Iowa has quite the past and tomorrow (December 28th) marks the anniversary of Iowa becoming the 29th state in the Union. Most Iowans don't know about Iowa's rich heritage and why, at least in part, we have the French to thank for our great state. Leo Landis, State Curator, State Historical Society of Iowa shares all the juicy details, both the good and bad. 

Landis is also the Museum Curator of the State Historical Museum of Iowa and shares how Iowa was formed, what was in our region before statehood, and why Congress originally rejected Iowa because our borders were far too big. He also shares a surprising fact from President James K. Polk's journal. Iowa wasn't even mentioned. Turns out, we've been a fly-over state since the beginning. 

See all the show notes and photos: https://iowapodcast.com/when-did-iowa-become-a-state