Dean JACOBS was born September 10, 1890, Mount Ayr, Iowa, the son of Edward L. JACOBS and Julia Frances (BOWMAN) JACOBS. In his younger years, Dean was a trapper. The JACOBS Fur House began operations in 1906 and trapped in Lotts Creek Township. Dean bought the SULLIVAN Building located on the south side of the square in Mount Ayr and established his fur business.

In 1933, JACOBS expanded his business and rebuilt the store. JACOBS Fur sold world-wide. By 1933, the business operations reached $150,000 and employed ten to twelve men and one bookkeeper.

Millicent Ann (WELLS) KNIGHT was JACOBS' fur, wool, and hide business for 23 years. Arthur Beaner MICKAEL was an employee for 35 years. Corwin KARR was another employee. Tedde BLUNCK worked as a skinner and scraper during his high school senior year.

JACOBS Fur business suffered from a fire in 1934 but was built back up at the same location. The fire altered the front of the building so it does not look like any earlier photographs of it on that side of the square.

When Melvin WURSTER was in the service and stationed in France, he happened to see a a building there with Dean JACOBS Fur signs. As it turned out, Dean kept a warehouse in France where he kept furs until there was a market for them.

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, November 17, 1966

Trapping fur bearing animals isn't what it was a generation and a half ago, according to Dean Jacobs, who started in business in 1921 in the same building he occupies today on the south side of the square in Mount Ayr. In those days when car heaters and closed cars were still far from being what they are today, trapping was widespread in this area. Wild mink, civet cat, skunk, muskrat and raccoon pelts were in demand and brought good prices.

  Submission by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2010;
updated May of 2010; updated February of 2017