Muscatine

Ah, the Spike - seems like a lifetime ago!

Super awesome story. Almost made me cry!

 My grandparents owned the rocking chair that rocked.  Some of your facts are not correct.  They lived on Third or Fourth Street at the time of the chair rocking.  They obtained the chair from my grandmother's sister after her husband passed away.  I was very small about age 8 and I could sit perfectly still and the chair would rock me.  They asked for donations because there was so much foot traffic that it wore a hole in my grandmother's carpet. They were asked to go on a television show in New York city and the chair rocked on stage. Someone broke into the shipping crate at the airport hanger in New York.  It did rock for a couple more days and then it stopped forever.  I was able to document my memory with a clipping from the Des Moines Register.

Hello all. It's been quite some time since I first posted here (3 years to be exact), but I wanted to thank all for your kind replies.

Since my days as an itinerant musician I've had many different experiences; accumulating 3 college degrees, several various jobs, and most recently a near-fatal stroke in 2014 from which I'm still struggling to revover from. Nevertheless, I still have very fond memories of Muscatine, and am seriously considering a sabbatical back to your city after I have rehabed some more and am once again mobile with a newvehicle.

In any case, I wandered back here and thought I'd share a couple more memories, hoping I'm not too boring.

Number one: while there, staying at the Hotel Muscatine, I pretty much fended for myself with regard to meals, as the drummer and bass player were both teenagers then and preferred McDonalds, so, right across the street from the hotel there was a little burger joint that had arguably the best burgers I ever tasted. This was the first place I ever had a Guiness Extra Stout. I still remember that first one, and man was it good! I don't suppose anyone here would remember the name of the place?

Second. Just south of the hotel there were railroad tracks before the river. One night after the show the drummer and bass player had the bright idea of jumping a freight and riding . Of course, since I was only 21 then it was easy to talk meinto it, and of course everyone made it on board... except me. I lost my footing, fell, and almost tore myself a new one. That was the end of that, along with the shirt and pants I was wearing.

Third... and this goes back to Marsha Brand... the night we were preparing to leave town the drummer, bassist and I, alond with Marsha, visited her brother and his wife. He shared some of his left-handed tobacco with us (which was real nice) and played classic rock for us on his hi-fi. One of the albums he put on was Manfred Mann and his Rare Earth band. About halfway through the song "Stranded in Iowa" his phone rang. It was our manager (also the band leaders wife) telling us that the rest of the band had left, that we were on our own, and that they'd see us in Souix Falls SD (the location of our next gig). No doubt we freaked, but what we didn't know was that the band leader and Marsha had set us up. He knew where we were and drove straight to her brother's home to pick us up. I still think very fondly of her.

In any case, as I continue (hopefully) my recovery, I will continue to think of all the people I knew during those days, look forward to the possibility of having one more stay at the Hotel Muscatine and the possibility of making some new friends there if I get the opportunity to make the trip.

I would be very happy to hear in return from any of you good folks who might be interested in befriending a poor old Okie if he makes the trip in the next year or so.

Regardless, I'm overjoyed to have found my way back here and look forward to hearing back from any of you good folks.

So, take care and God bless you all.

Best Regards,

Floyd Blevins

Henryetta, Ok