Captain Kirk's ancestor, Bob Wieland-Kirk, watches the skies above Riverside for possible Klingon sneak attack.
Future Birthplace of James T. Kirk
Riverside, Iowa
Another two centuries will pass before Riverside's claim-to-fame arrives, but that hasn't stopped this town from cashing in now on its future good fortune.
James T. Kirk, captain of the starship Enterprise, will be born in Riverside on March 22, 2228. A plaque behind a former barber shop marks the spot for present (and future) fans. Riverside wanted to put up a bronze James T. Kirk bust, but Paramount wanted $40K to license the image. Instead, a scale model of the "USS Riverside," which bears a remarkable (but not legally indemnible) resemblance to the USS Enterprise, is docked in the town square.
Throngs of pasty-faced fans invade Riverside during Kirk's annual birthday celebration, swelling the coffers of local businesses such as "Future Designs By Carol" and "Flower Trek" (sadly, the Bar Trek saloon sold out and is no longer here). Sharp-eyed residents, knowing they've got a good thing, have changed Riverside's summertime "Riverfest" to "Trek Fest."
The town now pulls in revenue from hundreds of pale technonerds who arrive dressed in Starfleet uniforms or as Vulcans and Klingons. Marketing is as keen as an Iowa reaper blade; the Trek Fest souvenir catalogue offers vials of Kirk Dirt, dug from the actual birth site, at $3 apiece.
Now that Riverside's claim has been nailed down, the real challenge begins. Riverside must breed Kirk! This is a farm community; its people know about husbandry. Go to it, Riverside; where no man has gone before, if you must, but go! Invite Nobel Laureates and war heroes to move in and impregnate your women. And, just to be on the safe side, change the last name of everyone in town to Kirk.
August 2008:: The Voyage Home Museum is devoted to the history of Star Trek and Riverside. It now contains the Time Capsule and the USS Riverside starship replica.
June 2008: At this year's TrekFest, a small museum was unveiled devoted to Star Trek and the town's connection with Captain Kirk. Actor Walter Koenig (Pavel Chekov of "They put creatures in our bodies" and "AIEEE!" fame) was on hand to examine the two rooms of the new Voyage Home Riverside History Center.
