Chapter Thirty Three

OSKALOOSA FIFTY YEARS AGO AND OSKALOOSA TODAY.

Oskaloosa was incorporated as a city in July, 1853, and had at that time a population of about 1,000 persons. Three years previous its assessed valuation was $754,170.

There was perhaps a score of sawmills in different parts of the county turning out lumber for permanent improvements both in the city and country.

At the close of the fiscal years ending June 30, 1852, there had been received at the post office 13,958 letters. During the same time there had been mailed 15,762 letters.

The population of both city and county grew very rapidly. The original plat of the city covered a quarter section of land lying on the divide known as The Narrows. The public square is located exactly on the water shed between the Skunk river on the north and the Des Moines river on the south. Since the square has been elevated and the band-stand erected it may be said with truth that the water falling from the roof on. the notth side goes to the river on the north and that which falls from the south side of the roof reaches the Father of Waters through the channel of the Des Moines river. The public square in Oskaloosa is 860 feet above the level of the sea. The bed of the Des Moines river at the southern boundary line of the county is 660 feet above the sea level, making a fall of 200 feet from the public square to the county line.

As is well known, there was not a tree on this ridge when the town was located. The old Herald files show that John R. Needham, its editor, kept continually before his readers the value of planting trees. It is to him, in a large measure, that we are indebted for the overhanging boughs in many of the avenues of the city, which has earned for this place the flame of "The City of Trees." A goodly number of men, who have laid out additions to the city, have been persistent tree planters. It was about 1853 when the first trees were planted in the square. They were nourished and cared for by different enterprising individuals. Almost all of the original planting are gone. Dwight Downing calls attention to the large elm in front of the Downing Hotel which he says was planted by A. F. Seiberger, who built the first story of the brick house known as the D. W. Loring home, on East High avenue. B. V. Seevers says that the large elm south of it was planted and nurtured by his uncle, George W. Seevers, who wrote the first carriers' address for the Oskaloosa Herald, January 1851.

About this time brick began to take the place of native timber in the better class of buildings. John H. Shumate built the old L. Frankel home on South Market street, also the Jonathan Adkins home. Wesley Moorland built the Dr. Rhinehart home. Both these places are south of the Congregational church. Samuel McWilliams built the brick edifice known as the Isaac Kalbach place across the street north of the Salvation Army barracks, and Samuel Ingels built the Greenough property, which still stands west of the O. B. & F. stables.

It would be interesting to make a trip around the square in the early' 50s, about the time that the village thought itself old enough to put on city airs. With the help of William T. Smith,. the first mayor, and Isaac Kalbach, the first city marshal, we undertake the task. These venerable gentlemen are the two surviving members of the first city government.

