Bert Manville
1873-1964. Itinerant book salesman, began development during 1910 of the northwest Iowa City “heights” neighborhood that bears his name. A native of Bayard in western Iowa and traveling peddler for Colliers Books, now part of Macmillan Publishing, he chose Iowa City over Iowa Falls to seek his fortune, took option on 80 acres from the historic Hutchinson farm where Hutchinson’s Grove served as the local Chautauqua grounds next door to the Woolf family farm where Veterans Administration Hospital now stands. After arranging sale of enough lots to pay for the tract, he exercised the option and claimed his fortune.