In the spirit of the 2016 election, the following photos are a Thursday throwback to John F. Kennedy’s 1960 campaign stop in Fort Dodge, Iowa. I often remember my Grandfather and Father (both Fort Dodge residents in 1960) recall the day their town rolled out the red carpet to see the presidential hopeful. As you can see, back in the 1960s, seeing a presidential candidate was the event of the year, or maybe decade.
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All schools in Fort Dodge were shut down that day so students could see the future president as he made his way from the Fort Dodge airport through Downtown along Central Avenue. My Dad often recalled seeing the president from his alleyway off of N. 15th Street before Kennedy reached downtown.
The event was also not limited to just Fort Dodge, as parade participants and onlookers came from miles around to see the national icon.
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Eerily, Mr. Kennedy sat on the back of an open convertible through the streets of Fort Dodge, just as he would do three years later in Dallas, Texas.
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This throwback Thursday was brought by Jim Parsons, a Fort Dodge, IA native who took these stunning color photos as a 21 year old.