This Town Stinks. Literally: Muscatine, Iowa 4K.

For best video quality, hit the gear icon on the lower right portion of the screen and select 2160p60, or the highest quality available. For smart phones, tap the three dots in the top right portion of the screen and you can adjust the quality that way.
Muscatine, Iowa has been able to keep employers in town, unlike other nearby cities. However, that has come at a cost of air pollution.
Downtown: 6:40 - 10:00
Muscatine High School: 15:30
Muscatine Mall: 23:35
====================================================================
EVERYTHING THAT I USE IN THE FIELD:
Main Camera: amzn.to/3iS4vvF
Side Cameras: amzn.to/2WuCYIs
Media Mod for Camera: amzn.to/3j7CMGF
Lav Mic: amzn.to/3lsMkz9
Drone: amzn.to/3ITcKBV
SD Cards: amzn.to/3C2co9O
Camera Mounts: amzn.to/2UXVR6p
Cables Required for Longer Recordings: amzn.to/3BYnr3Q
Computer: amzn.to/3787b2j
External Hard Drive: amzn.to/3lb23Tf
WHAT I USE AT HOME:
Computer: amzn.to/3rKIdiN
Sound Mixer: amzn.to/3C15Ubx
Microphone: amzn.to/2VaCjvo
Microphone Accessories: amzn.to/3v7A35Z
INTERACTIVE MAP that shows you all of the places that I've made videos on: (Doesn't always work on mobile devices. Will always work on PC.) www.google.com....
SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTACT INFO:
Email: [e-mail]
On Twitter: / chris_harden55
On Instagram: www.instagram.....
On Facebook: / chrishardenyt
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you. As an Amazon Associate I do earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. As always, thank you for supporting my channel!

[@ChrisHarden]

EVERYTHING THAT I USE IN THE FIELD: Main Camera: amzn.to/3iS4vvF Side Cameras: amzn.to/2WuCYIs Media Mod for Camera: amzn.to/3j7CMGF Lav Mic: amzn.to/3lsMkz9 Drone: amzn.to/3ITcKBV SD Cards: amzn.to/3C2co9O Camera Mounts: amzn.to/2UXVR6p Cables Required for Longer Recordings: amzn.to/3BYnr3Q Computer: amzn.to/3787b2j External Hard Drive: amzn.to/3lb23Tf WHAT I USE AT HOME: Computer: amzn.to/3rKIdiN Sound Mixer: amzn.to/3C15Ubx Microphone: amzn.to/2VaCjvo Microphone Accessories: amzn.to/3v7A35Z INTERACTIVE MAP that shows you all of the places that I've made videos on: (Doesn't always work on mobile devices. Will always work on PC.) www.google.com/maps/d/u/2/edit?hl=en&mid=1Lhzf04ocimPu-ROkg4cfXEYEvKMNnlI5&ll=42.68506257358429%2C-84.48366841804642&z=9 SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTACT INFO: Email: [e-mail] On Twitter: twitter.com/Chris_Harden55 On Instagram: instagram.com/c_harden7/?... On Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisHardenYT/ DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you. As an Amazon Associate I do earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. As always, thank you for supporting my channel!

[@bigguybri60]

Born and raised there. Spent 40+ years there. Love the place! Spent the last ten years working in Southern Iowa. Hope to move back to Muscatine soon!

[@jefferyjones8399]

God why would you come back

[@SoGoYoko]

I only lived in Muscatine for two years, from 1979 to 1981 with my father (7th & 8th grades). Looking back it was a fun time in my life. My father worked at GPC for roughly 40 years in total.

[@SoGoYoko]

Your driving video starts off from the South side of town crossing the railroad tracks. I lived there for only two years from 1979 until 1981. Thanks for posting the video. Brings back some distant memories of my childhood for sure. At the first stop sign you stop at, we used to sit on the porch of that house on the corner to the right, every morning waiting for the school bus to come and pick us up.. My father worked for GPC for roughly 40 years, retiring in the early 2000's.

[@emmanuelpimentel2586]

Thanks for posting this video I was born in muscatine in 1990 and my parents moved from muscatine in 1994 to California and ever since then I been wanting to go visit my home town

[@lewtoncole]

You didn't mention Muscatine melons!

[@sms9106]

Thanks it's been 40 years since I have been back to my hometown where I was born and raised. That was great. A lot has changed but much was the same. Thank you.

[@SoGoYoko]

I lived in Muscatine for only two years, from 1979 until 1981, which was my 7th & 8th grades in school. Here's something that you might remember, Petit's Cafe. This was that little restaurant right across the street from GPC. We used to go there every once in a while for a hamburger.

