Part 5/11:
The path to industrial prominence was fraught with challenges. Walter Douglas, celebrating success in Europe in 1912, booked a voyage aboard the Titanic but never returned. During this turbulent period, the Cedar Rapids starch plant suffered a devastating explosion on May 22, 1919, shortly after shift change. The blast shattered windows in the city center and damaged over 200 homes, but Douglas’s resilience kept him at the helm of the community’s industrial scene. His leadership solidified Cedar Rapids’ reputation as a Midwestern industrial powerhouse.