I am often asked what the reference to the umbrella means in our company name and this email newsletter.

The name Big Green Umbrella Media was developed in 2004, as I wanted a company logo with an image that readers would identify with Des Moines. The umbrella theme was prevalent downtown with a couple of well-known structures including the Crusoe Umbrella and the Travelers Insurance umbrella neon sign. I was reminded of the importance of the Travelers Insurance neon sign when I recently read a column by Elizabeth Clarkson Zwart from the Des Moines Tribune from February of 1964.

She wrote how the local umbrella was built by the Iowa Neon Sign Co., located at 1934 Cottage Grove. “It took a month and a half to bend 1,277 feet of neon tubing into a dozen sections and then prepare them for a lifetime in the sky,” she stated.

She told how “when everything was ready, the sections were trucked down Keo and hoisted by crane to the roof of the Brown Garage. Then a pickup truck with a donkey engine — a winch — on its back was driven half a block away to Riley’s Parking Lot on Fifth Street, and a cable was run, first to the garage, then to the 11-story roof. … For about two weeks the donkey worked, hoisting the sign to the Insurance Exchange roof.”

The sign was the logo for the Travelers Insurance Company until the logo was abandoned in 1995. At the time it was erected, it was the largest neon sign in Iowa, and there wasn’t another one like it in the world. The sign, which is 50 feet wide and 40 feet tall, is one of the first sights drivers from the east notice when approaching downtown on I-235. The sign faced destruction a few times after being neglected over the years. In the fall of 2005, it returned to its original beauty when the Graham Group, owner of the Insurance Exchange Building on which the sign sits, agreed to take over its maintenance.

Back to our company name. The purpose of an umbrella is to provide coverage, which is what a media company should focus on and why I chose to use it. Green is the color of growth in nature. It means “go” on a traffic light. It symbolizes conservation of our resources. And it is the color of our paper money system, a true symbol of capitalism.

So, Big Green Umbrella Media it is. Now you know, with historical thanks to Elizabeth Clarkson Zwart.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman 

President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

View Shane Goodman's archived columns from past issues here.

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West Des Moines, IA 50266

 

Take a look at this beautiful ranch, located just minutes away from Jordan Creek Town Center! This 4 bedroom, 3 bath home has several upgrades and custom features throughout. You are welcomed into the main living space with vaulted ceilings, an oversized fireplace with floor to ceiling stonework and built-in shelving, along with large windows letting in ample natural light.

 

 

MLB: 

Diamondbacks 4 Phillies 2: NLCS - Game 7 ARI WINS SERIES 4-3

 

 

By Becky Kolosik

 

Walking into Indianola High School math teacher Stacy Garrels’ classroom, there’s no question he’s a Miami Dolphins fan.
Dolphin apparel and other memorabilia decorate the room, and he even used to have a little Monday “fun” when Sunday games didn’t go his way.

 

“I would give quizzes every Monday after a Dolphin’s loss to get my students to cheer for the team,” he says, laughing. “When I see former students and parents out in the community, they still ask me if I give those quizzes. I guess it's something they never forget about my class.”

 

Read more in the latest issue of the Indianola Living magazine.