from their traditional lands in eastern Iowa. In 1846 the fort
was abandoned after the Sauk and Meskwaki were moved back to
Indian territory. In 1851, Fort Des Moines became a city, and
the city's name was shortened to "Des Moines."
Coal was
soon found on the territory of the city. These deposits were
mined from 1864, but they were already largely exhausted by
1908. In the course of the 20th century, numerous insurance
companies settled in Des Moines, as well as companies from the
logistics industry and data processing. They helped the city
gain the reputation of being the wealthiest city in the country.
By plane
Des Moines Airport (IATA: DSM). Although the airport
calls itself "international", it is only used nationally for scheduled
flights.
In the street
I80 - Interstate 80 comes from Omaha
and continues to Chicago.
I35 - Interstate 35 comes from Oklahoma
City and continues to Minneapolis.
Des Moines Art Center (art museum) . The Des Moines Art Center is an
art museum in Des Moines, Iowa. Opened in 1948, it includes an extensive
collection of paintings, sculptures and mixed media. Artists in the
collection include Edward Hopper, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Henri
Matisse, Claude Monet, Francis Bacon, Georgia O'Keeffe, Gerhard Richter,
Claes Oldenburg, Mary Cassatt, Auguste Rodin, Grant Wood, Deborah
Butterfield, Paul Gauguin, Eva Hesse, Ronnie Landfield, Roy
Lichtenstein, George Segal, Mark Rothko, John Singer Sargent, Joseph
Cornell, and Takashi Murakami. The original wing was designed by Eliel
Saarinen in 1945 (completed 1948). The first extension, originally
intended for large-scale sculptures, was designed by I. M. Pei in 1966
(completed in 1968). Richard Meier designed the third wing, completed in
1985.
financial center. High-rise building completed in 1973. It has
housed a Wells Fargo History Museum since 2016.
Science Center of
Iowa
Capitol Building. The building has a rectangular plan,
surmounted by a dome covered with 23 carat gold leaf. The rotunda under
the dome has a diameter of 24 m, a narrow spiral staircase leads to a
height of 84 m. The smaller domes at the corners are clad in copper. The
Iowa State Capitol is home to the Iowa General Assembly, which consists
of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the State of Iowa,
holds its meetings in it. It also houses the office of the Governor of
Iowa. The current Capitol building was built between 1871 and 1886 by
architects John C. Cochrane and Alfred H. Piquenard.
Salisbury House
Pappajohn Sculpture Park
Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, 909
Robert D Ray Dr, Des Moines, IA 50309. Tel: +1 515 3236290
Adventureland Park, 3200 Adventureland Dr, Altoona, IA 50009. Tel: +1
515 2662121
Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack, & Hotel, 1 Prairie
Meadows Dr, Altoona, IA 50009. Tel: +1 515 9671000.
The Des Moines Botanical Center (5.7 hectares) is a botanical garden in central Iowa, located at 909 Robert D. Ray Drive, Des Moines, Iowa, USA, on the east bank of the Des Moines River. Interest in the Des Moines Botanical Center began in 1929. A greenhouse was purchased from the city on the west side of the river in 1939, which served the city as a production and display greenhouse until the current Botanical Center was completed in 1979. The Center Botanical is currently managed and operated by Des Moines Water Works. Today's Botanical Center includes tropical and sub-tropical plants, cacti, succulents, high rainfall and arid orchids, all collected within a geodesic dome. Large koi, white catfish, turtles and birds are also housed within the dome. Outdoor gardens include water and waterfall gardens, with lots of native plant beds, herbs, miniature roses, and dwarf conifers.
The Iowa State Fair is an annual agricultural and industrial fair
held in Des Moines for a period of 11 days.
History
Iowa's
first state fair was held October 25–27, 1854, in Fairfield with a
budget of $343. It is organized by the Iowa State Agricultural Society
and chaired by Judge Thomas W. Clagett of Keokuk. This first edition
mixes agricultural exhibitions, entertainment, and promotes the economic
growth of the state. Admission was then 25 cents and according to the
November 2, 1854 edition of the local Fairfield Ledger newspaper: “The
attendance was large. For several days before the Fair, foreigners began
to flock to Fairfield by the dozens... Such a crowd of people had never
been brought together so many people in Iowa. We think we can easily
estimate their number at 7 or 8,000.”
The State Fair was first
unable to take place in 1898 due to the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in
Omaha and the Spanish-American War for which the buildings were
requisitioned. Subsequently, with the Second World War, the editions
from 1942 to 1945 were canceled and the buildings symbolically rented to
serve as a supply depot. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic is pushing the
organizers to postpone the fair originally scheduled for August 13 to 23
to the following year. Digital events will nevertheless be held from
August 13 to 23, such as cooking tutorials.