[@sms9106]

@@SoGoYoko I don't recall that but what I miss most are Maid-Rites!

[@SoGoYoko]

@@sms9106 I do remember Maid-Rites. I also liked it too. How about the A&W hamburger joint? It's on highway 61. My high school teacher, Mr. Radky owned it. Not sure of the spelling of his name, it sounded like I spelled it. I went back to visit my father in the summer of 1991 and the A&W was turned into a Chinese Restaurant by then. The business there now currently is S & J Smith Co.

[@sms9106]

@@SoGoYoko YUP ... would go to A&W all the time. Old School drive up. Great!

[@dvferyance]

It is the home of Wildcat Den State Park. Which appears on the cover of the 2019 Iowa DOT map.

[@pamgjertson8258]

Yes. This park is east of Muscatine, on the way to Davenport, if you take the highway along the river.

[@greenmachine55]

I hate to admit it but I grewup in fruitland, IA and and Muscatine being my main town but I hate to admit it but Muscatine has had better days back when the mall was full of shops and the roller skating rink was still around it's sad to see my old home town so run down all these years later.

[@maxwagner1341]

After Walmart left it went downhill

[@greenmachine55]

@@maxwagner1341 that's true. I've been living in bettendorf, is with my fiance with her parents when we had to move from Muscatine at the end of 2020 but been living in Davenport since about the middle of last year. Got back into working at Walmart back in January 2021 and switched to Sam's club in September of 2021

[@maxwagner1341]

If you like the smell of ketchup then you would like being near Heinz some days that’s all you smell outside I find it somewhat pleasant

[@WJack97224]

Great reminder. I remember the stink from back in the 1950s and it is the sent of "money." Glad Heinz is still in business.

[@hitechredneck6366]

Nice little town. Looks like a good place to settle in if you can work from home. Nicest city in the Mississippi River town series so far.

[@johnblough9080]

It's a shit hole. I live there.

[@blancacollazo1870]

it’s ass i live here

[@kencummings953]

It's an armpit and I don't live there.

[@Breadedmemelord]

It really depends on where you live in Muscatine, I’ve lived all over there and Southend was the worst, once you get out of southend , it’s a really nice place to live and the smell used to be the worst but now it’s mainly just Southend and plus the smell is just burnt corn

[@emtcasey35]

Good video for the most part. I just wish that youtubers that did these "spot lights" would stop and chat with people or find a way to reach out and talk to the folks that live there. Trust me there are a lot of people that are not afraid to give you the good and the bad of a town. Reading "stats" off a website do not give to near the picture it should. Like the reason that factory have stuck around is that a lot of them were started here. GPC/Kent feeds (same company) have their world HQ here, HON is also a word wide company that is HQ here. MUSCO lighting (not shown) is HQ here and have providing lighting to major movies and stadiums around the US. This is to just name a few. Yes this town has it's issues and name me a town that doesn't Drug use and crime stats are there but have improved but is always a work in progress. The downturn of the Mall is an issues, yet again not unique problem. The biggest negative that Muscatine has I feel is the lack of entertainment. There is not a lot to do unless you like soccer or baseball or drinking. There are people that have been trying to add events during the summer on the riverfront with monthly local/regional band concerts. They have also been trying to attract the Mississippi River Cruises to make Muscatine a stopping point. I could keep going. If you ever do a repeat visit feel free to reach out to me, I would love to ride around or drive you around and show you some of the history of the town and get you in touch with people that could tell you about it.-Casey

[@ChrisHarden]

There's also many people that don't wish to be bothered during their day to day lives. Can't tell you how many times I've done exactly what you're suggesting, only for it to take an hour to find someone to talk to. I simply don't have time for that on trips like these.

[@emtcasey35]

@@ChrisHarden Understood, I didn't take into consideration that you maybe doing multiple cities in one day or trip and I can see where that would be problematic. With that being said. The invitation is there if you ever do decide to revisit the area. And like I said overall I really liked the video and the way you did just show the city and not just the "pretty bits".

[@ChrisHarden]

@@emtcasey35 All good man. Some criticism is valid of course and I understand the thinking of interviewing locals. Just doesn’t always work out that way.

[@ronfullerton3162]

I cannot drive back through Muscatine without stopping at the Maid-Rite for a sandwich. And they have old time root-beer! Yum!

