Strange thing I've noticed (Des Moines, Council Bluffs: living in, legal, store)

[NDak15]

First of all, please don't take offense to this. I have no ill will toward anyone in Iowa as most of my extended family is there. So here goes.

I've noticed that people in Iowa are very proud of their state. Of course this is not unusual, but what I find unusual is that people in Iowa have to say and write the name of their state constantly. It seems that almost everyone I know who lives in Iowa has to mention the name of their state several times in conversation. I've also noticed that there are lots of businesses in different parts of the state that have the name Iowa in them somehow. This isn't meant to be a slam, it's just an interesting observation I've noticed. How many others have noticed this?

[duster1979]

Interesting observation. I've only lived in Iowa fora few years, but have done business and socialized with Iowans for most of my life and I haven't noticed that they talk about where they are from any more than anyone else.

As far as business names go, I've lived in different places in Southeast Iowa and also in the Des Moines area and I can only think of three off the top of my head: Iowa Realty in the Des Moines area, Iowa Tire in Fairfield, and The Iowa Store in Burlington.

I perused the member listings for the chambers of commerce in Cheyenne, Wyoming (population 60,000) and Council Bluffs, Iowa (population 62,000). I used the search feature to find out that there are two member businesses in Council Bluffs with Iowa in the title (after throwing out regional government and nonprofit offices such as Hospice of Southwest Iowa). I did the same with the Cheyenne chamber and stopped counting at 20 (again, throwing out listings like Legal Aid of Wyoming and the Wyoming Policy Institute).

This is just a quick-and-dirty example but I think it's enough to suggest that your perception that businesses in Iowa use the name of their state in the business name more than other states is really just your perception.

[steel03]

I think it has a lot to do with Iowa being consistently overshadowed by Illinois/Minnesota/Wisconsin/Missouri. It's not the best state, but it is overlooked quite a bit.

Not sure about the "Iowa is in lots of titles" thing. I think that might just be a Midwest thing, if anything.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by duster1979

Interesting observation. I've only lived in Iowa fora few years, but have done business and socialized with Iowans for most of my life and I haven't noticed that they talk about where they are from any more than anyone else.

As far as business names go, I've lived in different places in Southeast Iowa and also in the Des Moines area and I can only think of three off the top of my head: Iowa Realty in the Des Moines area, Iowa Tire in Fairfield, and The Iowa Store in Burlington.

I perused the member listings for the chambers of commerce in Cheyenne, Wyoming (population 60,000) and Council Bluffs, Iowa (population 62,000). I used the search feature to find out that there are two member businesses in Council Bluffs with Iowa in the title (after throwing out regional government and nonprofit offices such as Hospice of Southwest Iowa). I did the same with the Cheyenne chamber and stopped counting at 20 (again, throwing out listings like Legal Aid of Wyoming and the Wyoming Policy Institute).

This is just a quick-and-dirty example but I think it's enough to suggest that your perception that businesses in Iowa use the name of their state in the business name more than other states is really just your perception.

Maybe.

[tollfree]

The Register finds a way to use "Iowans" when prefacing any topic. Examples:

"State fair Iowan of the day"

"Iowans ready for Paul Ryan"

"Sauerkraut fame could be yours, Iowans"

"Branstad sees support among Iowans for raising gas tax"

"Presidential race will be fought on Iowans TV screens"

"Iowans can test-drive license exam with iPad app"

"Iowans outraged over Olympic spoilers"

All from the past few days. You get the picture. There's an obvious over-usage of the term Iowan. You wouldn't see "Illinoisans" get such mileage in Chicago.

[Stavemaster]

As an expat Iowan, I catch myself doing it a lot. I don't know if it's from hometown pride, a desire to differentiate myself somehow, or just that I maybe like to talk about myself more than I should. Probably a little of all three. I try to keep it in check and remind myself that there are another 3 million or so of us out there so it's not that big a deal and most people really don't care.

Also, regarding Ronnie's point about the Register, the best one was last week when they actually wrote an article about how the Sikh temple shooter had, while living in North Carolina a few years ago, worked for a trucking company headquartered in Granger, IA. Seriously? How is that even remotely relevant to anything? I get that it's a local paper trying to appeal to local interests, which is why I still read it, but come on.

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by Stavemaster

As an expat Iowan, I catch myself doing it a lot. I don't know if it's from hometown pride, a desire to differentiate myself somehow, or just that I maybe like to talk about myself more than I should. Probably a little of all three. I try to keep it in check and remind myself that there are another 3 million or so of us out there so it's not that big a deal and most people really don't care.

Also, regarding Ronnie's point about the Register, the best one was last week when they actually wrote an article about how the Sikh temple shooter had, while living in North Carolina a few years ago, worked for a trucking company headquartered in Granger, IA. Seriously? How is that even remotely relevant to anything? I get that it's a local paper trying to appeal to local interests, which is why I still read it, but come on.

That's totally not an Iowa thing - everyone does that. I'm always laughing every time something comes up and the local news in Chicago puts in their "Chicago connection". With 10 million people OF COURSE THERE'S A LOCAL CONNECTION to most things. They do it all the time. It's just something they'll say in almost any city in every state. They have to try to pull you in with a "local connection" somehow.

Iowans are VERY proud of their state, which is a good thing, and maybe this is why Iowa comes up more? It certainly has something to do with the fact the state is SO overlooked from others in the Midwest/Great Lakes and then the country in general. People are proud they're from Iowa because it's part of their identity, the state does well for itself and its people and everyone else tends to just laugh Iowa off and forget it's around.

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

The Register finds a way to use "Iowans" when prefacing any topic. Examples:

"State fair Iowan of the day"

"Iowans ready for Paul Ryan"

"Sauerkraut fame could be yours, Iowans"

"Branstad sees support among Iowans for raising gas tax"

"Presidential race will be fought on Iowans TV screens"

"Iowans can test-drive license exam with iPad app"

"Iowans outraged over Olympic spoilers"

All from the past few days. You get the picture. There's an obvious over-usage of the term Iowan. You wouldn't see "Illinoisans" get such mileage in Chicago.

Every newspaper in the country does this. You're probably just noticing cause you're not originally from Iowa, so it might stand out more to see it written. All it is here is "Chicagoans" for everything.

[tollfree]

Iowa sort of feels like it's own country sometimes (not in the cool sense that California does). If you spend enough time in Iowa - you'll have personal experience with cults. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on each individual. Then Des Moines is a cult within Iowa.

[steel03]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

That's totally not an Iowa thing - everyone does that. I'm always laughing every time something comes up and the local news in Chicago puts in their "Chicago connection". With 10 million people OF COURSE THERE'S A LOCAL CONNECTION to most things. They do it all the time. It's just something they'll say in almost any city in every state. They have to try to pull you in with a "local connection" somehow.

Iowans are VERY proud of their state, which is a good thing, and maybe this is why Iowa comes up more? It certainly has something to do with the fact the state is SO overlooked from others in the Midwest/Great Lakes and then the country in general. People are proud they're from Iowa because it's part of their identity, the state does well for itself and its people and everyone else tends to just laugh Iowa off and forget it's around.

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Chicago60614 again."
Nooooooooooooo!!
This is so absolutely OBVIOUS it doesn't seem like it should have needed to be said!
I was in Minneapolis all that week, and they were even worse about it than we are, going out of their way to claim basically every Olympian who had ever even visited Minnesota as "local."