Old Fort Madison Recalls Rough Life of Early Soldiers

It was considered the “Walmart” of its time. Fort Madison, the first U.S. settlement on the upper Mississippi River, was set up as a trading post, also known as a factory. It was the third highest revenue grossing factory in the country. But by 1813 the post was abandoned and burned. A replica of the post, known as Old Fort Madison, tells the story of the rough life soldiers faced at Fort Madison. Read more

Sheaffer Pen Museum: 13 Fun Trivia Facts

Connie Attractions & Events, Iowa February 17, 2016August 9, 2016fort madison, fort madison ia, fort madison iowa, fountain pens, ft madison, ft madison ia, ft madison iowa, Iowa, sheaffer, sheaffer pen, sheaffer pen museum, sheaffer pens 0 Comment

Anyone who grew up in the 1960s, or earlier, was required to use a fountain pen in school. I remember how excited I was when I got to the fourth grade and was allowed to use a pen instead of a pencil, sort of a right of passage. In the 1960s we used Sheaffer cartridge fountain pens, never a ballpoint pen. The nuns insisted that the nib on a fountain pen taught you proper, flowing penmanship. I hadn’t seen a Sheaffer cartridge pen in years until my visit to the Sheaffer Pen Museum in Fort Madison, Iowa. Read more