Our Iowa Heritage

– April 21, 2024 – H.D. Short – Iowa City’s First Black Businessman

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Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Marty Boller – I’m a Hawkeye historian. My Boller family first arrived in America in 1816 and has been living here in Johnson County and eastern Iowa since 1853! I’ve enjoyed all the places I’ve lived over the years, but, as you might surmise by looking through this website, I have only one community that I truly love…

As a matter of fact, we love it so much, in 2020, my wife, Sandy, and I moved back here to live amongst the Hawkeyes, finding a nice townhouse that is literally only a few blocks from the home my parents built back in 1966 when I was a sophomore at City High. So now, enough about me. Allow me to tell you about our website…

I love Iowa City and her rich history,
I love collectibles that reflect our rich Iowa heritage, and…
I love hearing and telling people’s stories.

Here on our website you will find hundreds of Iowa-related stories. Stories of courageous men and women, some of whom you will be familiar with – many you won’t. Stories of those who have gone before us, many of which had no idea that they were leaving us a powerful legacy. Different people. Different times. Different circumstances. But two common themes – 1) Iowa, and 2) living a life of meaning and purpose. I invite you to join us in Our Iowa Heritage journey. Read a few posts – get a feel for what we do – sign up for our free blog.