[@jameshoopes6467]

Wow! I grew up here in the 1970s. Things haven’t changed all that much. The high school has gotten much larger. They’ve added a lot to it. It’s sad to see the mall so dead. I spent so much time there, but that’s how malls are going. Hon manufacturing is a lot bigger than it used to be. I’m surprised how good the downtown looks. Not much has changed there. One thing you missed was Weed Park. It’s a great park. Sad to see my first elementary school gone, Jefferson. Great old brick building. I remember the smell of GPC. That came back to me as you drove past. Thanks for the memories!

[@SoGoYoko]

I lived in Muscatine from 1979 to 1981 with my father. My father worked at GPC (Grain Processing Co.) for roughly 40 years. Back when I was living there with my father, GPC processed corn sweetener. We lived on the south side so we smelled GPC pretty much daily. It wasn't that bad of a smell back then. Smelled like mashed potatoes. Doug was our school bus driver and was sort of a nutty guy.

[@viadharmawheel]

My mom was from there. I remember a trip in the late 1970s. back then it looked like a lot of weed was smoked at Weed Park. I still drive by the old family home in town every 5 years or so when I am close enough for a visit. The Merrill was the best hotel in Iowa when built and spent a couple nights there around 2017.

[@nickman747]

Dated a girl from here last year. We used to go to the park by the college with her son. The neighborhoods seem very quiet and comfortable but I live in the quad so I’m not used to the quietness of suburban muscatine. The backroads seem quite peaceful and pleasant.

[@aceberalvarado867]

Huge employer in Muscatine the Hon company always has job openings. They have five factories in town. The empty buildings on the river front are actually in use by small business owners. On the river front you passed by the Marriott hotel which was just built about 2 years ago. There is also a Muscatine community college in town. Plenty of jobs but rentals are in big demand. Thanks for being a bit positive on the video most KZbinrs tend to trash talk small towns. Blessings from Iowa

[@ChrisHarden]

I try to be honest with all of my videos. Muscatine might smell bad but at least there’s jobs there unlike many other small Midwest towns.

[@allenschmitz9644]

oooh them rents.

[@pamgjertson8258]

@@ChrisHarden That said, it would have been nice to use something other than "This town stinks" as your click-bait.

[@Dannys-Music-Collection]

46 and living in East tx. Originally from Muscatine , moved to Texas in 96 '. You drove threw all my old roads i would cruise as a teen ,in my Pontiac Fiero .

[@jacor653]

20:58 It's pronounced "Hon" as one word, instead of separate letters H-O-N. It rhymes with "gone."

[@judybeeding1813]

Home O Nize

[@HailRider]

Was going to mention that too. Hon Industries... office furniture.

[@Nadgpeiralv]

My 4 yrs of high school were at MHS wonderful 4 yrs🥰🥰🥰🙌🏼🙌🏼 Class of 95

[@Dannys-Music-Collection]

I probably know you....

[@allenschmitz9644]

It had sand and gravel pits from way back and a button factory circa 1906.

[@butiliketacos]

Grandma worked at the button factory

[@allenschmitz9644]

@@butiliketacos Strike 1908 all lost jobs.

[@maxwagner1341]

Go in the woods in town and you’ll find the button-pressed shells all over

[@WJack97224]

Thanks for the reminder. My grandpa was a night watchman at the button factory back in the mid-1950s.

[@bigguybri60]

At the beginning of the video that building used to be the Elms restaurant back in the day.

[@gmahjanetcozad1815]

Welcome to my home town

[@addisonolivia6120]

@Nosson Rossman no, lol

[@lilliazlobina9623]

The smell of roasted corn - somebody like, somebody not. As usual, the smell flies to the other side of the Mississippi River, or near the GPC only. There is no public transport, own cars use only. And school buses to deliver children to school and back home. Muscatine was named native Indians, which means nutmeg or muskat color in the Indian language, as sunsets here are very nice. A good ancient working town.

[@smashedcaboose6526]

There is public transportation in muscatine my boy, the muscabus is $1 per ride

[@WJack97224]

Thanks. I was born in Muscatine in 1946 but we moved to Nebraska and thence to corruptifornia. I was just a kid back then but I recognize a few places. Good on ya mate.

[@theepicjack0543]

If you want a good smell go near Heinz you can smell ketchup

[@ottaknow]

Muscatine High School was the building in front of Jefferson Elementary

[@ChrisHarden]

Neat.

[@judybeeding1813]

Class of 1969.

[@pamgjertson8258]

Unfortunately they tore it down this past month. The county was too cheap to renovate it.

[@ottaknow]

@@pamgjertson8258 both? Sad.

