MONEY GRAB IN THE CAB - SEASON 2

Not only is Adel, Iowa, the home of the Adel DeSoto Minburn FFA chapter. It is also the birthplace of Nile Kinnick, the only Heisman Trophy winner in the history of the University of Iowa and the namesake of the school’s football stadium.

Van Meter, Iowa, may be the home of the Van Meter FFA chapter, but it is also the host of a chilling folktale. For several nights in 1903, the town was terrorized by a giant bat-like creature that emerged from an abandoned mine. The story remains unsolved to this day.

Located in Princeton, Indiana, the Princeton FFA is a shiny gem of the southern Indiana town. But the crown jewel of the community is the Gibson County Courthouse. Three buildings have served as the courthouse, with the current location constructed in 1884. The picturesque building actually served as the model for Department 56’s “Original Snow Village Courthouse.”

Fort Branch, Indiana, is the home of Gibson Southern FFA. The growing community had several names in its early days, including LaGrange, after the original owner of the site. However, there was already another location with that name and the town became Fort Branch in honor of the series of forts that began the community and the river branch that sustained it. That river branch still supports the water system of the town to this day!

The Green Mountain Garwin FFA chapter is located in Garwin, Iowa, but it almost wasn’t. The city name was difficult to pin down during its founding in the late 1800s. George Rider and John Galvizer wanted to set up the town, and after much controversy, they were granted permission. A message was sent stating: “‘G’ (for Glavizer) and ‘R’ (for Rider) win.” Its recipients misconstrued the message, reading the word “Garwin.”

Located in Southern Illinois, the town of Carmi was originally settled by farmers. That influence can still be seen today in the form of the Service to the Farmer canvas mural first displayed at the Carmi post office in 1939. The mural, painted by American artist William Davenport Griffen, was commissioned as part of the Works Progress Administration.

Nestled in the tip of the Indiana boot, Mount Vernon wasn’t always known by that name. The first settler in the area was Andrew McFadden in 1806 and the settlement took on the moniker of McFadden’s bluff. It was then platted as Mount Vernon in 1816 in honor of George Washington's plantation. However, it was colloquially known of McFadden’s bluff for quite a while after the renaming.

The North Polk FFA is located in Alleman, Iowa, a town of just over 400 people. What makes Alleman unique, however, is its location and elevation. Two of Iowa’s main Doppler RADAR stations are located in Alleman along with several broadcasting towers for both TV and radio.