Beck and Nauman's Waterloo's first manufacturing company, met the town's need for a planing mill and sash and door factory. George Beck, in 1866, was named fire chief and, ironically, his first fire was his own, the Beck and Nauman mill which burned at a loss of $12,000. Plagued by fire, the company was, in 1884, to lose a furniture store and warehouse and in 1898, the entire manufacturing plant burned at a loss of $40,000 with only $18,000 insured. Undaunted, the company rebuilt and expanded under Nauman's sons, C. H. and G. W. The Nauman company covered one square block at Cedar Street and Park Avenue and also manufactured drug, bank and store furnishings. In front of the Beck and Nauman's in the picture, you can see the mill race bridge built by Judge Couch in 1867 to supply power to the Beck and Nauman woolen mill.
Photo Courtesy of Leonard Katoski.
The oldest national bank in Waterloo was the First National, organized in 1865, and it came to be one of the strongest in the state with such eminent Board of Director members as JW Rath and HW Grout. The First National built a two story edifice at the corner of Fourth and Sycamore.
Photo Courtesy of Leonard Katoski.
