Riverside: The Future Birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk

James Tiberius Kirk— Star Trek fans will recollect—was the youngest captain in the Starfleet history, who boldly lead the starship USS Enterprise and its crew into new worlds where no man had gone before. Going by Star Trek’s timeline, James T Kirk won’t be born for another two hundred years. Yet, a small town south of I-80 on the eastern side of Iowa, United States, is already basking in the glory of the legendary captain’s exploits. Riverside is a sleepy little place with a population of less than a thousand. Nothing much of anything happens here, which is why in 1985, Steve Miller, a member of the Riverside City Council, suggested that the council declare Riverside the future birthplace of Kirk. Photo credit: Peter Zillmann/Flickr Steve Miller, a Star Trek fan, had read Gene Roddenberry’s book “The Making of Star Trek”, where the creator of the landmark TV series stated that Capt. James Tiberius Kirk was born on March 22, year 2228 in Iowa. Because Roddenberry didn’t say where, Miller saw an opportunity and he seized it before anybody else could. The council agreed unanimously. Miller poked a stick into the ground behind the town barber shop, which he owned, and declared that it was the Captain’s future birth spot. An engraved monument was eventually placed there. Later, a bench was added along with a Shuttlecraft-shaped donation box for upkeep. Riverside’s official slogan was also changed from “Where the best begins” to “Where the Trek begins,” and the town’s annual summer festival was renamed from “River Fest” to “Trek Fest”. William Shatner playing Captain Kirk in the television program Star Trek The town's Murphy's Bar and Grill decided to get into the act too.