Political platform
Dwight D. Eisenhower is the first president of the United States to
visit the fair. This visit is made on the occasion of the midterm
elections and Eisenhower is accompanied by his native predecessor of
Iowa Herbert Hoover. The entries are then made free for the duration of
the speech. In response, then-Democratic gubernatorial candidate Clyde
E. Herring told the New York Times that it presents “every aspect of a
Republican rally organized at taxpayers' expense. » . The fair has since
become a privileged arena for politicians and allows to meet there a
rural and conservative America indicates Le Figaro
The city takes its name from the river of the same name, which French colonists called "Des Moines", which means "of the monks". According to other theories, the name originally came from the "Moingona", a subgroup of the Peoria Indians who originally lived in the area.
Position
The city is located in the center of the state of Iowa.
The Des Moines River and Raccoon River converge south of downtown. They
provide Des Moines' primary water supply, but, as in 1993, also pose
some risk of flooding.
Suburbs
Des Moines suburbs include:
Altoona (Iowa)
Ankeny, Iowa
Bondurant (Iowa)
Carlislee
Clive
(Iowa)
Grimes
Johnston (Iowa)
Norwalk (Iowa)
Pleasant Hill
(Iowa)
Polk City (Iowa)
Urbandale
Waukee
West Des Moines
Windsor Heights
Two Des Moines locations have National Historic Landmark status, the Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School and the Terrace Hill Mansion. The city has 180 structures and sites on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as of September 24, 2020.
As of the 2000 census, there are 198,682 people, 80,504 households,
and 48,704 families residing in the city. The population density is
1012.0/km². There are 85,067 housing units at an average density of
433.3/km².
Ethnic composition:
82.29% White
8.07% Black or
African American
3.52% other ancestry
3.50% Asians
2.23% from
two or more ethnic groups
0.35% Native American
0.05% people from
the Pacific Islands
6.61% of the population is Hispanic of any
color.
There are 80,504 households, of which 29.5% also have
children under the age of 18, 43.7% are married couples living together,
12.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% do
not live in a family. 31.9% of all households are single households and
10.2% have one household member who is 65 years of age or older. The
average household size is 2.39 and the average family size is 3.04.
The average age is 34 years. For every 100 women, there are 93.8
men. For every 100 women over the age of 18 there are 90.5 men. The
city's median household income is US$38,408 and the median family income
is US$46,590. Men have an average income of US$31,712 compared to
US$25,832 for women. The city's per capita income is US$19,467. 11.4% of
the population and 7.9% of families live below the poverty line. 14.9%
of residents under 18 and 7.6% of those over 65 live below the poverty
line.
The city is connected to the interstate highway system. The
north-south Interstate 35 and west-east Interstate 80 both loop
northwest around the city. Interstate 235, which runs through the city
just north of downtown, branches off at the two intersections.
The two interstates are supplemented by two more expressways to form a
ring road. These are Iowa Highway 5 to the south and the U.S. Highway 65
east of town.
As in most Midwestern cities, the street network is
laid out in a checkerboard pattern, with the majority of streets laid
out in the four cardinal points. In downtown, the street system is
rotated a few degrees counter-clockwise, matching the shoreline of the
Des Moines River. Many newer suburban neighborhoods are deviating from
the checkerboard pattern in favor of softer shapes.
Downtown has
a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) skyway system connecting numerous office buildings
and parking garages.
All inner-city transportation is provided by
Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) buses. There are ten
city bus routes, nine express bus routes for commuters from the
surrounding area, and dial-a-bus networks in less densely populated
peripheral areas.
Numerous railway lines intersect in Des Moines,
but these are only used for freight traffic. The nearest passenger rail
station is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south at Osceola. It is served
by the California Zephyr, Amtrak's intercity express service from
Chicago to Oakland. Major overland services are served by Greyhound
Lines and Jefferson Lines bus services.
Des Moines International
Airport is located three miles southwest of downtown. It is only served
by domestic flights operated by some US airlines.
Many insurance companies are headquartered in Des Moines, including the Principal Financial Group, Equitable of Iowa, Allied Insurance and American Republic Insurance Company, and the media giant Meredith Corporation.