Beginning on the Huber & Kalbach corner, there stood a two story frame building occupied by Ebenezer Perkins, who was one of the commissioners who located this city. He had a general store and lived in the rear part of the building. Next to him on the west in a wooden building was the postoffice, kept by Samuel Ingels. An "L" to this building also gave the family a home. Then came the largest brick block which had yet been built, called the Union block. It was completed in 1854, but had been in process of erection for several years. The 20-foot store rooms to the alley were built by their owners in the following order: Tobias Leighton, George Roland, John N. Kinsman and Samuel Ingels. Across the alley westward were frame buildings owned by John Waggoner and Thomas Thompson. Next was John Abraham's grocery and queensware store, and J. D. Fletcher, harness and saddlery store. The next two stores were brick, the first occupied by A. F. Seiberger with hardware, and the one on the corner by D. W. Loring's drygoods store, which he built and which his estate still owns. Across the street on the northwest corner of the square stood the old courthouse. On the Baldauf corner the first twenty feet was occupied by a frame building containing a general store, kept by W.S. Dart. On the adjoining lot south was his small brick residence standing back from the sidewalk some twenty feet. After a vacant lot came Dr. Hinton's drug store and then two buildings owned by W.S. Edgar and Jones & Young. Across the alley south was the first brick business building on the square, owned by W. B. Street and G. W. Baer. The adjoining lot was vacant, and on the next two lots were small wooden buildings containing groceries. One of them was kept by Wesley Mettler. It is stated that Mr. Mettler's frugal habits prompted him to invoice his little stock of groceries quite often. One day a customer called and found the door locked. Asking the reason, the proprietor answered, "We are devoicing, sir." On the Mahaska County Bank corner stood the old Oskaloosa House. It was a two story frame in front with a porch above and below. The proprietor was John N. Kinsman. Mr. Kinsman was elected county treasurer in 1860. We are told that during the early years this hotel had no superior in the town. Across the street south on the Will Seever's corner were one story frame buildings.  Henry Howard kept a grocery store there at one time. Continuing east, at the Boyer corner was a two story wooden building  in which A. G. Philips kept a dry goods store in 1851. Then as far east as the alley on the south side of the square were small shacks of wooden buildings. In one of these Charles Evans, a brother of Captain Evans, kept a bakery for a time. Across the alley was first a one story frame and then a one and one half story, with some vacant lots. On the Neagle corner stood a two story frame, the second floor of which was for several years the home of the Oskaloosa Herald. On the eye tooth corner southeast of the square was a one story frame in which John Hagey kept a grocery. Across the street to the north John Montgomery had a general store in a two story frame on the corner, and a one story brick residence adjoining, set back into the lot. Next came a little frame building with a tin shop, and then the Madison House, which was known between the rivers as the home of the tired and hungry traveler. In the earlier years before the west was thoroughly organized, the hotel became the headquarters not only for the traveling public, but for stranded humanity from whatever cause. John R. Baer relates that in 1855 California emigrant, returning east, was taken with cholera at this tavern. As there were no provisions for the care of such cases in the city, the patient remained at the hotel until he died. The authorities found it very difficult to get anyone to care for the body. The case appealed to his father, George W. Baer, and he volunteered to assist in preparing the body for burial. When all was over he took down with the same deadly malady. While he was yet ill, Mrs. Baer was smitten and died at the early age of thirty-five years. His father's only sister, who made her home in the family, also became a victim. She had cared for Mrs. Baer during her illness and went down rapidly to an early grave. The home of the Baer family at that time was in what is now an old story and a half weather-beaten house still standing at the corner of A avenue and B street. It is a mute sentinel of the old days, and has afforded shelter to an Oskaloosa family for more than fifty years.

The ground on which this old hotel stood shacks of wooden buildings. In one of these has never been used for any other purpose except a hotel site. In 1856 Major F. L. Downing purchased the Madison House, and being especially fitted by nature and culture to handle the public, he made a great success. He related to a friend that during those early years when two or four stages stopped every morning for breakfast, he made $6,000 in fifteen months from ten rooms.

In 1874 the old house was removed and an elegant three story brick, 60x10 feet, was erected and when furnished cost $48,000. The
new building took the name of the proprietor and was called the Downing House. Mr. Downing was later connectedwith this hotel for twenty-five years, until the time of his death, April 4, 1881. He was at all times one of Oskaloosa's most enterterprising citizens. In recent years the Downing has been remodeled and another story added.

Across the alley where the courthouse now stands was Yankee Smith's grocery. D. W. Oglevie had a clothing store on the next lot. Passing a vacant lot, John W. Irvin had a jewelry store. Next to the corner was Macon Brothers' drug store, and on the corner Hardy, Searle & Young kept a stock of dry goods. All these were temporary one story buildings. This corner and across the street north; when vacant, are said to have been the show grounds of the town in the earlier years. The northeast corner of the square at this time was without buildings.

The north boundary of the original plat is one-halfblock north of D avenue, and the east boundary one-half block east of Third street. The south is bounded by Third avenue and the west line is one-half block west of D street. To this plat have been added at different times additions to the city usually bearing the name of the person or firm who platted and sold the property. On the south and southwest were the first and second Montgomery additions, the Lacey addition the first and second Houtz additions, the Ninde Williams & Company addition, and the Southside. On the west we find the Marks, Loughridge & Cassady, West Oskaloosa and Baugh's addition.

