Hiawatha a symbol of dedication and of 'being a good neighbor'
by Cynthia Petersen · July 19th, 2018


Hiawatha has grown substantially since it was incorporated in 1950. Forty-seven residents signed a petition that led to its creation, with Fay Clark as its first mayor.

Long-time residents who knew Clark have commented that the town's founder never wanted to take credit for its beginning. He may have had a hand in it, but he said it was the residents of Hiawatha who rallied together to make the town function.

According to Bev Daws, who worked for Clark for several years, Clark and his first wife, Adeline, helped start the first fire department, as well as the first post office. Clark also helped the Cooks - Nels, Bob and Norm - start a lumber yard to build the houses and buildings that became the city of Hiawatha.

"Adeline was always there, right beside Fay," she said. "They were partners in every sense of the word."

Daws said Clark believed that being a good neighbor meant you looked after one another.

"This town is built on that. We helped each other and got things done."

Fay Marvin Clark was born July 12, 1907, in DeSota, Wisc. He was a published author and chronicled much of his life in three books: "Into the Light," "You Will Take It with You," and "Beyond the Light."

In "You Will Take it With You," Clark tells the story about when he was 12 years old. He went berry-picking with his brother and two of his friends in Black River Falls, about 80 miles from their hometown. As they were building a fire, three Winnebago Indians came by and asked them to be careful of their campfire, because it was so dry. The Indians showed the boys where to pick the best berries. At night around the campfire, the chief, Mitchell Red Cloud Sr., told them stories about the Indians and their beliefs.

Clark wrote that he was intrigued by the Indians, and when it came time to go home, he decided to stay with Chief Red Cloud and his family to pick more berries and to learn more about the Winnebago tribe.

When the season was over, he went home, but returned the next summer to Black River Falls. Clark did this for a few years before getting into trouble and being sent to a Baptist Academy by his parents.

The school was very strict, and after being mistreated at the school, he and a friend ran away. Clark soon met a family with whom he stayed while he finished school. He then went to college for two years, studying architectural engineering.

Clark met Adeline when he was 23 and moved to Cedar Rapids in 1931.

In 1935, a friend had a vision that either he or Clark would die in a fall. He said the other one would be hurt in a car accident. A few weeks later, his friend died when he slipped on an oil slick in his garage. Soon after, Clark was in a near-fatal car accident.

The doctors told Clark later that by all rights, he never should have walked out of that hospital, but he did. While he was laying in the emergency room, Clark had an out-of-body experience. In his books, Clark writes about that experience and how it changed his life.

He began exploring the paranormal, including the possibility of life after death. His quest took him to all corners of the world, Australia and the Yucatan, where he learned about the natives, particularly the Mayans and Aborigines.

In Clark's book "You Will Take It with You," he reflects about his life, his research into the paranormal world, and how Hiawatha came to be. The following are his own words:

"During the years of World War II, I owned and operated a small factory at what is now Hiawatha, just north of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. We were doing defense work and I had several outstanding employees. Our operation consisted mostly of steel fabricating, assembly and welding. When the war ended, my employees and I were aware that our operation would come to a stop and many adjustments would have to be made.

"My most valuable employee, James Faas, came to me one afternoon and said he should be looking for a job as he knew our work contract had not been renewed. He felt it might be impossible for me to keep him on the payroll. I was momentarily unable to formulate an answer. My mind was in a turmoil trying to find a suitable answer for him.

"As I stood looking in the direction of the railroad, the tracks faded out and became a divided highway with cars and heavy traffic moving on it. The fields on both sides of the highway were filled in with houses. Then the scene faded away, and I said, 'Jim, we will have work to do. We will build houses.'

"He replied, 'I am no carpenter. I am a welder.' As I reflected upon my vision of the fields full of houses and the automobiles where the railroad tracks had been, I said, 'We will build houses.'"

And they did.

Clark bought plots of land to build the houses on and soon there were more than 200 residents. Twenty years later, Hiawatha became known as the "Fastest growing town in Iowa." And today, with more than 7,200 residents, it's still growing.

Clark wore many hats during his life. He was a photographer for National Geographic magazine, author, publisher, business owner, welder and the builder of a town.

Fay and Adeline had two sons, Patrick and Jerry. Pat became a Hiawatha police officer and both served in the military. Adeline died in 1961. Fay moved to Perry, Iowa, after meeting his second wife, and started the Hiawatha Publishing company. After she died, he married for a third time, but remained in Perry the rest of his life.

Fay Clark died in 1991 at the age of 84, but his legacy of determination, perseverance and being a good neighbor is what has shaped Hiawatha into the community it is today.