Sheldahl, Iowa

Sheldahl First Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church is a historic building located in Sheldahl, Iowa, United States. The community was platted by Osmund Sheldahl and J.S. Polk. Sheldahl was a lay Lutheran minister who settled in Illinois in 1845. He and three others came to this area in 1854 in search of cheap available land. The following year, 21 families that had organized themselves as the "Palestine Congregation" relocated to Story County. Sheldahl became a large land owner and the regular pastor for Palestine Lutheran Church in 1860. He built a house in town in 1877 and he and his two sons built this church building in 1883. Osmund Sheldahl served the congregation as an unpaid pastor for 13 years. His will stipulated that the church building be made available to any Christian denomination that emphasized Bible teaching. It remained in regular use until 1936. The rectangular structure features a balloon frame covered with clapboard and built on a rubble stone foundation. The interior furnishings with decorative cabinet work details were locally made. The building is an unusual example of a private church built on private land, maintained by the founder's family and descendants, and made available for public use. The church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It is noteworthy for its association with the Norwegian settlement of this part of Story County and Osmund Sheldahl's volunteer ministry.

Slater is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,543 at the time of the 2020 census.

The Richard L. and Verda M. Alleman Farm Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located southeast of Slater in rural Polk County, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. At the time of its nomination the district consisted of 18 resources, including nine contributing buildings, one contributing site, one contributing structure, one contributing object, three non-contributing buildings, and three non-contributing structures.The farm at this location has been in the Alleman family since the 1880s making this a true century farm. Its significance is attributed to its being the first stop of a 1955 tour made by Vladimir Matskevich, a representative of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, and 11 leading Soviet agricultural scientists and managers. During a power struggle that followed the death of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union suffered from poor harvests and a shrinking rural population. After Khrushchev publicly complemented American agriculture and criticized Soviet agricultural management, Lauren K. Soth wrote an editorial in The Des Moines Register, "If the Russians Want More Meat...", inviting him to send a delegation to Iowa to see how its farmers worked successfully. Soth assumed Khrushchev would take no such action, however, the Premier took him up on the offer. The Alleman's were contacted on July 7, 1955, by Polk County Extension agent Grover Hahn about the possibility of visiting their farm. The visit took place ten days later on July 17. Soth was awarded the 1956 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for his editorial. Matskevich returned to visit the Alleman farm again in 1971, this time as the Soviet Union's Minister of Agriculture and Food. The historic district's contributing resources were in place when the 1955 visit took place.

KWQW (98.3 FM, "The Vibe") is a contemporary hit radio station licensed to Boone, Iowa and serving the Des Moines area. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media. KWQW's studios are in Urbandale, along with Cumulus' other stations: KGGO, KJJY, KHKI, and KBGG. Its transmitter is located near Big Creek Lake southwest of Sheldahl.

Big Creek Bridge 2 is located northeast of Madrid, Iowa, United States. It spans Big Creek for 53 feet (16 m). The Marsh arch bridge was designed by Des Moines engineer James B. Marsh in February 1917. The contract to build the structure was awarded in April of the same year to the N.E. Marsh & Son Construction Company of Des Moines for $3,170. It was completed later in 1917. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Big Creek State Park is a 3550-acre state park located in Polk County, Iowa.

Clarkson was an unincorporated community in Warren County, Iowa, United States. It was located two miles east of Carlisle, near the Des Moines River. Its elevation was 935 feet.

Big Creek Lake is a lake situated in the Big Creek State Park in Polk County, Iowa. The lake is situated two miles to the north of Polk City, spreads across 814 acres (329 ha), and its mean depth is 17.3 feet (5.3 m) (maximum 51 feet (16 m) deep). The lake's purpose was to protect Polk City from floods. It was a part of the Saylorville project. It provides numerous recreational options including fishing, picnicking, swimming, boating, camping, and others.

Palestine Township is a township in Story County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,604.

Union Township is a township in Polk County, Iowa, United States.Its elevation is listed as 942 feet above mean sea level.

Garden Township is one of seventeen townships in Boone County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,022.

Big Creek Bridge was a historic structure located northeast of Madrid, Iowa, United States. It spanned Big Creek for 43 feet (13 m). The Marsh arch bridge was designed by Des Moines engineer James B. Marsh. It was completed in 1916. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The historic span was replaced by a new bridge in 2004.