The Mystery Of Brunswick, Iowa: A Town's Identity Unveiled

Yes, there is a fictional town called Brunswick in Iowa. It is the setting of the 1932 novel State Fair by Phil Stong, which follows the Frake family from Brunswick as they visit the Iowa State Fair. The novel became a bestseller and was adapted into a Hollywood film, a stage musical, and a television movie.

Brunswick, Iowa is a fictional town in the novel 'State Fair'

Brunswick, Iowa is a fictional town in the novel State Fair. The novel, written by Phil Stong, was first published in 1932 and follows the Frake family from Brunswick, Iowa, as they visit the Iowa State Fair. The family consists of father Abel, mother Melissa, and teenage siblings Wayne and Margy. Abel is convinced that his hog, Blue Boy, will win the grand championship at the fair, while Melissa aims to win blue ribbons for her pickles. Wayne and Margy, meanwhile, are eager to find new romance.

The novel captures the tensions between urban Des Moines and rural Iowa, as the Frakes leave their farm in the fictional town of Brunswick, Iowa, and embark on their adventure at the Iowa State Fair. It is a coming-of-age story, exploring the "worldly temptations" of the fair on the local farming family. While at the fair, both Wayne and Margy meet exciting new people and fall in love, only to ultimately break up with their respective new loves and return to their familiar lives back on the farm.

The success of the novel established Stong as a popular author, and it was soon adapted into several Hollywood films, a stage musical, and a television movie. The story and its adaptations captivated audiences with their whimsical humour and portrayal of rural America. However, the novel also shocked some readers in 1932, particularly in Stong's hometown of Keosauqua, Iowa, where it was banned from the city library for 25 years due to its portrayal of the Frake children's behaviour as "loose".

While Brunswick, Iowa is a fictional town created by Stong, there are places with similar names, such as Brunswick County in Virginia and North Carolina, and Brunswick Court in Iowa City, Iowa.

John Moses Brunswick was born in Switzerland and moved to the USA at 14

John Moses Brunswick, the founder of the J.M. Brunswick Manufacturing Company, was born in 1819 in Bremgarten, Switzerland. At the age of 14, he moved to the USA, initially settling in New York City. Upon his arrival, he worked as an errand boy for a German butcher. He then moved to Philadelphia, where he worked as an apprentice to a carriage maker. Later, he relocated to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he married before moving to Cincinnati, Ohio.

In Cincinnati, John Moses Brunswick established the J.M. Brunswick Manufacturing Company in 1845. Initially, the company focused on making carriages, but soon after opening, he became fascinated with billiards and decided to shift his business towards manufacturing billiard tables. This decision was inspired by his exposure to the game and his recognition of its growing popularity. He is quoted as saying, "If it is wood, we can build it, and we can build it better than anyone else!" and "If it's made out of wood, we can make it better."

John Moses Brunswick's venture into the billiards business proved successful, and by the end of the 1860s, his company dominated the US market for billiard tables, alongside two other companies: Julius Balke and Pheland & Collender. In 1884, these three companies merged to create Brunswick-Balke-Collender, which further solidified its dominance in the industry. John Moses Brunswick's legacy in the recreational products industry extended beyond billiards, as his company also ventured into manufacturing bars, which became popular across the USA and Canada.

The Brunswick Corporation is a global leader in marine recreation

Brunswick's ACES strategy focuses on Autonomy/Assistance, Connectivity, Electrification, and Shared Access. By applying perception systems and machine learning, the company can assist with and automate aspects of boat operation, making it easier for anyone to command the vessel regardless of their experience. They also advance wireless, digital ecosystems to enable remote boat monitoring and seamless on/off-boat experiences. In addition, they lead evolutions in electrification technologies to provide electric propulsion systems and energy management solutions.

Brunswick is committed to sustainability and recognizes its role in connecting people to the world by creating experiences on the water. The company strives to conduct its business sustainably and minimize its environmental impact. With its broad portfolio of products, technologies, and services, Brunswick makes boating more accessible and enhances the boating experience for enthusiasts worldwide.

The company is headquartered in Mettawa, IL, and has approximately 17,000-19,000 employees operating in 25-27 countries. Brunswick is home to more than 60 industry-leading brands across Marine Propulsion, Parts and Accessories, Boat brands, and Service, Digital, and Shared-Access businesses. Some of its well-known boat brands include Boston Whaler, Lund, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Harris Pontoons, and Quicksilver. In Marine Propulsion, Brunswick's brands include Mercury Marine, Mercury Racing, and MerCruiser.

In 2022 and 2023, Brunswick was recognized by Forbes as a World's Best Employer and as one of America's Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek. The company has also received numerous awards for innovation, customer satisfaction, and marketing excellence.

The Brunswick-Balke-Collender company manufactured bars in Iowa

John Moses Brunswick was born in Switzerland in 1819 and moved to the US at the age of 14. By the end of the 1860s, his company was one of the three dominant players in the US billiard tables market. After his death in 1886, the company's management expanded their product lines. As most billiard tables were being sold to taverns, it was only natural that they start offering back bars and front bars.

The iconic Brunswick bars are known today as the Great Original American bars. They are known for their extravagant back bars, featuring thick Corinthian columns between large arches. The bars constituted a collection of models, and their designs drew inspiration from Greek and Roman art.

The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company's bars soon became popular across the US and Canada, capturing 95% of the market. However, their business came to an end in 1912 due to the anti-drinking temperance movement which preceded the Prohibition.

The bars were known for their extravagant backs and neoclassical look

Iowa is home to the Brunswick bar, a collection of models built by the Iowa-based Brunswick company, which was founded by John Moses Brunswick, an immigrant from Switzerland. The company manufactured bars and billiard tables for taverns from the late 1880s until 1912, when the temperance movement and Prohibition brought their business to an end.

The Brunswick bar is known for its extravagant back bar, characterised by thick Corinthian columns between large arches. This neoclassical style, with its serious, classical aesthetic, appealed to Americans of the time, who were not fans of ornate, fancy styles. The columns and arches of the Brunswick bars evoke the entrance of a Greek or Roman temple, and the names of some of the models, like "The Empire" and "The Imperial", reflect the sentiment of building a nation to rival the empires of the past.

The back bar was the primary item and the most expensive piece of the set-up. It was designed to be seen, with its impressive columns and arches, while the front bar was considered the furniture that would be mistreated by intoxicated patrons. The back bar was also modular, designed to be freestanding and easily transported by rail from the factory to its final site.

Today, these bars are considered genuine American icons, and survivors, as thousands were destroyed after Prohibition. They are sought-after antiques, with some selling for tens of thousands of dollars.

Frequently asked questions