[@pamgjertson8258]

@@ottaknow No, I think only the high school, but they left the auditorium and Jefferson Elementary.

[@danhatch43]

Didn't start at the Walmart, how disappointing.😀

[@SadTheaterKid]

Muscatine is the best place ever!

[@_Gundy_]

Rotten dirty stinky town that will always have a place way back in the dark recesses of my heart.

[@ItsSusieQue96]

When i was a kid my dad worked at what they called the “alcohol plant” in Muscatine. He smelled so bad when he came home mom made him leave his clothes in the porch. You can smell Muscatine for miles before you get there. Its why I wont move back.

[@gabriellam8604]

Wished you had filmed more of downtown. Lived there in the 90s but didn't recognise much, maybe mentally blocked it. Lived on Sycamore St. Now living in Sicily and this makes Muscatine seem desolate.

[@carterpie]

Most of the time it's just south end that smells

[@awesome-o7220]

frfr

[@hi-nn3bo]

Ikr

[@amouldieraccoon]

Cause of gpc and shit

[@user-sf4sj1in3s]

It used to have the tomato/ketchup odor every August. As a kid I always knew that the smell meant school was starting!

[@user-zh7fh1on6s]

I have relatives In this town and cemetery (Greenwood). My parents grew up here. I would go to visit Grandparents every summer, watch fireworks at the river front. I saw my aunt's house on cedar street when you drove down the street by the old high school. It does smell funny but did not think it was bad. Nice to see it again.

[@corntastrophy]

4:03 nice 2t22 tornado siren there

[@user-ig6dv2ol9j]

I lived in this city years ago. It was good to see it again. Just wish you could have driven by the courthouse and along the riverfront area a little longer. But largely, you did a nice job of covering the city.

[@craignovy2090]

Extremely well done video with excellent research and beautiful background music! I have only heard of this place as a kid but did not know exactly where it is. As usual you show so well that communities don't thrive by accident.

[@carolhorn5894]

It couldn't stink worse than Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

[@Eibarwoman]

Muscatine and Bay City, MI must smell quite similarly given that corn syrup is a sugar and Michigan Sugar is converting sugar beets into the obvious sugar.

[@briangreen9150]

My Hometown!

[@trolololjsfb2989]

i like muscatine its really nice

[@tysontitus3332]

I lived in muscatine my whole life .. now I live somewhat near the steal plant you mentioned.. when I lived in muscatine I once found a make shift method lab tucked away in some bushes

[@codytheunicorn2002]

The town may stink but it's home, MY home

[@rifelaw]

Grew up about 20 miles west on 22, and Mom taught in Muscatine. Lots of days we could smell Grain Processing all the way over where we were.

[@danielsentertainmentproduc1527]

What Illinois counties you are planning to upload I know the Chicago area counties are excluded

[@ChrisHarden]

Nearly every decent sized city that you can think of.

[@trentw.7716]

Fun fact about Muscatine : Us Quad City locals refer to it as METHscatine.

[@freedommalik2065]

I just recently moved to Muscatine from the Quad cities and can vouch for the fact that they do not deserve that nickname.

[@trentw.7716]

@@freedommalik2065 Understandable, maybe they've cleaned it up over the years. I moved to Phoenix 3 years ago. Even before I left the area I hadn't been to Muscatine for years.

[@awesome-o7220]

everyone calls it that

[@trentw.7716]

@@awesome-o7220 I live in Phoenix Arizona. No one outside the midwest even knows where iowa is. They think you're from Idaho 🤷‍♂️

[@awesome-o7220]

@@trentw.7716 i meant everyone in iowa basically. im from california, didnt even care about iowa until i moved here.

[@mrlaw711]

It stunk the area up when I lived there 69 years ago.

[@urbanplanner7200]

Economic opportunity can be a double edged sword. If you're looking for demographic stability I'd look at staying away from factories.

[@agustindaniel8442]

By demographic stability u mean keeping it white? Lol

[@user-sf4sj1in3s]

The smell is what money smells like Sir! and it's my hometown. I'm in a Metro area for 35+ years now,. The life in Muscatine is laid back but hard working people. It's a family oriented life there. And it's still relatively safe there. I miss living there as Nature is all around! I call my metro life here as cement city! Above all!!! Don't forget the watermelons and other melons are plentiful! I always know that if the world gets too wild...that I can move home!

[@pamgjertson8258]

I agree. It was a wonderful town to grow up in. As far as the "stink", GPC invested a huge amount of $$ on purifiers to help with the smell. When I was there a couple years ago, you could still occasionally smell it, but it was so much better than before!