On the north we have Crookham, Donahey, Hambleton, Whitacre, Westervelt, Ninde & Searle, Mendenhall, Mulhallen and Ridge Place additions. Oil the east were the W. T. Smith and W. H. Seevers first and second additions, Baer, Kemper, Hetherington, Street Meyers & Smith, and in the southeast part of the city is located O'Neill's recent addition.

In the summer of 1863 six frame buildings were burned on the south side of the square. These were rebuilt some years later, and on January 20, 1873, were again destroyed by fire. From the ashes of these two fires has sprung the Phoenix block, built in the latter year. In 1874 four buildings were burned on the northwest corner of the square, causing a loss of $17,000. A fire on the north side of West High avenue in 1877 entailed a loss almost as large. The destruction of the opera house block in 1889 included besides the opera house, Byron S. Henry's furniture store and the postoffice. All the buildings in this block were rebuilt at once. Gradually the old frame structures were destroyed by fire, or became untenable and were replaced by more substantial brick buildings. The Centennial block, on the north side, was built in 1876, by L. Frankel, Richard Parker and Christian Houtz. Joining it on the east is the Dixon block, erected in 1897. The Huber & Kalbach corner, now owned by Williams Brothers, was built in 1882. Across the street stands the VV. R. Nugent corner, built in 1892, and the J. B. McCurdy buildings were completed in 1884. Adjoining these is the W. A. Seevers block. No. 2 now owned by John A. Kalbach. On the corner south of the Downing House are the Gibbs buildings, built in 1889. Mr. Gibbs also built the Globe block, adjoining the opera house and the building now occupied by the Herald office on North Market, and several other creditable structures.

The McMillen block, on East First avenue, was built in 1881 by Dr. B. F. McMillen. The Evans block, on the southeast corner of the square, was built by David Evans. The W. A. Seevers brick block covers the southwest corner of the square.

The Lacey hotel, covering the southeast quarter of this block, is an elegant three story brick structure containing one hundred and forty rooms, and cost $75,000. Among the newer buildings on the west side of the square are the Williams block, built in 1892; the Frankel building, now occupied by the Pfeifer Belmont Co., was built in 1889, and the Samuel Baldauf corner, built in 1890. The Jones Reigel and Fitch Brothers' new brick block on West High avenue, just completed, is a model structure. Its erection was made necessary by a destructive fire in February, 1905.

Our splendid courthouse; located on the east side of the square, was completed in 1885, at a cost to the county of $145,000. Just east of the quarter block on which the courthouse stands, the new county jail is located. It was built in 1901, at a cost of $25,000. The first bank in Oskaloosa was opened March 1, 1855, in the Union block, by W. T. Smith and M. T. Williams. The building now occupied by the Mahaska County Bank was built by Crookham & White in the early '60s, and has been used as a bank building since its erection. Mahaska County Savings Bank built the corner building now owned and occupied by the Oskaloosa National Bank, in 1876. It was converted to a national bank three years later by a vote of the stockholders. The Frankel Bank is located in the Centennial block on the north side. The building occupied by the Oskaloosa Savings Bank on the west side was built by Henry Price.

The Wightman block on the south side of East High avenue is a recent substantial improvement. Our elegant Y. M. C. A. building on East High avenue, completed in 1903, at a cost of $40,000, is the measure which Oskaloosa places on the life and character of its young men.

Oskaloosa has now about thirty-five industries, giving employment to nearly 600 people, to whom are paid in wages about $240,000 per annum, and the annual output of the combined industries amounts to over $2,000,000. While these figures do not show us to be a large manufacturing center, it is encouraging to note that it shows an increase of about 100 percent during the last five years.

The Carnegie library was completed in 1903 at a cost of $25,000. Its shelves now hold 5,175 volumes. The new post office building was completed in 1902 at a cost of $75,000. The city has twelve churches, six school buildings, twelve miles of street paving, sixty miles of cement walk, thirteen miles of sewerage and water mains, sixty-two miles. of improved streets, two telegraph and two telephone lines, and five railroads.

The improvements in 1904 amounted to $683,700. Oskaloosa is the fifteenth city in size in the state. Its growth has always been permanent and healthful. Its population is now 10,108. If our republican institutions live this city and county is but a child in the number of its population to what it will be before the opening of another century.