Chris Swanson, of Duncombe, got to make a lot of noise Saturday afternoon at the 2026 Frontier Days celebration at the Fort Museum and Frontier Village. The members of the 3rd Iowa Cavalry Reenactors unit let him pull the lanyard on their replica Civil War era cannon. Pulling that ...
It’s very rare that we can say a nation was fundamentally different the day after a major construction project was completed from what it was the day before. But that’s exactly what happened to the United States of America on May 10, 1869, as the First Transcontinental Railroad was ...
When the first locomotive rumbled into Fort Dodge spewing smoke and steam on a summer day in 1869, the community was finally connected to the rest of the country in a reliable way. The arrival of the railroads helped launch a long growth spurt in Fort Dodge. The city was served by four ...
For a variety of reasons, summer is often a difficult time to meet the nutritional needs of families in a community. The three United Methodist churches in Fort Dodge are ready to help. In an initiative focusing on both philanthropy and fellowship, the 2026 United Methodist Summer Meal Ministry begins with its first free hot-meal offering to local students and their families this Sunday from 5 until 6:30 p.m. Trinity United Methodist, First United Methodist and Epworth United Methodist will then continue the suppertime gathering at each location every Sunday for the next 10 ...
Frontier Days 2026 got its formal start Friday evening with patriotic music, a few recollections about the parade marshal and some dance moves. An opening ceremony was held at 5 p.m. at the Fort Museum and Frontier Village. The Fort Dodge Choral Society got things started with “America the Beautiful.” After welcoming comments from Jen Fitzgerald, executive director of the Fort Museum, and Jeana Becker, leader of the Frontier Days committee, the audience learned a bit about Ron Newsum, who is being honored posthumously as the marshal. Those memories came from Mike Ewing, ...