The city flag was developed by Walter T. Proctor. It symbolizes three bridges.[6] The colors white, red and blue correspond to the American national colors. The bridges represent the crossings of Grand Avenue, Locust Street and Walnut Street across the Des Moines River.
radio station
medium wave (AM)
WOI-AM 640, NPR Affiliate
(General Talks)
WHO-AM 1040, News, Talk Radio
KXNO 1460, Sport
VHF (FM)
WOI-FM 90.1, NPR Affiliate (General Music) Classical, Jazz,
Public Broadcasting
KGGO 94.9, classic skirt
TV channel
WOI-TV|WOI 5 local ABC affiliate
KCCI 8 Local CBS Affiliate
WHO-TV|WHO 13 Local NBC affiliate
KDSM 17 Local Fox Subsidiary
print media
Cityview, an independent weekly newspaper
Des
Moines Business Record
Des Moines Register, the main daily newspaper
pointblank, an independent weekly newspaper
AIB College of Business
College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery
Des Moines Area Community College
DrakeUniversity
Grand View
College
Hamilton College
Simpson College
Des Moines University
and College of Osteopathic Medicine
DAWN - Des Moines Area Writers Network
Iowa Dance Theatre
IPA—Iowa Poetry Association
Civic Center of Greater Des Moines
Des
Moines Symphony
Des Moines Art Center
Art Scene
Des Moines Art
Festival
Science Center of Iowa
Living History Farms
Des Moines
Metro Opera
Central Iowa Linux Users Group
Stone Sour, alternative
metal band
Slipknot, nu metal and alternative metal band
Iowa Barnstormers: Arena football team of the Arena Football League
Iowa Cubs: Baseball team (Triple-A) in minor league baseball
Iowa
Energy: NBA Development League basketball team
Iowa Stars/Chops:
American Hockey League (AHL) ice hockey team
Des Moines Buccaneers:
United States Hockey League (USHL) junior ice hockey team
Des Moines
Oak Leafs (1961–1972): International Hockey League (IHL) ice hockey team
Des Moines Capitols (1972–1975): International Hockey League (IHL) ice
hockey team
Numerous sporting events take place in the Wells Fargo
Arena, which also hosts pop concerts.
Kareem Al Allaf (born 1998), Syrian-American tennis player
George
Wildman Ball (1909–1994), lawyer, politician and diplomat
Steve
Bartkowski (born 1952), American football player
Max Bennett
(1928–2018), jazz bassist
Bill Bryson (born 1951), author
Louis
Carpino (1927–2019), chemist
Welker Cochran (1897–1960), carom player
Stephen Collins (born 1947), actor, director and writer
Shawn Crahan
(born 1969), musician, co-founder and percussionist for the band
Slipknot
Bill Daily (1927–2018), actor
Rodney L Davis (born 1970),
politician
Claire Dodd (1911–1973), actress and dancer
Andreas
Raymond Dombret (born 1960), German-American economist and bank manager
Thomas Michael Disch (1940–2008), science fiction writer
Sondra van
Ert (born 1964), snowboarder
Thompson Benton Ferguson (1857–1921),
politician
Gordon Gebert (born 1941), child actor and architect
Halston (1932–1990), fashion designer
Don Ed Hardy (born 1945),
tattoo artist, author and designer
John R Harrison (born 1933),
journalist
Matt Haviland (born 1961), jazz musician
Ashley Hinson
(born 1983), politician
P.C. Hodgell (born 1951), fantasy author
Frank Jenks (1902–1962), actor and musician
Shawn Johnson (born
1992), artistic gymnast
Lolo Jones (born 1982), track and field
athlete and bobsledder
Joey Jordison (1975–2021), musician, drummer
for the band Slipknot
Dave Keuning (born 1976), musician, guitarist
for the band The Killers
Gertrude Käsebier (1852–1934), photographer
David S. Kruidenier (1921–2006), philanthropist and publicist
Cloris
Leachman (1926–2021), actress
Kevin Little (born 1986), sprinter
Rita McBride (born 1960), artist
Matt McCoy (born 1966), politician
Kelly Pardekooper (born 1968), songwriter
Anthony Parker (born 1975),
basketball player
Stanley Prusiner (born 1942), biochemist and
physician
Charles A Rawson (1867–1936), politician
William
Harrison Riker (1920–1993), political scientist
George Roberts
(1928–2014), jazz and studio musician
James Root (born 1971),
guitarist for the bands Slipknot and Stone Sour
William B. Rosson
(1918–2004), four-star general in the United States Army
Brandon
Routh (born 1979), actor
Bill Stewart (born 1966), jazz drummer
Lester Stoefen (1911–1970), tennis player and coach
India Summer
(born 1975), porn actress
Corey Todd Taylor (born 1973), musician,
vocalist for the bands Slipknot and Stone Sour
Mick Thomson (born
1973), musician, lead guitarist for the band Slipknot
Sada Thompson
(1929–2011), actress
Arthur Wahl (1917–2006), chemist
Monrad
Charles Wallgren (1891–1961), politician
Tionne Watkins (born 1970),
member of pop group TLC and actress
Gerald Eugene Wilkerson (born
1939), Roman Catholic minister
Sid Wilson (born 1978), musician and
DJ
Frank Wykoff (1909–1980), track and field athlete and Olympic gold
medalist