Before He Became President Ronald Reagan Was A DJ At WOC In Davenport

Before the speeches, before Hollywood, before anyone ever called him “Mr. President,” Ronald Reagan was just a young guy trying to get a job during the Great Depression.

He didn’t have a master plan. No five-year vision. No idea he’d end up in the White House someday. He just had a friendly voice, a little confidence, and the willingness to walk into a radio station and say, “I think I can do this.”

Somehow, that worked.

He landed in Davenport at WOC radio, and like most first jobs, it wasn’t glamorous. Early radio wasn’t slick or polished. It was closer to organized chaos. Equipment was finicky. Scripts were loose. And if something went wrong, you were already on the air when you found out.

WOC had a reputation, though. The Palmer family ran it, and they enjoyed pushing things forward—new tech, new programming, and fresh voices. That also meant expectations were higher than you’d expect for a Midwestern station in the 1930s.

So, if you bombed, people noticed.

Fatal Joyride in Sioux City 1930

 

Adelaide Anderson was dropped off at home shortly before the shooting. Leonard Bornholtz, 17, was shot and killed by the police while trying to stop the car.

A joyride in Sioux City ended with a dead teenager and a handful of shaken kids sitting in a police station.

 

Detectives Lou Miller and Roy Gillis knew the car was stolen when they spotted it. They tried to stop it, but the driver, Harry Dial, 22, kept going.

 

The car cut into an alley. Miller fired two shots into the air. Warnings.

 

The car didn’t stop.

 

He fired again.

Drake University Advertisement 1930

 

The Des Moines Register ran this advertisement for Drake University in its August 31, 1930 issue. It gives a great view of the campus and the observatory.

Florence Gamble Boone, Iowa Matrimonial Swindler

(Des Moines Register. January 19, 1913)

Florence Gamble, better known as the Champion Heartbreaker of Iowa, was arrested in Boone, Iowa, in January 1913 for swindling lonely men around the country. Authorities said she corresponded with over 500 men, taking anywhere from $15 to $50 from each man.

She advertised in matrimonial papers around the country, then corresponded with the marriage minded men who responded. After writing back and forth for several weeks, she asked for a few dollars to cover her railroad fare to visit them.

J. L. Prater of Arlington, Texas, contacted federal authorities after sending her $30. After checking into his complaint they learned that she sent a picture of a nineteen year old marraige minded girl. After receiving money from the men, Florence conveniently cut off her correspondence.

Fairies Dance At Drake University May Festival

(colorized image from Des Moines Register. May 16, 1915)

The annual May Festival held at the Drake University stadium featured many dancers and performances.

Performers in the Fairies Dance include: (left to right) Margaret Collins, Martha Knudson, and Martha Peterson.

The above picture shows the grounds at Highland Park's Seventh Annual May Festival. The Des Moines Register said it drew over 6,000 spectators.

Donna Reed From Iowa Farm Girl To Movie Star

 

Donna Reed was born Donna Belle Mullenger in Denison, Iowa, in 1921.

 

She had brains. Looks, too. After high school, she headed to Los Angeles City College. That’s where things tilted. A Hollywood scout spotted her and thought, yeah, that one.

 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer signed her, gave her a new name, and just like that Donna Mullenger became Donna Reed.

 

The early years were a grind. Small parts. Background smiles. The roles where you’re basically furniture with dialogue. She showed up. Hit her marks. Paid attention.

 

In 1946, she took a role in It’s a Wonderful Life.

 

She played Mary Hatch. Started off as the girl next door. Ended up the backbone of the story. The movie belonged to Jimmy Stewart if you were going by billing, but Reed was the one holding the emotional line.

Bernhard & Turner Auto Company Advertisement

 This advertisement for the Rauch & Lang Worm Drive Automobile was published in the Des Moines Register, circa 1912-1915. Bernhard & Turner Auto Company ws located at 508-10-12 Seventh Street in Des Moines.