[@jeremydarkcountrysteckman9496]

I saw it in a movie about some Iowa kids that wanted to be rappers once to

[@brooklynnash365]

My moms car is in this

[@pamgjertson8258]

I kept looking for mine too. I used to deliver Meals on Wheels all over town during the time this was filmed.

[@HailRider]

Muscatine was a sh**show of a place to live in the early 80's. I had the misfortune of moving there as a kid and they were all like a school of fish. Every single one of them was wearing blue jeans, flannel shirts and waffle stomper boots. It was like a Bob and Doug McKenzi revival.

[@ChrisHarden]

Lol

[@theepicjack0543]

Honestly I agree, I’m in 8th grade here and I see that a lot, proves some things don’t change!

[@freedommalik2065]

Wow, this is neat. As a new resident of Muscatine myself, I was nervous of how you would show us. You didn't harp on the smell nearly as bad as I was expecting, considering the title of the video. If we can get MPW to go 100% renewables and not replace their coal with natural gas then maybe we can attract more business? It would sure help with the smell.

[@hbfsportsnetwork3133]

no one asked for your opinion

[@jefferyjones8399]

@@hbfsportsnetwork3133 Why so rude? They have a good point.

[@stankormy5717]

Thanks for sharing!

[@smashedcaboose6526]

always thought it smelled like a new pack of hotdogs

[@railfannerwes1479]

Roasted corn you get used to it ask Tracey

[@kimharpe6074]

I lived here briefly it was kind of a boring town but it was pretty solid at the time..I hated the smell that was one reason I couldnt stay...There is also a GPC plant owned by this same company in Washington Indiana so if you ever visit Washington wear your gas mask there too..

[@corywalker9498]

Even small town has ridiculous crime stats

[@jamescroy9464]

Stayed overnight there at a hotel and have relatives living there. Never noticed any smells. Maybe an edit on your title?

[@jefferyjones8399]

South end smells. It used to be worse but they were forced by lawsuit to update their facilities.

[@Chrisman740]

I live there 🙂

[@cokopy]

me too 😔

[@ethanlee7823]

@@cokopy me three

[@tiffanytwait6547]

Me forth

[@yoboydk9861]

I'm also from Muscatine

[@ethanlee7823]

Does anyone know why the sirens went off a couple weeks ago? I promise it wasn't my siren.

[@sadem1045]

Did you hear about what happened at their 4th of July parade this year?

[@jefferyjones8399]

I live by GPC. It’s not fun.

[@ChrisHarden]

Can’t imagine that it would be.

[@Dranfusion]

4:00 I see a 2t22 Siren.

[@ethanlee7823]

I live in Muscatine and I own a 3T22

[@corntastrophy]

@@ethanlee7823 is that siren still there? the 2t22?

[@ethanlee7823]

@@corntastrophy Yup.

[@dannybrylee2397]

This guy never grew up there , and doesn't have a clue.

[@dannybrylee2397]

This guy never lived here , or experienced the awesome living growing up in this town. I would have had it no other way. What a dick.

[@mikeray1717]

Ceded Rapids smells worse 🤢🤮

[@user-ef7wj7id6z]

Only the old timers from Muscatine know what the *Ones* were downtown...... We cruised them continuously. 😉

[@guttagaming8828]

you almost drove by my house you drove.

[@skata100]

5:13 is where a meth lab blew up n killed people no cappington

[@Borough81]

The house on the left or right? And how long ago?

[@skata100]

@@Borough81 on the right. Years ago. I drove by it the other day its now gone.

[@andresswinford16]

Its not that bad

[@TreyDelano]

Oh god it is true everyone knows us as methatine

[@errickmcclain3597]

I live in muscatine the gpc factory is what makes muscatine stink what u didn't know that don't bash my town

[@brooklynnash365]

Why would you want to come here

[@TreyDelano]

I’m from muscatine it does sucks

[@balls4924]

we call it MustyTine for a reason

[@jacor653]

Considering that I have lived in Davenport, IA my whole life (21 years), and that both of my parents have family who lives in Muscatine and points further south, I don't really care for Muscatine. Some parts of it aren't bad, like the movie theater on the bypass and the high school, but, in my opinion, there is much more that is bad about Muscatine than there is good about the city. I like to say that Davenport has problems, but Muscatine is a problem. No offense to those who live there, again including some of my relatives, but that's kind of the truth.

[@TreyDelano]

Bro blew a stop sign