author
Cyrenus Cole
1863–1939
Best known as an Iowa newspaperman and public figure, he also wrote lively history with a strong sense of place. His books draw on years in journalism and public life, especially in the story of Iowa and the American Midwest.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born near Pella, Iowa, in 1863, Cyrenus Cole built his career first in newspapers. He graduated from Central College in Pella in 1887, worked for the Des Moines Register, and later became part owner and editor of the Cedar Rapids Republican. That background gave his writing a clear, practical style and a close feel for regional politics and everyday life.
Cole went on to serve as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa, but he is also remembered as a historian and author. Among his best-known works is A History of the People of Iowa (1921), a book that helped record the state’s development for later generations. His writing often blended research, storytelling, and the perspective of someone who had watched public affairs up close.
He died in 1939. For listeners interested in older American nonfiction, Cole offers a voice shaped by the newsroom, the Midwest, and a lifelong interest in how communities and states tell their own stories.