(Radio Iowa) – A launch party will be held tonight (Tuesday) in northwest Iowa for a new book that’s rich in area history, written by Judy Bowman, who died in May. Bowman was a local journalist and the 25-year administrator of the Plymouth County Historical Museum. Bowman’s friend, Judy Stokesberry, says the book is called “Down at Dalton.” “It’s basically a compilation of 42 of her columns that she wrote for The Messenger,” Stokesberry says. “The Messenger is the newsletter that she owned that printed the news from the courthouse.” Stokesberry says the last chapter of the book was transcribed in the final days of Bowman’s life.

“When she was confined to her bed towards the end, she had a friend come in and she dictated the final chapter to her,” Stokesberry says. “She called the chapter, Six Miracles, and it was six things that had happened to her since she lived in Plymouth County that she considered miracles.” The title of the book comes from the former town of Dalton, what’s now a ghost town, which had also been known as West Le Mars, where Bowman owned an acreage.

“From about 1890 to 1912, there was a settlement there. It had a church, it had a school, it had a hotel, it had businesses,” she says, “and then as Le Mars started to grow and transportation got better, Dalton kind of died out.” The book launch will run from 5 to 7 PM at Lally’s Eastside Restaurant in Le Mars. Profits from book sales will go to the Wet Nose Animal Rescue in Le Mars, which was founded by Bowman, who loved animals.