Every City Has
a Story.
This Is Ours.
Des Moines Stories is where the city remembers. The neighborhoods, the businesses, the Saturday nights, and the people who made it all matter.
Fresh Off the Press
The Beaverdale Brick: how a house type became a neighborhood language
Beaverdale is one of those rare neighborhoods where the houses became part of the name. The neighborhood association says most subdivisions were developed between 1920 and 1940, and that in 1938 contractor E.T. McMurray began building the now-famous Beaverdale Brick homes. That date matters because
Why people stay: Beaverdale as an active neighborhood, not just a pretty one
Beaverdale’s appeal is not only aesthetic. It is organizational. Invest DSM’s Franklin Area page, which sits at the juncture of Beaverdale and Waveland Park, describes the area as a place where neighbors walk, bike, and drive on leafy streets to iconic local gathering spots and convenient shopping d
Fall Festival, Holiday Happenings, and the ritual life of Beaverdale
A neighborhood becomes itself not only through roads and houses, but through repeated rituals. The Beaverdale Fall Festival says its mission is to build community and cherished traditions while celebrating and promoting the neighborhood and surrounding communities. That is one of the clearest missio
Beaver Avenue: the road that became Beaverdale's main street
The best way into Beaverdale is often Beaver Avenue itself. The neighborhood association says the road began as the old Fort Dodge Stage Road, was renamed Beaver Avenue in 1903, and was later improved with brick paving in 1917. That is the whole transformation in miniature: trail to road, road to co
How Drake made a neighborhood
Drake University began as an act of relocation and ambition. The university’s history says the Disciples of Christ in Iowa decided in 1881 to move Oskaloosa College to Des Moines, and that a pledge from Francis Marion Drake helped secure the new institution. In its first semester, the school had 77
Six Ways Into the Story
Every story belongs to a series. Each series is a different lens on the same city — a different way to remember, discover, and understand Des Moines.
How It Started
Origin stories of the businesses, institutions, and landmarks that shaped Des Moines. From the first brick laid to the grand opening — how everything got to be the way it is.
The Neighborhood
Deep dives into the neighborhoods and suburbs that make Des Moines home. The streets, the people, the corner stores, the churches — the soul of every block.
Saturday Night
Where Des Moines went to eat, dance, and fall in love. The restaurants, dance halls, drive-ins, and date-night spots that defined generations of Saturday nights.
The Company
The businesses where Des Moines went to work. From the insurance giants that made the city famous to the family shops that kept it running — the companies that built careers and communities.
Then & Now
Visual storytelling that places the past beside the present. Side-by-side photos, before-and-after comparisons, and the stories of what changed — and what endured.
Voices
First-person stories from the people who lived it. Community-submitted memories, oral histories, and personal accounts that bring Des Moines to life through the voices of its residents.
On the Horizon
Hidden DSM — Romanticizing the Mundane
Coming soon: How one photographer taught an entire city to stop and look up. The story of @hiddenDSM and the art of seeing Des Moines differently.
The Skywalks — Four Miles Above Zero
Next week: The story of how four miles of enclosed walkways changed the way Des Moines works, shops, and survives January.
The Neighborhoods
Every block has a story. Every suburb has a chapter. Hover to explore, click to dive in.
Hover to Explore
Move your cursor over any neighborhood to see its story. Click to dive deeper.
The Randomizer
Let the city surprise you. Hit the button and discover a story you never knew you needed.
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