The weekly Kiwanis luncheon meeting was the backdrop for a visit by native-Iowa author Darcy Maulsby. Maulsby, who works in marketing, writing and consulting, visited with the local club about her most recent book, “Images of America: Dallas County.”
The Lake City author has written two previous books, “A Culinary History of Iowa” and “Images of America: Calhoun County.”
Maulsby’s Dallas County book focuses on the history of the county and includes many photographs and stories. She told the Kiwanians this will be only a printed book and not available on digital media.
Maulsby thinks that in 100 years, a book will survive and be able to be read while with an ever changing technology, our current digital media will be obsolete. The book will only be published in hardcover.
Maulsby said she got the idea for the book from listening to Pete Malmberg and Rod Stanley of the Dallas County Conservation Department. Particularly, Stanley had given many presentations on the history of Dallas County, and Maulsby was concerned that none of this knowledge had been written down.
All but two of Stanley’s presentations have been recorded and broadcast by Pegasus Channel 12, a soon-to-be-obsolete form of digital media.
The book is divided into chapters, such as one on the operation of the Underground Railroad in Dallas County and the abolitionist John Brown’s involvement with it. Coal mining and railroading played large roles in Dallas County’s history, and they are given a lot of attention in Maulsby’s history.
The Van Meter Creature, which terrorized Van Metter in 1903 for a week before supposedly flying into a coal mine, is treated with credulity, and the armed robbers Bonnie and Clyde, who were romanticized during the 1930s, also get a chapter.
A chapter called “Vanishing Dallas County” includes topics such as the Orton Brother Circus, ghost towns, legendary athletes such as Bob Feller and Nile Kinnick and others.
The book is scheduled to be released at the end of August or in early September. There is an event planned at the Hotel Pattee for this book unveiling.
Welcoming Maulsby to the Tuesday meeting at the Hotel Pattee was 39-year Kiwanis member Mark Lincoln.
