Brett Mount Realtor blog

Women's History Month: Women in Construction Week

brettmount@c21sre.com (Brett Mount) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:34:00 GMT

"Women in Construction Week®, a nationwide initiative founded by the National Association of Women in Construction, brings together national webinars, local chapter events, and regional programs to spotlight the contributions of women in the industry. Programming covers industry trends, ethical workplace practices, career advancement, and negotiation strategies, providing actionable tools for professionals across the construction field." -- NAWIC.org

It is Day 2 of Women's history week and would like to spotlight Women in Construction Week. This weeklong event by the National Association of Women in Construction brings awareness to women in the build industry. From March 1st - March 7th, the NAWIC has daily events and webinars highlighting women in the construction industry, some free for the public. Local chapters also host events including a chapter in Des Moines! (Des Moines Chapter)

For the rest of this week, I will be sharing more information about this organization!

Source: NAWIC

Stay Tuned!

Womens' History Month: Alice H. Parker

brettmount@c21sre.com (Brett Mount) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 03:22:36 GMT

March is Women's History Month! Throughout this month I plan on sharing stories about women and how they influenced the world, especially if she is a pioneer in the real estate and/or construction fields! To introduce this month, I would like to discuss Alice H. Parker, known as "the mother of modern day heating." Parker's innovative design, though never realized in her lifetime, laid the foundation of modern day natural gas heating for buildings.

Prior to modern furnace systems, keeping a home warm in cold temperatures required much effort and time. People had to collect or buy wood and/or coal to heat their homes. In addition, the heat emitted from the fireplaces insufficiently and inefficiently warmed the most proximal areas to the fireplace compared to rooms most distal to the fireplace. In an attempt to overcome these struggles, Alice H Parker, an African American woman in the early 20th Century, designed a new heating system.

While furnaces were not a new inventor during her time, Parker, improving prior furnace designs, created the first furnace powered by natural gas. Her design contained several unique features:

Cool air enters the furnace and is warmed via a heat exchanger.
This warm air is distributed throughtout the building through individually controlled air ducts.
The system uses natural gas instead of coal or wood.
Known as "zone heating," her design allows for different temperatures settings for different rooms in the building.

Unfortunately, a year after receiving her patent in 1919, Parker passed away, never witnessing how her invention shaped modern heating. Her designs, unable to be actualized in her time due to safety reasons, became the foundation for modern day heating.

Many of unique features of her design are now common features of modern central heating. Parker's invention was further improved in 1935 by scientists who created forced convection wall heaters that use a coal furnace, electric fan, and ductwork throughout a home; thus, added to the evolution of future Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) models.

Source: wikipedia

Fun Facts on Ogden, Iowa

brettmount@c21sre.com (Brett Mount) — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 20:30:40 GMT

Laid out by the railroad in 1866 and incorporated in 1878, Ogden is a small, historical town located in Boone County, IA.

Here are some fun facts about Ogden:

25 Miles from Ames, and 45 Miles from Des Moines
Named after William B. Ogden, a railroad official who became the first Mayor of Chicago
The Lincoln Highway, the first highway to span the continental US from New York City to San Franscico, CA, passed through Ogden's downtown business area.
From 1907-1953, Ogden was a coal mining town.
Ogden Compressor Plant, now known as Northern Nautral Gas, was built in 1934.

https://ogdeniowa.org/about/#History

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogden,_Iowa