Muscatine's Pearl Button Industry

by Melanie K. Alexander

Book Overview

The Mississippi River town of Muscatine produced billions of pearl buttons. By 1905, Muscatine made 37 percent of the world's buttons and earned the title of "Pearl Button Capital of the World." The rise and fall of the pearl button occurred over a period of 75 years. John Frederick Boepple, a German immigrant button maker, launched the industry in 1891. The button and clamming industries started small but quickly overwhelmed the town. Clamming became...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0738550930
• ISBN13: 9780738550930
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (SC)
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.4" x 8.4"