Cedar Falls: Images of Modern America

In 1952, Cedar Falls, Iowa, celebrated the centennial of its founding with parades, contests, food, and fun. The city had grown from a village with a stump-filled Main Street into a shining example of post-World War II America. The city's diversified economy provided opportunity to thousands through large employers such as Viking Pump Company, Clay Equipment, and Iowa State Teachers College. Thanks to the foresight of earlier residents, the city had its own hospital and utility company, which allowed for comforting self-sufficiency. Known over the years as "the Garden City of Iowa," "the City Beautiful," and "the Smiling City," by the middle of the 20th century Cedar Falls had fulfilled the promise foreseen by its earliest founders and looked forward to its next 100 years.